NHS boss warns crowds enjoying the outdoors could spark second coronavirus peak despite dramatic drop in daily death toll to 413 - the lowest figure this month

The UK's coronavirus death toll increased by 413 today - the lowest recorded this month - as NHS bosses said social distancing is 'paying off' but warned breaking the rules now could result in a second peak of the deadly disease. 

Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said the latest government statistics showed there had been a 'slight uptick' in the number of people using their cars and going outside in recent days. 

He told the daily Downing Street coronavirus press conference that the nation needed to 'remind ourselves that this has been a really tough four weeks and we don't want to lose the benefits' which have resulted from people staying at home.  

Mr Powis said nobody could be 'absolutely confident' that the UK is now firmly on a downward trajectory as he urged Britons to continue to adhere to draconian lockdown measures. 

The 413 new fatalities represents a significant drop on yesterday's UK figures - and are also lower than previous Sundays, which typically see a lower toll than weekdays. 

But the government is still swatting away calls to publish a road map out of lockdown, with Dominic Raab this morning admonishing both Labour and Tory figures demanding an exit strategy. 

Environment Secretary George Eustice remained equally tight-lipped at this afternoon's briefing, where he confirmed the number of deaths have now hit 20,732. 

The cabinet minister also said cases have risen by 4,463 to 153,840 after 29,058 tests were performed yesterday - a figure which will set alarm bells ringing in Whitehall after Matt Hancock vowed to hit 100,000 tests by the end of April.  

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The latest Downing Street data showed there has been a slight increase in the number of people going outside in recent days

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Transport use overall remains relatively flat but the number of vehicles on the nations has rose slightly which has spooked the government's health expert

Coronavirus tracking app suggests disease arrived in UK in January

A coronavirus tracking app has suggested the disease arrived in the UK in January - well before the first cases were detected.

COVID Symptom tracker, designed by scientists at King's College London, asks its 2.6million users to report their symptoms daily, even if they are well, in order to map the disease's spread.

Hundreds of contributors have, however, also admitted to suffering from Covid-like symptoms soon after the new year with a few even saying they thought they had the disease in late December, the Professor Genetic Epidemiology at King's and scientist working on the app, Tim Spector, has said.

Although the cases are untested, the reports suggest the virus gained a foothold in the UK long before the first case was identified on British soil on January 31, when two Chinese people in York tested positive for the virus.

The app's data has also suggested that the lockdown measures have worked, with estimated cases dropping by more than 80 per cent to 354,690 today since a peak of 2.1million on April 1.

It is hoped that technology including apps such as this will allow the UK to return to a semblance of normality.

There have been growing signs in recent days that some Britons may have grown restless with the state of lockdown. 

Official data shows there are more people using the nation's roads while photographs suggest more people are venturing outside to use the UK's green spaces. 

But Mr Powis said this afternoon that everyone must continue to stay at home as much as possible - or risk a second surge in coronavirus cases. 

He said: 'Over the last few weeks of course we have seen because those social distancing measures have been adhered to that those curbs have started to change and as I showed you a few minutes ago we are now beginning to see declines, particularly in London and yes deaths are now either plateauing around the country or beginning to decline.

'But I should emphasise those benefits have only occurred not by luck but because people have complied with the instructions we have all been given and they have followed the science. The science of this is quite straight forward.'

As Britons were pictured basking in parks in warm weather: 

• It was revealed everyone entering Britain will now face a mandatory two-week quarantine under plans being drawn up by the Government;
• Ministers have ordered up to 50 million new immunity tests to be produced in the fight against Covid-19;
• Boris Johnson prepared to return to work in Downing Street tomorrow, having told aides that he is 'raring to go'; 
• Dominic Raab admitted a coronavirus vaccine is 'unlikely to come this year' despite human trials starting this week; 
• The Foreign Secretary also blasted 'irresponsible' Tory donors, MPs and Keir Starmer for demanding the UK government publish a lockdown exit strategy;
• A tracker app shows coronavirus was spreading in Britain weeks before first case was spotted - and says we already passed peak of the bug on April 1;
• Britons in lockdown were braced for more bad news as the country will be hit with weeks of rain from today as the heatwave ends;
• Epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson, who is on the Sage group of advisers, warned 100,000 people could die of coronavirus if the lockdown was lifted and 'shielding' of elderly;
• People flocked in their droves to DIY stores despite rules banning all non-essential outings.

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Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said the latest government statistics showed there had been a 'slight uptick' in the number of people using their cars and going outside in recent days

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The number of people in hospital with coronavirus continues to fall in many parts of the country, and in others there is a steady plateau 

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The UK's coronavirus death rate continues to hover at roughly the same level as its European neighbours in France, Spain and Italy

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Downing Street data showed the he number of new daily cases has been broadly stable in recent days, but this has been affected by increased testing

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Shoppers are pictured queuing outside the Range in Derby as the coronavirus crisis continues with the government still urging people to stay at home as much as possible  

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Pictured: People queue outside a B&Q store in Watford as social distancing continues across the UK