London, April 28 The UK is at the moment of maximum risk in the coronavirus outbreak, Boris Johnson said, as he urged people not to lose patience with the lockdown.
Speaking outside No 10 for the first time since recovering from the virus, Johnson said "we are now beginning to turn the tide" on the disease, the BBC reported on Monday.
He said lockdown would not be relaxed too soon but details on any changes will be set out over the "coming days".
Some paused NHS services in England, such as cancer care, are to resume.
It comes as the latest daily figures show a further 360 people died with the virus in hospitals, taking the total number of deaths to 21,092.
This number includes 82 NHS staff and 16 care workers who have died in hospital.
Families of front-line NHS and social care staff who die with coronavirus will receive a 60,000 pounds compensation payment, the government has announced.
The prime minister returned to Downing Street on Sunday after more than three weeks off sick.
Johnson said he understood concerns from business owners who were impatient to end the lockdown.
But ending it too soon could lead to a second spike in cases and cause more deaths, "economic disaster" and restrictions being reintroduced, he said.
He said there were "real signs now that we are passing through the peak" - including with fewer hospital admissions and fewer COVID-19 patients in intensive care.
( With inputs from IANS )