The UK is in the “last lap” in its fight against coronavirus, the foreign secretary has told Sky News.

But Dominic Raab said a “careful” approach to easing COVID-19 restrictions was still necessary, with “steady steps” the “smart way to go”.

Defending the pace of the government’s roadmap for easing measures, he told Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I know that people are hankering to go a bit faster but actually we feel vindicated at taking steady steps out of the lockdown is the smart way to go.

“We’re very close now to really turning the corner and I think we still need to be careful to go as I said we don’t want to see the gains lost and the sacrifices that have been made undone.

“By the time we get to June 21 almost all social restrictions will be lifted, so there’s only a little bit more time to go but it’s right we do that in a careful way.

“I do think we just need to make sure that in the last lap, if you like, that we are careful and we don’t lose the gains we’ve made.”

The next scheduled easing of COVID restrictions is set to come on 17 May.

From this date, a maximum of six people or two households will be allowed to meet indoors and most restrictions on meeting outdoors will be lifted.

A range of businesses will also be able to reopen, including pubs and restaurants indoors.

On 21 June, the plan is to remove all remaining “legal limits” on social contact.

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