UK govt on gradual easing, possible quarantine rules

The UK on Saturday suggested it now had "the capacity" to introduce a 14-day quarantine for international travelers at airports, in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stopped short of confirming the policy, telling reporters they would have to wait for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech on Sunday.

As the country's virus transmission rate was slowing and testing capacity increasing, Shapps said "it clearly (made) sense to look at what happens at the borders."

Johnson is also expected to "set out a roadmap" for the next stage of Britain's coronavirus strategy on Sunday. Shapps stressed it would be a "gradual process, not a single leap to freedom."

Shapps said a further 346 people died from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, raising the country's death toll to 31,587.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and could lead to death.