The COVID Diaries – 47 14th May
How realistic is the government’s aim of hitting their lockdown easing date of 1st June? There remain serious worries about the prevalence of the virus in care homes and hospitals, different levels of infection throughout the country, and whether the contact-tracing and testing regime needed to facilitate easing will be fully up and running.
One of the key deciding factors is will be the daily COVID-19 infection rate and whether this falls below 5,000, although some experts believe below 4,000 would be better. Another is whether the reproduction “R” rate remains substantially below 1.
Currently experts suggest the current rates of infection remain “some way off” what would be needed to lift the lockdown.