LONDON, Apr 4, 2020, SPA -- Britain is unlikely to lift its stringent lockdown rules until the end of May, a leading government adviser said on Saturday, warning that the spread of the coronavirus must first slow and intense testing be introduced. The government has put Britain into a widespread shutdown, closing pubs, restaurants and nearly all shops, while ordering people to stay home unless absolutely essential to venture out. The order is designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country, which has almost 40,000 confirmed cases and 3,605 deaths, but some experts have started to question whether the shuttering of the economy will cost more lives in the long run. --SPA 14:15 LOCAL TIME 11:15 GMT 0010 www.spa.gov.sa/w1300832