Epidemic expert Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London believes that the blockade should be kept until June to better control Covid-19.

The UK government's top epidemiologist advises that when the blockade ends, the British people need to seriously implement community isolation for many more months to prevent the disease from recurring.

"We have to keep up these measures for a long time, in my opinion, until the end of May or early June," Professor Ferguson told the Sunday Times. This means that all British people will have to stay indoors for nearly three more months.

According to him, after the blockade ends, schools should remain closed until the fall and people should still work from home instead of going to the office.

The government is more optimistic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that he thought Britain could "change the situation" within three months. However, in a letter expected to be sent to households next week, Prime Minister Johnson warned "things can get worse before getting better."

Calling the present Covid-19 crisis a "national emergency", he stressed "with the spirit of Britain, we will defeat nCoV and defeat it together".

Prime Minister Johnson is quarantining himself on Downing Street after testing positive for nCoV. He developed mild symptoms and still worked from afar. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the Secretary of State for the Scottish Foreign Affairs Department, Alister Jack, also reported nCoV infection.

He recorded more than 17,000 nCoV infections, including more than 1,000 deaths and more than 130 recovery cases. Experts predict the country will reach its peak in a few weeks.