Describing Easter Sunday as a "somber day" for Britain, Hancock said, "The fact that over 10,000 people have now lost their lives to this invisible killer demonstrates just how serious this coronavirus is and why the national effort that everyone is engaged in is so important."

SIGNS OF HOPE

Despite the dampened festive mood, some inspiring news from the anti-virus battle continued to reach Europeans.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson "has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery at Chequers," a Downing Street spokesman said Sunday.

Johnson was moved to a general ward on Thursday evening after spending three days in intensive care. He was taken to the hospital on April 5, 10 days after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

In Italy, one of the hardest-hit European countries, the overall numbers of hospitalizations and patients requiring intensive care are trending downwards.

Similar trends are also seen in several other European countries grappling with the pandemic, such as France and Spain.

France reported 561 new single-day deaths on Sunday, down from Saturday's 643, while it registered a decline of serious cases for the fourth straight day.

Spain has seen a continued trend for a daily reduction in both the number of new cases and the death rate.

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM

The downward trending shines a ray of hope on the anti-virus fight, but European countries are cautious in easing restrictions too soon.

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