Day One of Lockdown: Nation’s streets and open spaces are deserted as Britons awake to a new dawn without pubs, restaurants, leisure centres, cinemas and gyms due to coronavirus
- Yesterday the PM ordered social premises such as gyms and cinemas to close
- Today pictures emerged of empty towns as people chose to follow the PM’s rules
- The virus death toll rose by 40 on Friday to 177, with almost 4,000 now infected
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
The nation’s streets and open spaces have been left deserted today as Britons woke to a new dawn without pubs, restaurants and other services due to coronavirus.
Stark pictures have emerged of empty town centres and roads as people abide by new government rules.
Yesterday the Prime Minister told his daily press conference that social premises also including theatres, cinemas, gyms and sports centres must close ‘as soon as they reasonably can and not reopen tomorrow’.
A sombre-looking Boris Johnson said that measures outlined on Monday for people to voluntarily self-isolate now had to go further as he ordered certain businesses to close their doors for an initial 14 days, after which it will be reviewed.
An empty street in Windsor this morning as people stay away from high streets and open spaces due to coronavirus
A TK Maxx store in Cardiff is left empty after the company shut its UK stores yesterday due to coronavirus
The town centre of Windsor was deserted this morning as the Castle shut its gates for the foreseeable future and TK Maxx stores across the country closed.
The coronavirus death toll rose by 40 on Friday to 177, with almost 4,000 infected, although the real figure is believed to be greater than 10,000.
It has also been revealed that Britain could remain on lockdown for an entire year, according to the scientists who told Boris Johnson to impose social distancing rules.
The social restrictions however do not apply to supermarkets and early this morning shoppers were seen queuing outside food shops to get their hands on supplies.
Stark pictures have emerged of empty town centres and roads as people abide by new government rules. Pictured: an empty street in Windsor
A quiet M62 motorway near Liverpool this morning after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs, restaurants, leisure centres and gyms across the country to close
Meanwhile Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the government will cover 80 per cent of salaries of up to £2,500 each month, with workers staying on the books, and there will be no limit on the total cost.
The scheme will be up and running by April 1 and be backdated to the start of the chaos.
Experts forecast that Mr Sunak’s intervention could save 800,000 jobs in Britain’s workforce for when the country eventually emerges through the health emergency.
A sign in the window of a TK Maxx store after the company closed all of its UK stores yesterday
Windsor Castle is now closed to all visitors for the foreseeable future and even the royal mews is shut to official visits
Windsor Castle has shut its gates due to the coronavirus outbreak which has swept across Britain
The extraordinary closure of leisure and hospitality venues, which does not include shops, came into effect at closing time last night. Restaurants, bars and cafes will be allowed to remain open as takeaways.
The restrictions will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Mr Johnson warned those going out could become ‘vectors of the disease for older relatives with potentially fatal consequences’.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson told the daily live broadcast from Downing Street: ‘You may be tempted to go out tonight and I say to you please don’t, you may think that you are invincible – but there is no guarantee that you will get it.
‘But you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on.’
He added: ‘I do accept that what we’re doing is extraordinary – we’re taking away the ancient inalienable right of freeborn people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub.’