Too early to say The minister said there were varying estimates on what proportion of the new cases each day were the variant first identified in India but the strain was “more transmissible” than others. “My assessment is that it is too early now to say yet whether we can take the full step on 21 June,” Hancock added. “Like him [Hunt], I desperately want us to [end lockdown], but I will only do that if it is safe. “We will make a formal assessment ahead of 14 June as to what step we can take on 21 and in that we will be both driven by the data, advised on and guided by the science and we will be fully transparent both with this House and with the public in those decisions.”