LONDON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Britain's coronavirus lockdown faces its most serious test this weekend as the public is urged to stay at home during the Easter bank holiday weekend to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Announcing Thursday that lockdown measures will remain in place, the British government called upon people to stick by social distancing rules amid fears that warm weather over the weekend could tempt breaches.
The appeal came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to a general ward on Thursday evening after spending three nights in an intensive care unit in St Thomas' Hospital in London. He was taken to the hospital on Sunday, 10 days after testing positive for the virus.
The country's hospital deaths linked to the virus, to be announced later Friday, are expected to exceed 8,000 as the official figure currently stands at 7,978. A total of 65,077 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed as of Thursday morning.
Police chiefs want the government to consider toughening lockdown restrictions as they head into the Easter weekend with concerns that a growing minority will flout the rules, according to the Guardian newspaper.
More stringent restrictions to prevent people driving long distances are among options supported by at least five chief constables who want enforcement action to be bolstered by clearer and tougher government policies, said the newspaper.
Other options include using legislation to enforce the order to limit exercise to once a day.
Police have sent speed and traffic camera data to the government showing that road use in some areas last weekend was up nearly 10 percent compared with the previous weekend.
Compliance with lockdown restrictions imposed on March 23 is still high. However, a minority still ignored the rules to take walks or exercise their dogs far from home, sometimes in groups, said the Guardian.
