Dr. Jenny Harries, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, warned the public that it could be six months before the UK returns to “normal” life. Yahoo Finance’s Oscar Williams-Grut joins On the Move to break down the latest developments.

Video Transcript

ADAM SHAPIRO: Want to head across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom. Everybody worldwide asking, when will we return to normal? Oscar Williams-Grut joins us from his home in London to tell us how they're approaching that question in the UK.

OSCAR WILLIAMS-GRUT: Well, Adam, it is looking like a pretty long wait here in Britain. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jenny Harries told the nation over the weekend that it could be six months before the UK returns to normal. That was the phrase she used. Now, this isn't to say that we'll be in strict lockdown for six months. But restrictions on daily life are likely to continue for at least half a year.

Now, the lockdown that we're currently under is being reviewed every three weeks. And Dr. Jenny Harries, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, she said if we start to see the curve flattening, then gradually some of the restrictions that we have in place could be lifted. For example, schools could be reopened. Some non-essential shops could be allowed to reopen.

But what we think of as normal, everyday life-- for instance, going to a crowded pub in London to meet a friend and, you know, perhaps give them a hug when you meet them-- those types of activities are likely to be off the table for at least six months. And it could even be longer.

Dr. Jenny Harries was, of course, saying that we must respond to the data. The only thing that will dictate whether these restrictions get lifted is if we start to see a flattening of the curve. And Dr. Harries said she expects the numbers to get worse for at least this week and possibly next before we start to see the impact from the strict social isolation and lockdown that was introduced last Monday.