Delay to easing English lockdown may not be enough, experts say

Scientists suggest move may stabilise infections, but stricter rules needed to reduce rates

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Applying a handbrake to lockdown easing in England is welcome, but may not be enough to stop a rise in infections, experts have said.

Sage, the government's scientific advisory group, said on Friday that it did not have confidence that the reproduction rate, R, was currently below 1 in England, based on rapidly reported data. The latest estimate for R, based on data with a delay of a couple of weeks, is between 0.8 and 0.9.