Britain remains in lockdown as it tries to pivot this month to a new strategy built around mass testing and tracing infected people and those they may have come into contact with. (Photo: AFP/Tolga Akmen)

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday (May 6) he could begin to ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown next week, but warned he would do nothing that would risk a new surge of cases.

He was speaking the day after Britain overtook Italy to become the worst-hit country in Europe, with more than 32,000 deaths related to COVID-19 - behind only the United States in the global rankings.