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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed a package of measures to ease the coronavirus lockdown as his scientific advisers warned that ignoring remaining guidance would see the country plunged into restrictions again.

Mr Johnson today announced the most wide-ranging lifting of the lockdown yet, with swathes of businesses able to reopen from July 4 and families able to visit each other at home.

Addressing the public directly at the final daily Downing Street briefing, he said: “The Government has asked a huge amount of all of you, and… the people of this country met that challenge with good humour and common sense.

“Of course the fight is far from over. This is a nasty virus still that wants to take advantage of our carelessness.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). Photo: PA

“I’m afraid there will be local outbreaks. And I must tell you that if the virus were to begin to run out of control, I will not hesitate to put on the handbrake and reverse some of these changes at local or indeed national level as required.

“But we can avoid that if we all continue to stay alert and do our bit to control the virus.”

It comes as a further 171 deaths of people who had previously tested positive for coronavirus were recorded today, bringing the total number of UK deaths to 42,927.

In Yorkshire, 2,787 deaths have been recorded, with an additional six added today.

Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty urged businesses and individuals to take the new guidelines, including the reduction of the two-meter rule, seriously.

He said: “To be really clear, it is absolutely critical that every individual, every household and every firm takes these precautions seriously.

“If that does not happen, we will go back to a situation where transmission starts to rise again.”

He warned: “If people hear a distorted version of what’s being said, that says ‘this is all fine now, it’s gone away’ and start behaving in ways that they normally would have before this virus happened, yes, we will get an uptick for sure.

“It is absolutely critical people stick to the guidance that has been given, it’s a changed guidance for there are still very significant restrictions socially and there are very significant restrictions on business of different sorts.”

And he predicted that the country could have to cope with Covid-19 into 2021.

He said: “I would be surprised and delighted if we weren’t in this current situation through the winter and into next spring.

“I think then let’s regroup and work out where we are.

'Absolutely critical' to adhere to new guidance, public warned, amid most wide-ranging easing of lockdown measures yet