In his first briefing since he was hospitalized with COVID-19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that the country was past its peak and that he will release a plan to begin loosening restrictions next week.Meanwhile, other countries such as Germany and Japan signaled extending their pandemic measures, while others noted that they have contained the virus and will start slowly scaling back their distancing steps.UK mulls lockdown steps; Germany tweaks restrictionsIn the UK, the world's fourth hardest hit country, Johnson said the plan will detail restarting the economy, resuming schools, and returning people to work, The Guardian reported.