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Rishi Sunak is preparing to warn Cabinet of the economic damage caused by the coronavirus lockdown and the need to balance this against health concerns, it has been reported.

The Chancellor is said to be taking a "holistic approach" in trying to strike the right balance between the impact of the health crisis and the economic impact of the lockdown, according to the Telegraph.

As the UK enters its fourth week in lockdown, Mr Sunak will issue ministers with internal Government modelling showing a gloomy outlook for the economy if the lockdown continues for too long.

The newspaper reports Health Secretary Matt Hancock is also taking a "holistic approach to try and find the right balance" to the lockdown measures.

Boris Johnson shut down the UK on March 23 in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

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But a senior Conservative MP, who was not named, told the Telegraph: "If people are told to stay at home for another four weeks, it's going to be really tough.

"The tipping point is when there is no money in the economy to pay for it [the lockdown]."

A Treasury spokesperson told the Standard that the department did not recognise a choice between the economy and health. The Standard has contacted the Department of Health for comment.

The Government is set to review the lockdown by Thursday, but it is expected to be extended by several weeks as the UK's Covid-19-linked deaths continues to rise sharply.

But it is important not to do "more damage" with the lockdown, The Times quoted an unnamed minister as saying on Monday.

There have been reports that deaths related to the lockdown could be as high as 150,000, as people struggle with mental health, the long term effects of unemployment and other diseases such as cancer that may receive less attention during the pandemic.

But Mr Hancock dismissed the 150,000 figure last week, describing it as "wrong" and "not part of our internal analysis".

Discussions about ending the lockdown come after a second successive weekend of warm weather, when the Government urged the British public to stick to the guidance.

Mr Hancock said the Easter weekend would be a "test of the nation's resolve".

But police forces and local councils across the country said how pleased they were to see relatively small numbers of people out in the sun over the weekend.

More than 10,000 people have died so far in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus.