"If it is as long as a month then there should be a break clause after two or maybe three weeks, to say that if we can tell by then that the rise in cases is not leading to a rise in the serious illness that sends people into hospital, then we can unlock earlier," he said.
The Delta variant has caused a significant rise in cases over recent weeks. The variant is thought to be around 60 per cent more infectious than the Alpha variant that was discovered in Kent at the end of last year and became the dominant strain of the virus in the country.
It is now thought that the Delta variant accounts for 90 per cent of infections in the UK now, and the seven-day average for cases in the UK is up 49 per cent compared with the seven days prior.
There has been
rising pressure from scientists and medical experts for the crucial June 21 date to be delayed because of the rise in infections.
