Mr Johnson said the Government should only ease up on the lockdown when it is absolutely certain that no second peak will come. He added that he wants “maximum transparency” about how the decisions to relax lockdown restrictions are taken, and that he wants to involve opposition parties as much as possible. 

Mr Johnson said: “Once again I want to thank you the people of this country for the sheer grit and guts you’ve shown and are continuing to show.

“Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land.”

He added he shared business concerns about the length of the lockdown but he refused to “throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people” and risk a second peak.

Mr Johnson continued: “It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face.

What is phase 2?

Boris Johnson said the measures are in place currently to win “phase 2” just as the UK had tackled phase one. 

The Prime Minister said that lockdown will continue in Britain as he did not want to risk the sacrifices made in a bid to prevent a second peak. 

The Prime Minister, however, faces increasing calls to end the lockdown for fears the economy will collapse. 

The UK death toll rose to 20,732 over the weekend. 

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• Italian Prime Minister Conte outlines coronavirus exit strategy plans

Although the British Government haven’t yet announced what Phase 2 could entail in the UK, Italy has announced that their second phase “starts now”. 

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte spoke during an eagerly anticipated television address on Sunday night and said: “Now is the time to coexist with the virus. 

“It’s fundamental for each and every one of us to be responsible, we must never approach each other, the safety distance must be at least one metre. 

“We are going to ease the lockdown from May 4 but there is a system in plane which integrates the regions.” 

Mr Conte added that each region “will have to inform the health ministry on the progress of the epidemiological curve and on the success of the measures.” 

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