UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that the country could reopen all non-essential retail stores on June 15 if the coronavirus remains contained.

During a press conference, “On June 15, we intend to allow all non-essential retail, ranging from department stores to small independent shops, to reopen”.

“Because of the progress we are making, I can, with confidence, put the British people on notice of the changes we intend to introduce as we move into Step Two,” Johnson further added.

He said classes can resume for the oldest children on June 15.

“We are asking schools gradually to reopen,” he said.

Johnson also announced that primary schools in England are to reopen to some pupils from June 1 as part of the next stage of easing restrictions. The school announcement however was overshadowed by the continuing row over Cummings.

On Friday, Home Secretary Priti Patel said that all the new arrivals must self-isolate for two weeks from June 8, with fines for anyone who breaches the measure designed to prevent a second wave of coronavirus from overseas.

Johnson had said that he could begin to ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown in the coimg weeks but warned he would do nothing that would risk a new surge of cases.

The Prime Minister in par, while speaking in parliament for the first time since he himself was hospitalised with coronavirus, said the government would review the data and he would set out the next steps.

UK’s official death count of 36,914 is Europe’s highest.

Another 121 COVID-19 patients had died in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 36,914, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday.

As of Monday morning, 261,184 people had tested positive in Britain, an daily increase of 1,625, according to the department.

Meanwhile, globally, 5,588,356 people have been infected by coronavirus so far, and the total number of deaths from the disease now stands at 347,873, according to Worldometer.

The World Health Organization has “temporarily” suspended clinical trials of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for Covid-19 across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.