A GOVERNMENT adviser today warned Brits not to “tear the pants out of” incoming lockdown freedoms after crowds flocked to beaches.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam spoke out in this afternoon’s No10 presser to urge the public to stay safe.
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It comes as Brits will be able to meet as a group of six outdoors from Monday – but many people seem to be jumping the gun and meeting up a few days early.
Shocking pictures of packed beaches and swimming spots showed crowded people sitting in large numbers despite the virus still causing thousands of cases.
Professor Van Tam said: “It is like having a spring in a box and you have got the lid on. Now you can take the lid off a little but you haven’t disconnected the spring or broken the spring in any way.
“If you take the lid right off the spring is still under tension and off it will go again.
“This is a dual responsibility here of Government to go slowly and carefully and to take the advice from the scientists, of the scientists to watch this whole thing very closely over the next few weeks and of the public in general to actually follow the guidance.
“Don’t tear the pants out of it and don’t go further than the guidance actually says.”
He said the process of emerging out of lockdown would have to be slow, and would change depending on how the case numbers are doing.
He told the press conference: ‘The scientists will continue to give that advice to the Government. No apologies for that, we will absolutely continue to do that.
“I believe this is also a very dangerous moment. We have to get this right.”
Police warned that meeting up in groups remains forbidden as pals were pictured meeting up in large groups in the Saturday sunshine.
As temperatures heated up to 28C in some spots, scores of people were seen heading to beaches across the country, with some unable to resist the temptation to meet up in family groups ahead of Monday.
One car park in Camber, East Sussex was pictured totally full this morning as families and friends flocked to the beach, while police were also seen patrolling a packed Swale Falls in Yorkshire this afternoon.
In Dorset, both Bournemouth and Sandbanks beach, near Poole, were also seen heaving with sun seekers, while nearby beauty spot Durdle Door saw huge queues of cars filled with day trippers.
In Richmond Park, South West London, cops were also seen patrolling the park on bicycle to ensure Brits were keeping their two metre distance.
It comes as coronavirus deaths in the UK have risen to 38,376 after 215 more people lost their lives to the deadly disease.
The number of infected cases also rose by 2,445 to 272,826 from yesterday.
The rise is lower than yesterday when 324 deaths were recorded in 24 hours – the smallest rise recorded on a Friday for the last nine weeks.
It comes as:
Last Saturday, 282 people were killed by the disease – with the figures usually lower at the weekend due to a lag in reporting.
NHS England confirmed the latest victims were aged between 46 and 97 – with six having no underlying health conditions.
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It comes as England prepares to relax lockdown on Monday – with people able to meet safely in groups of six in a household’s garden or outdoors.
Reception, year one and year six students will also head back to classrooms but headteachers have warned they will look very different with strict social distancing measures in place.
Boris Johnson announced he would be easing the restrictions after the five crucial tests for lifting lockdown had been met.
But scientists have warned it is premature to ease lockdown restrictions.
