London (AFP)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil a massive stimulus package, based on building infrastructure, to support the British economy, which has been hard hit by the new coronavirus epidemic, media sources said on Sunday.

"It has been a huge, huge shock to the country, but we are going to bounce back very well," the conservative leader said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "If the Covid-19 were a lightning bolt, we will soon hear thunder in terms of economic consequences. We will be ready," he said.

The country "will absolutely not return to austerity as it did ten years ago", under the government of conservative David Cameron, he assured the tabloid. Boris Johnson will announce details of the plan, which he describes as a "great moment", in a speech Tuesday, according to the newspaper.

The strict containment imposed throughout April resulted in a 20.4% collapse in British gross domestic product (GDP), an all-time record, after a 5.8% drop in GDP in March.

Without additional state aid, the unemployment rate could reach levels never seen since the 1980s, surpassing the peak of 3.3 million recorded in 1984, The Observer reported on Sunday, citing an analysis from the House Library. of the communes.

Interior Minister Priti Patel, interviewed on Sky News on Sunday, said the government was determined to "restart the UK".

"We are developing a plan for recovery, a roadmap that focuses on infrastructure," she said, citing investments for "roads" or "broadband internet".

The Justice Department announced on Sunday the creation of four new prisons in England to reduce crime and support the local economy, as well as the construction sector, ensuring it would create thousands of jobs.

After being heavily criticized for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 43,000 people in the United Kingdom, making it the most affected country in Europe, Boris Johnson is faced with the challenge of achieving deconfinement.

The next major step is the reopening on Saturday of pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, museums and cinemas, which have been closed since the end of March. "Non-essential" stores already reopened in mid-June.

The British believe that the head of Labor, Keir Starmer, would make a better head of government, according to an Opinium poll published on Saturday. 37% of respondents think it would do better than Boris Johnson, while 35% believe that Boris Johnson is the best option.

© 2020 AFP