All teed up for the easing of lockdown

 » Golf and angling may get green light  » Year 6 schoolkids go back next month

- NIGEL NELSON

GOLFERS, gardeners and anglers will be the first to benefit when Boris Johnson announces a limited easing of lockdown tonight.

And schools will begin a phased reopening at the start of June, beginning with Year 6 primary leavers.

But to deter those tempted to breach social distancing rules fines will be hiked from £60 to £100 and rise to £3,200 for serial offenders.

Garden centres, repair shops and hardware stores will be allowed to reopen from tomorrow. And noncontact sports such as golf and fishing are to resume soon after that. The details emerged as:

• The UK death toll yesterday rose 346 to 31,587.

• Thousands of British doctors revealed they had run out of PPE.

• US doctors began trialling a drug used for schizophrenia after tests showed it blocked Covid-19 in mice.

• Worrying figures showed at least 19 women were killed in domestic violence attacks during the first six weeks of lockdown.

The PM is to give further details of his roadmap out of lockdown in a televised address to the nation at 7pm – after a COBRA meeting to finalise details this afternoon.

His lockdown announcement in March attracted an audience of 27 million.

A No10 source said: “This is a critical moment. We will proceed with maximum caution.

“We must not risk a second peak which might overwhelm the NHS.”

Safety guidance for workplaces will be published this week, though for most working from home will continue. Only outdoor working such as construction will be encouraged.