Mother’s Day mayhem as hundreds of panic-buyers flock to supermarkets

Hundreds of shoppers were spotted queuing outside supermarkets on Mother’s Day this morning as self-isolation cancels celebrations. 

Eager shoppers were seen queuing outside a Tesco in Cheshunt just before it opened its doors to NHS workers and emergency staff in a bid to help them buy essentials before panic buyers ransack the shelves.  

However, one Tesco was forced to shut its doors after selfish shoppers invaded the hour reserved for NHS staff.

The shop in Milton, near Cambridge, had to shut its doors and start operating a one-in one-out policy from 10.15am after hundreds of members of the general public started shopping too early and the store quickly became full too capacity. 

The supermarket had set aside a dedicated shopping hour for NHS staff between 9am and 10am and for the first half hour it asked shoppers for ID. But after it stopped checking, the supermarket became overwhelmed and had to adopt a ‘one-in-one-out’ policy. 

However, one Tesco was forced to shut its doors after selfish shoppers invaded the hour reserved for NHS staff

The shop in Milton, near Cambridge, had to start operating a one-in one-out policy from 10.15am after hundreds of members of the general public started shopping too early and the store quickly became full too capacity

The shop in Milton, near Cambridge, had to start operating a one-in one-out policy from 10.15am after hundreds of members of the general public started shopping too early and the store quickly became full too capacity

After shop workers stopped checking people for NHS ID, the supermarket became overwhelmed and had to adopt a 'one-in-one-out' policy

After shop workers stopped checking people for NHS ID, the supermarket became overwhelmed and had to adopt a ‘one-in-one-out’ policy

More shoppers are expected to flood into stores later while panic buying continues across the country despite warnings from the government and retailers that doing so is harmful to those in need. 

Tesco has now removed all of its multi-buy deals and promotions in a bid to put an end to shoppers buying up all essential items. 

The retail giant has also hiked prices on 600 products from Diet Coke to tampons. It claimed that the increase in prices were simply in response to the promotions ending.  

More than 8,000 items disappeared from Tesco’s website over the past week and the number of fresh food products fell by almost two thirds, according to analysis by The Times.  

Eager shoppers were seen queuing outside a Tesco in Cheshunt just before it opened its doors to NHS workers and emergency staff in a bid to help them buy essentials before panic buyers ransack the shelves

Eager shoppers were seen queuing outside a Tesco in Cheshunt just before it opened its doors to NHS workers and emergency staff in a bid to help them buy essentials before panic buyers ransack the shelves

Tesco supermarket in Newcastle-under-Lyme hand out flowers to NHS workers as they begin their shopping

Tesco supermarket in Newcastle-under-Lyme hand out flowers to NHS workers as they begin their shopping

A man wearing a protective face mask and practicing social distancing. Sunday morning shoppers queuing at a Tesco store in South East London

A man wearing a protective face mask and practicing social distancing. Sunday morning shoppers queuing at a Tesco store in South East London

The new measures come as it was revealed that shoppers are hoarding £1billion more food in their homes than they were three weeks ago.  

Boris Johnson spoke to supermarket bosses yesterday about efforts to keep products available to those who are in need. 

Nestle executive Chris Tyas has announced he will set up a ‘war room’ in a bid to keep Britain’s food supplies flowing.   

The environment secretary yesterday spoke at Downing Street’s daily press conference where he urged the public to calm down. 

He said: ‘Buying more than you need means others may be left without. We all have a role to play in ensuring we all come through this together.’

And the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, said there was enough food in the supply chain but warned that people should not be wasting the extra product they are buying. 

NHS England’s national medical director Stephen Powis said that panic buyers should be ‘ashamed’ for causing needless shortages. 

NHS workers laugh as they do their shopping at Tesco supermarket in Newcastle-under-Lyme as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues

NHS workers laugh as they do their shopping at Tesco supermarket in Newcastle-under-Lyme as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues

Among the products that have been removed from Tesco’s website are Yorkshire Tea, Heinz Baked Beans and many fruit and vegetables. 

The store raised the price of two types of TOTM Tampons from £2.20 to £3.20. 

And the products which have gone up in price most are the Tesco Finest soups, from £1.25 to £2.50 and multipacks of Diet Coke, from £7 to £8.   

A Tesco spokesman said: ‘We have not increased our prices. These are challenging times and we are facing unprecedented demand.

‘In the current climate, when we have a limited amount of stock, promotions such as multi-buys are irresponsible. These products have gone back to their pre-promotion, everyday great value prices, which removes complexity from stores meaning our colleagues can just focus on serving customers and filling shelves. 

Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis called for calm as store shelves were yesterday stripped bare again and massive queues formed outside stores across the UK. 

Pleading with shoppers to pause for a moment to think of others, he said: ‘If you’re heading out today or next week we ask one thing: buy only what you need, so that there is enough for everyone. 

‘Maybe at the end of each aisle ask yourself: ‘Next week, do I need everything in my trolley or basket?’ If the answer is ‘no’, then please consider putting some things back on shelves. ‘If all of us do just a bit of that, then every little will help.’ 

Giving a personal pledge that ‘there is enough food and essentials for everyone’, Mr Lewis assured customers that food was ‘arriving every day at vastly increased volumes… and record levels.’ 

He said if customers shopped normally, ‘we can fear one less thing: putting food on the table for ourselves and our loved ones’. 

Tesco, which employs more than 300,000 staff in the UK and Ireland at more than 3,400 stores, is recruiting 20,000 more workers to help ease the crisis. 

Reflecting on images of empty shelves, downcast elderly shoppers and long queues, Mr Lewis said: ‘It’s been a tough week for the whole country. No one is untouched. No one is immune to challenges we face as a country. 

‘Covid-19 is bringing huge changes to the way we live and work. 

‘Sadly, we are closer to the beginning of all this than the end, but it’s clear that our national spirit is alive and well and nowhere is that more evident than in food retail. We’ll play our part but anyone watching the news knows that this last week has been extraordinary for all shops.’ 

He said up to double the usual amounts of milk, bread, rice and pasta had been put on the shelves last week and 3.4million toilet rolls had been sent out – up from the 2million usually sold per week. 

The panic buying hasn’t slowed down from yesterday when hordes of shoppers descended on supermarkets at the crack of dawn.

Staggering scenes saw a queue of hundreds of people snake round a Tesco car park at 6am, and even spill out on to the streets of New Malden, London. 

Pleas from the government and retailers to consider other people and steer clear of panic-buying has been largely ignored.

Eager shoppers were seen queuing outside a Tesco in Cheshunt just before it opened its doors to NHS workers and emergency staff in a bid to help them buy essentials before panic buyers ransack the shelves

Shoppers queued around the store's carpark this morning

Eager shoppers were seen queuing outside a Tesco in Cheshunt just before it opened its doors to NHS workers and emergency staff in a bid to help them buy essentials before panic buyers ransack the shelves

And those who have exercised restraint have now been forced to flock to the supermarket well ahead of weekend opening times to guarantee they will not leave empty handed.

Individual stores have already taken action to curb the number of products people could buy, while police and private security were even drafted in to stamp out ransacking of high-demand items such as toilet roll.

Shoppers were seen in a snaking queue outside the storefront of a Sainsbury's in Walthamstow

Shoppers were seen in a snaking queue outside the storefront of a Sainsbury’s in Walthamstow 

But still heartbreaking scenes of elderly people and exhausted frontline NHS staff standing helplessly beside empty shelves have continued to flood social media.

This prompted chains including Sainsbury’s and M&S to set aside a golden hour where they can buy essentials before the masses stampede the store.  

Boris Johnson yesterday doubled down on his call for the nation to stop panic-buying and will be speaking to supermarket bosses about efforts to keep supplies flowing.

The Prime Minster yesterday drastically ramped up measures to stem the spread of the deadly infection, which has killed 233 and infected 5,018. 

Shocking drone footage revealed the true extent of panic buying amid the coronavirus pandemic

Shocking drone footage revealed the true extent of panic buying amid the coronavirus pandemic

Shoppers were seen queuing up since 5.40am today and within 15 minutes the queue had doubled in size at the Tesco in New Malden

Shoppers were seen queuing up since 5.40am today and within 15 minutes the queue had doubled in size at the Tesco in New Malden 

People queuing up outside Tescos in Aldershot, a day after the Chancellor unveiled an emergency package aimed at protecting workers' jobs and wages as they face hardship in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic

People queuing up outside Tescos in Aldershot, a day after the Chancellor unveiled an emergency package aimed at protecting workers’ jobs and wages as they face hardship in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic

NHS workers shouldn’t be able to shop alongside elderly in special hours because they are ‘cross-infecting everybody’ 

Supermarkets have been warned against inadvertently accelerating the spread of coronavirus in the elderly population by allowing potentially infected NHS workers to mix with them in reduced opening times.  

Many big stores have launched a so-called ‘silver hour’ where pensioners can shop in restocked aisles to avoid them falling victim to panic-buying.

Frontline health staff have now also been allowed in at these times after a string of viral videos showed exhausted medics returning from work to find empty shelves.

But a doctor has pointed out the scheme lumps together those most vulnerable to the disease with those most likely to be infected by it.

Lisa Anderson, a consultant cardiologist at St George’s Hospital in London, said that NHS workers were not being given the appropriate protective gear to fend off contamination.

She this morning told BBC Radio 4: ‘This is not just about the risk to ourselves and our families. We are travelling home on the Tube, on buses,’ she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

‘Sainsbury’s this morning has announced that they are opening up the early hours to the frail, elderly and NHS workers. We are cross-infecting everybody at the moment.’ 

As desperate shoppers flocked to the supermarket in their droves: 

  • Almost a billion people worldwide are now confined to their homes; 
  • Government scientists warned social distancing measures of some kind might last for most of the year;
  • The export of paracetamol and other crucial medicines was banned;
  • A critical incident was declared at Northwick Park hospital in London as it warned it could no longer treat virus victims. It was later lifted;
  • Panic buying continued at supermarkets, with many forced to introduce measures to ensure emergency workers could still get food;
  • Headteachers warned schools would struggle to cope with looking after children of key workers;
  • Children were told to avoid team sport and ride bikes two yards apart;
  • GCSE and A-level grades will be based on teacher assessments;
  • Rail services will be reduced by as much as 50 per cent and the Tube limited to essential workers;
  • A man on the Isle of Man became the first to be arrested for failing to self-isolate;
  • Jaguar Land Rover halted UK production and a report warned 700,000 UK workers could lose their jobs;
  • The global death toll passed 10,000 and Italy had 627 more fatalities;
  • The World Health Organisation warned young adults they were ‘not invincible’ and can die from the virus.

A Marks & Spencer shop in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, was among the first shops to call in police to help ensure older shoppers could use the hour set aside for them. 

Asda and Aldi have hired a sports security firm, Showsec, to protect against selfish panic buyers. 

And some other 118 major stores across the UK have also requested to protection from customers who openly flout governmental advice to stop cramming their trollies.  

The staff, who are usually escorting boxers to the ring, have been employed to work from 5am to midday. 

One Shosec worker told The Sun: ‘They cannot handle the trouble. They’re calling us in to try and get some order back but it’s going to be a mammoth task.’

Supermarkets are desperately trying to keep up with the demand in order to prevent the elderly and NHS staff and emergency workers from having to go without as a result of other selfish shoppers. 

Tesco is even hiring 20,000 shelf stackers on 12-week contracts, while Aldi is aiming for 9,000 and Asda for 5,000.   

Most supermarkets have started limiting purchases and are trying to get shoppers down to just two or three items of food, toiletries and cleaning products. 

Waitrose has started a £1million community support fund to make sure essential items are delivered to care homes.

And others have taken measures to allow NHS staff priority access after an emotional video of a crying care nurse tugged on the nations heart strings a few days ago.  

Dawn Bilbrough, 51, from York, had just completed a 48-hour shift before visiting her supermarket to pick up basic food items for the next two days when she was left having a ‘little cry’.

After discovering there were no fruit and vegetables for her to sustain a healthy living amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the healthcare worker made a tearful plea to the public urging them to ‘just stop it’.

The nurse took to Facebook from the seat of her car to tell the nation: ‘So I’ve just come out the supermarket. There’s no fruit and veg and I had a little cry in there.’ 

‘I’m a critical care nurse and I’ve just finished 48 hours of work and I just wanted to get some stuff in for the next 48 hours. 

‘There’s no fruit, there’s no vegetables and I just don’t know how I’m supposed to stay healthy. 

People queuing up outside Sainsburys in Guildford just two days after the Prime Minister encouraged people to stop panic buying

People queuing up outside Sainsburys in Guildford just two days after the Prime Minister encouraged people to stop panic buying

A sign for customers on entering Tescos in Aldershot telling them there is a limit of three items of any same product and a limit of one toilet roll per customer

A sign for customers on entering Tescos in Aldershot telling them there is a limit of three items of any same product and a limit of one toilet roll per customer 

Police were yesterday forced to step in to stop selfish panic buyers from barging past pensioners and ransacking supermarket shelves. Pictured are hundreds of shoppers queueing a Tesco at 6am

Police were yesterday forced to step in to stop selfish panic buyers from barging past pensioners and ransacking supermarket shelves. Pictured are hundreds of shoppers queueing a Tesco at 6am

Tesco is even hiring 20,000 shelf stackers on 12-week contracts. Pictured are shoppers queuing outside Tesco at 5.40am in New Malden

Tesco is even hiring 20,000 shelf stackers on 12-week contracts. Pictured are shoppers queuing outside Tesco at 5.40am in New Malden 

A huge queue of people is seen queueing outside an Asda in Middlesex while people continue to panic buy amid the coronavirus pandemic

A huge queue of people is seen queueing outside an Asda in Middlesex while people continue to panic buy amid the coronavirus pandemic 

A huge queue of people is seen snaking round the carpark of an Asda in Middlesex while people continue to panic buy amid the coronavirus pandemic

A huge queue of people is seen snaking round the carpark of an Asda in Middlesex while people continue to panic buy amid the coronavirus pandemic 

‘Those people who are just stripping the shelves have basic foods you just need to stop it because it’s people like me that are going to be looking after you when you are at your lowest and just stop it please!’  

NHS workers can visit large Tesco stores an hour before the usual opening time every Sunday from tomorrow.

And Marks & Spencer is now dedicating the first hour on Tuesdays and Fridays to emergency workers and the first hour on Mondays and Thursdays will be dedicated to elderly and vulnerable customers.  

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) wrote to store chiefs suggesting the urgent measures. 

Chief nursing officer for England, Ruth May, said: ‘We’re asking all supermarkets to allow all of our healthcare workers easy access to buy their food and vegetables.’ 

The RCN urged supermarkets to provide priority access to people working in health and care — and to hold back certain items such as toilet paper for all nursing staff.

The HCSA, the hospital doctors’ union, has asked supermarkets to allow medical staff to place orders that they can collect later when they are off shift.  

Susan Maple, aged 77, wiped back tears as she waited outside an Iceland store in Harborne, Birmingham. 

She was trying to buy supplies for her 90-year-old neighbour who ‘can’t get out’. 

Fellow shopper John Merrill, 76, said: ‘I’ve got some things here which I couldn’t get earlier like margarine and toilet rolls. People don’t need to stockpile, it’s just stupid.’ 

Social media users have been heaping scorn on shoppers who are taking more than their fair share of precious groceries using the hashtag #stophoarding – calling on their countrymen to be considerate and take only what they need.  

It comes as Boris Johnson  spoke on the topic of mass buying during the fourth press conference of its kind on Thursday. 

He said: ‘I really hope retailers will continue to be reasonable.   

‘I don’t want to see profiteering of any kind.

‘We’ve got good supply chains and farms, theres no reason for shops to be empty.

‘Everyone understands why people are buying stuff – we’re being advised to stay at home if we have symptoms.

‘However, please be reasonable in your shopping and be considerate of other shoppers as you do it.’  

Many other leading figures in the country have also spoken out in a bid to encourage panic buyers to stop their selfish ways and allow NHS workers and vulnerable shoppers to have a chance at buying essential items. 

The Archbishop of Cantebury said: ‘If you’re still hoarding more food and supplies than you need, please, please stop. 

‘Please think of others – especially the most vulnerable, and those risking their health to look after us. Leave enough for everyone. We depend on each other.’

Sajid Javid said: ‘Stop panic buying. I know many of you are tense and nervous. But it has real consequences for vulnerable people. Just think. And stop it.’

Sainsbury’s said from next week health and social care staff will be able to shop between 8am and 9am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, alongside elderly and vulnerable shoppers.

It is also consolidating its opening hours in its main stores from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday, in order to be able focus on restocking shelves. Sunday opening, Sainsbury’s Local and petrol station opening times will stay the same.

Chief executive Mike Coupe urged customers to take simple measures to reduce risk by standing one metre away from each other and consider paying with card instead of cash.

‘Please also treat our colleagues and other customers with kindness and respect,’ he said.

‘These are unprecedented circumstances and our colleagues are being asked to come to work every day while so many others are being asked to stay at home.

‘We all need them to keep coming to work to feed the nation – a small thank you goes a really long way.’

Meanwhile, Morrisons is taking on up to 500 staff from Marie Curie and CLIC Sargent charity shops to help the elderly and vulnerable in its supermarkets.

They will be working alongside Morrisons’ army of community champions who currently work with local charities and community groups.

The Co-op is donating £1.5 million of essential food items to charity FareShare’s network of food banks and community groups.

And to thank NHS workers and community groups for their hard work, Lidl is giving away thousands of bunches of Mother’s Day flowers.

It is hoped that easing the restrictions on the haulage industry will help to keep supplies moving and the supermarkets fully stocked as the panic buying shows no signs of waning.

Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett said: ‘This is a blanket relaxation covering all sectors and recognises how integrated and inter-dependent supply chains are across the whole economy. The sector is working as efficiently and as quickly possible.

‘This relaxation improves resilience in a way that ensure all goods can reach the area where they are needed.

‘Shortages are not the problem at the moment – the problem lies with supplying the current excess demand for goods caused by panic buying. This just creates bottlenecks that undermine efficient delivery schedules.

‘The relaxation in hours will not reduce the levels of enforcement of the drivers’ hours.

‘It is vital that companies only use these relaxed rules when needed and companies must monitor drivers to ensure they do not drive tired or in any way unfit. This relaxation must be used wisely, not abused recklessly.’

Mr Burnett said the relaxation was introduced following a meeting between the RHA and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. 

Sajid Javid also took to Twitter in a bid to stop shoppers from hoarding essentials that other shoppers are now unable to purchase

Sajid Javid also took to Twitter in a bid to stop shoppers from hoarding essentials that other shoppers are now unable to purchase 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak ‘saves 800,000 jobs with employer bailout’ 

Rishi Sunak’s has promised to underwrite employees’ wages and is expected to save 800,000 jobs during the coronavirus epidemic.

The Chancellor told a Downing Street press briefing a new grant would cover 80 per cent of workers’ salaries – up to a maximum of £2,500 a month each – if firms kept them on. 

Analysts who were forecasting 1.5million increase in job losses because of the health crisis cut their prediction to 700,000 unemployed just minutes after the announcement. 

But his lifeline to employees – wrapped into the government’s third emergency economic package in just over a week – is set to plunge the UK into further billions of pounds of debt.

Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said that if the wage support was claimed for 10 per cent of employees it could cost the government £10billion over three months.

He said: ‘The cost of the wage subsidy package is unknowable at present but will run into several billion pounds per month that it is in operation.’ 

‘It is clearly a policy designed in haste and will require considerable speed and flexibility from HMRC to deliver. As a result there are obvious concerns about its design.’  

The breakneck speed at which the measures were compiled meant the Treasury has not yet released an exact costings calculations, leading to differing estimates from forecasters.

The Financial Times calculated that the scheme would cost £3.5billion every three months for every one million workers affected.

Flanking Boris Johnson in Number 10, Mr Sunak hammered home the seriousness of the economic fallout and unveiled the ‘unprecedented measures for unprecedented times’.

He said: ‘The truth is we are already seeing job losses and there may be more to come. I cannot promise you that no one will face hardship in the weeks ahead.’ 

Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, told The Times: ‘This is quite frankly a spectacular package that involves the government directly paying the wages of millions of employees.

‘It won’t stop the unemployment rate from rising from just under four per cent now. 

‘But without this package we thought that it would shoot up to the financial crisis level of eight percent.’ 

Mr Sunak also allowed businesses to hold on to £30billion of VAT, which they would normally pass on to tax authorities.

He said: ‘Combined with our previous announcements on public services and business support, our planned economic response will be one of the most comprehensive in the world.’

Drinkers enjoy a final pint and start panic-buying alcohol before UK-WIDE pub lockdown as Boris Johnson shuts cafes, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres as coronavirus crisis claims 177 lives across Britain   

Which premises have to close and what happens if  they still refuse to?

Boris Johnson ordered social venues to close their doors last night. These are the sectors which are immediately affected: 

  • Food and drink venues
  • Pubs, bars and clubs
  • Cinemas, theatres, concert and bingo halls
  • Spas, indoor leisure and gyms
  • Casinos and betting shops
  • Museums and galleries

In his press conference yesterday, Mr Johnson said: ‘Clearly there are licensing arrangements which will make it relatively simple to do should that really be necessary.

‘We will enforce it strictly, but in reality everyone can see the imperative of doing what is necessary, of protecting our NHS and saving lives.’

Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 police and local authorities have the power to close down licensed premises which are deemed to be causing a nuisance or playing a central role in disorder.

This raises the prospect of police being able to close down any drinking holes which refuse to call time.  

Drinkers across the country enjoyed a final pint and panic-bought alcohol from supermarkets last night after Boris Johnson ordered that all pubs in the UK will close today in a dramatic lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

The Prime Minister told his daily press conference that social premises that also include theatres, cinemas, gyms and sports centres must close ‘as soon as they reasonably can and not to reopen tomorrow’.

Revellers ignored the government’s advice on social distancing as they danced the night away despite the coronavirus death toll rising by 40 on Friday to 177, with almost 4,000 infected, although the real figure is believed to be greater than 10,000.

A sombre-looking PM said that measures outlined on Monday for people to voluntarily self-isolate now had to go further as he ordered premises to close their doors for an initial 14 days, after which it will be reviewed.

‘We’re taking away the ancient, inalienable right of free-born people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub, and I can understand how people feel about that,’ Mr Johnson said.

The Prime Minister’s words were beamed out to revellers throughout Britain who had headed to the pub after a week at work, while others rushed to the supermarket to stock up on booze. 

Meanwhile others were toasting Chancellor Rishi Sunak after he announced that the government will cover 80 per cent of salaries 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. 

London and its nine-million population is ahead of the curve on coronavirus infections, according to scientists, but social media has been awash with pictures showing bars bursting at the seams with people seemingly indifferent to the risk in the capital. 

Experts warned that Boris Johnson’s coronavirus plan could fail and leave the NHS on the brink unless at least half the public obey self-isolation and ‘social distancing’ rules. 

A swathe of newly-released evidence presented to ministers suggests that the fate of the PM’s plan rests on convincing enough people to fall into line. 

One reveller got a bit too excited and sprayed her friend with fizz after leaving O Bar on Broad Street in Birmingham which stayed open until midnight as the closure of thousands of pubs and bars came into place

One reveller got a bit too excited and sprayed her friend with fizz after leaving O Bar on Broad Street in Birmingham which stayed open until midnight as the closure of thousands of pubs and bars came into place

Government to cover 80% of workers’ salaries, defer VAT bills and increase welfare payments by £7billion 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told Britons they will not face the coronavirus crisis ‘alone’ tonight as he unveiled a huge new coronavirus bailout.

He said the government will cover 80 per cent of salaries up to £2,500 a month, with workers staying on the books of employers, 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.

Some £30billion of VAT bills for the next quarter will be deferred, and there will be a £7billion boost to welfare to ‘strengthen the safety net’. Renters will also get a £1billion fillip with housing benefit rising.

‘For the first time in our history the government is going to step in and help pay people’s wages,’ Mr Sunak said.

In a direct appeal to businesses not to sack people he said: ‘The government is doing its best to stand behind you and I am asking you to do your best to stand behind our workers.’

The massive rescue package, which will last an initial three months and be financed by borrowing, was unveiled by Mr Sunak and Boris Johnson at a press conference in Downing Street after furious complaints that they were not doing enough for ordinary people.

Mr Sunak said: ‘We’re setting up a new coronavirus job retention scheme. Any employer in the country small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme.

‘Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of people who are not working but are furloughed and kept on payroll rather than being laid off.

‘Government grants will cover 80 per cent of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month – that’s just above the median income.’

There have been warnings that without action GDP could be slashed by a fifth and a million could lose their jobs within months – with many more to follow – after ‘social distancing’ measures brought the economy to a halt.

As the UK death toll rose by 33 to 177 and total cases hit 3,983:

  • Government scientists warned social distancing measures of some kind might last for most of the year;
  • The export of paracetamol and other crucial medicines was banned;
  • A critical incident was declared at Northwick Park hospital in London as it warned it could no longer treat virus victims. It was later lifted;
  • Panic buying continued at supermarkets, with many forced to introduce measures to ensure emergency workers could still get food;
  • Headteachers warned schools would struggle to cope with looking after children of key workers;
  • Children were told to avoid team sport and ride bikes two yards apart;
  • GCSE and A-level grades will be based on teacher assessments;
  • Rail services will be reduced by as much as 50 per cent and the Tube limited to essential workers;
  • A man on the Isle of Man became the first to be arrested for failing to self-isolate;
  • Jaguar Land Rover halted UK production and a report warned 700,000 UK workers could lose their jobs;
  • The global death toll passed 10,000 and Italy had 627 more fatalities;
  • The World Health Organisation warned young adults they were ‘not invincible’ and can die from the virus.

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.

‘And I can understand how people feel about that.

‘But I say to people who do go against the advice that we’re getting, the very clear advice that we’re getting from our medical and scientific experts, you know you’re not only putting your own life, the lives of your family, at risk – you’re endangering the community.

‘And you’re making it more difficult for us to get on and protect the NHS and save lives.

‘And if you comply, if people comply as I say, then we will not only save lives, thousands of lives, but we’ll come out of this thing all the faster.’

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: ‘We welcome Boris Johnson’s decision to shut pubs, restaurants & other venues.

‘We have been increasingly concerned that the social distancing measures needed were not being followed which is why we called for this earlier. We all have to adjust our behaviour to defeat this virus.’ 

Young women hit the Newcastle strip on Friday night, heading for a drink in the last chance saloon after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all pubs will be closed across the country from tomorrow

Young women hit the Newcastle strip on Friday night, heading for a drink in the last chance saloon after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all pubs will be closed across the country from tomorrow

Q&A

Can I go to a friend’s house for a drink? 

It is not advised, but the Government has not banned having visitors at home. Instead it is asking people to stay in touch online, on the phone or by post.

Can restaurants still deliver food?

Yes. The government announced this week it was suspending rules that force restaurants to apply to become takeaways.

Can I continue to exercise in the park?

As long as you maintain a safe two-metre distance from others.

Can I continue to play football with my friends?

You can use sports pitches and tennis courts. But football is a contact sport, which makes it hard to keep your distance.

Can pubs deliver drinks?

Yes, if their licence allows it.

Will hotel bars be shut?

Ministers have yet to confirm this. 

Meanwhile there was widespread furious criticism of Tim Martin, the multi-millionaire Wetherspoon boss, for saying he intended to keeping his chain open, downplaying the risks to health.  

The Conservative Party donor and boozer chain figurehead said yesterday, before the shutdown was announced, closing pubs was ‘over the top’ despite warnings from the government’s chief scientific adviser that bars are a breeding ground for the deadly virus. 

Mr Martin told the BBC that a ‘sensible balance’ was for pubs to implement ‘social distancing’ measures, like no standing at the bar, using cards and sitting at separate tables. 

In response to Mr Martin’s comments, the Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesman simply said the government has, ‘been clear about the importance of social distancing’. 

Asked if he was nervous about criticising political supporters of Mr Johnson, the spokesman said: ‘We’ve based all our decisions on the best scientific evidence and we will continue to do so.’

The PM this week was met with anger from the hospitality industry as he told people not to visit pubs, clubs and cafes – but stopped short of closing them, meaning venues are losing footfall and cannot claim insurance.    

Meanwhile, foolhardy revellers continue to flock to pubs and clubs across the country as they ignore calls urging social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. 

Mr Martin told Sky: ‘Supermarkets are very, very crowded. Pubs are much less crowded. There’s hardly been any transmission of the virus within pubs and I think it’s over the top to shut them. 

‘That’s a commercial view but also a common sense view.’ 

He sparked further outrage as he told Sky that ‘supermarkets posed more of a danger than pubs’. 

Jimmy Birch, 35, who was enjoying a beer in Surrey Docks, London, lined up behind the Wetherspoons chairman and said: ‘I don’t see the point of closing down pubs. 

‘There are people travelling in closer proximity on the London underground so surely there is more danger of spreading the virus that way. 

‘People need places to go after work and particularly on a Friday evening. I think closing places down is taking it too far when the tube is still running and people are closer to each other.’ 

Mr Birch and his drinking pal Steven Parry, 34, who are tunnellers working on a sewage project in London, popped into the Surrey Docks pub at Rotherhithe not knowing this would be their last public house visit for some time.  

Staff wear face masks at Mussel & Steak restaurant on Friday in Edinburgh. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country's bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes must close tonight to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 100 people in the UK

Staff wear face masks at Mussel & Steak restaurant on Friday in Edinburgh. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country’s bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes must close tonight to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 100 people in the UK

A sign is seen outside a Pub in Burridge reading 'Panic buy beer while you still can' on Friday night, with another saying 'Beer take away £4 per pint'

A sign is seen outside a Pub in Burridge reading ‘Panic buy beer while you still can’ on Friday night, with another saying ‘Beer take away £4 per pint’

Coronavirus strategy could FAIL and leave the NHS on the brink unless half of Britons obey ‘social distancing’

 Boris Johnson’s coronavirus plan could fail and leave the NHS on the brink unless at least half the public obey self-isolation and ‘social distancing’ rules, the government’s own experts have warned.

A swathe of newly-released evidence presented to ministers suggests that the fate of the PM’s plan rests on convincing enough people to fall into line.

One paper from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) dated March 9 says it might be ‘unachievable’ to get 50 per cent of the population to follow measures – including urging everyone to avoid all non-essential social contact and households isolating when one person has symptoms. 

It cautions that if the level falls far below that there could be limited effect in protecting the NHS from being overwhelmed. 

The documents will increase the pressure on the PM to force bars and pubs to close, saying they are ‘higher risk’ that public events, most of which have already been cancelled. 

The experts also cast significant doubt on Mr Johnson’s claim that the ‘tide can be turned’ in the crisis within 12 weeks, saying restrictions will be needed for ‘at least most of a year’.

It suggests that Britain will be split into different zones, with ‘hotspots’ such as London and the Midlands facing tougher measures.

Controls could also be eased and tightened depending on the speed of spread, as ministers try to avoid a flurry of cases breaking capacity in the health service.

These would need to be in place for at least most of a year. Under such as policy, at least half of the year would be spent under the stricter social distancing measures. 

Startling new data released on Wednesday night shows 29 percent of the first 2,500 cases of coronavirus in America were people between the ages of 20 and 44. 

Of that number, 20 percent were hospitalised and 12 percent put in intensive care units. Some 55 percent of the cases were all under the age of 65. 

Social media users have criticised Mr Martin’s ‘grossly irresponsible’ stance and for ‘putting money before health’. 

The hashtag, ‘#BoycottWetherspoons’ is now trending on Twitter. 

Many have urged him to use his platform in the same way as celebrities including Kylie Jenner, who has encouraged youngsters to stay at home. 

Labour MP David Lammy yesterday tweeted: ‘Yesterday the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser said ‘mixing in pubs and restaurants needs to stop’. 

‘Today the government is refusing to condemn Weatherspoon’s owner Tim Martin for suggesting the opposite. Confusing messages will cost lives. Pubs and restaurants must close.’

Mr Martin yesterday said falling sales at the chain have dropped further after Prime Minister Boris Johnson told punters to stay at home and not visit Britain’s pubs.

The pub chain said that sales, which had risen by 3.2 per cent in the previous six weeks, started falling by 4.5% in the week ending March 15, as the coronavirus pandemic scared customers off.

The decline picked up even further when the Prime Minister told people that it was vital they do not visit pubs in order to slow the spread of the highly infectious disease.

But despite warnings from the government’s chief scientific adviser urging young people to stop going to the pub, he refused to close his bars, sparking anger among many. 

He told Sky: ‘Our aim is for pubs open for the duration. This could go on for a long time. I think that once you shut them down it’s very difficult.’ 

Asked about Mr Martin’s decision to keep his pubs open, the Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesman said: ‘We have been clear throughout that every decision that has been made, and will be made, has been made based on the best scientific advice.

‘That will continue – we have heard the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser talk about social distancing and we will continue to act on scientific advice.

‘We have been clear about the need for social distancing. We have asked the public to do what they have to do, and we have been clear on the reasons for doing that.’ 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said ‘liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed’ in order to protect people and prevent further coronavirus deaths. 

He threatened to ban people from going to the pub and cafés in his stark address to the London Assembly last night. 

Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, meanwhile, has warned young adults they will not ‘breeze through’ coronavirus.

Chris Whitty said: ‘It is clear that children get this disease much less strongly than adults, I think the data on that is pretty strong now, and it certainly is the case that the majority of those that end up dying sadly are people who tend to be either in the later part of their lives, usually quite elderly, or those with pre-existing health conditions. 

‘But there are also some young people who have ended up in intensive care or who have ended up with severe disease around the world. 

PM cautions Britons against Mother’s Day visits

Britons have been urged by the Prime Minister to ‘think very carefully’ before paying a Mother’s Day visit.

Boris Johnson said that a moral judgment must be made to save potentially thousands of lives.

Mr Johnson said: ‘I think my advice would be that people should really think very carefully – irrespective of whether they’re visiting their mother – of visiting any elderly person who will be in a vulnerable group.

Asked whether he would be seeing his own mother, 77-year-old Charlotte Johnson Wahl, the PM said he would ‘certainly be sending her my very best wishes and hope to get to see her’.

A Downing Street source later clarified that Mr Johnson will use video call service Skype to speak to his mother on Sunday.

‘I think it’s important that we don’t give the impression that every single person who is young and healthy is just going to breeze through this.’ 

And the government’s chief scientific adviser begged young people to stop going to the pub and claims the UK cannot beat coronavirus if they keep flouting home confinement rules.  

Sir Patrick Vallance slammed young people’s complacency and said ‘mixing’ in bars and restaurants ‘needs to stop’ because it is allowing the disease run rampant. 

Sir Vallance warned a coronavirus vaccine was still at least six months away and said the only way the outbreak could be delayed until then was if everyone stuck to the Government’s tough new social restrictions.

His plea came after Britons were filmed partying into the early hours in packed pubs and nightclubs around the country this week, defying ministers. 

Social media users slammed drinkers pictured last night out and about in Leeds.  

Jeremiah Hyde wrote: ‘Shocking isn’t it!? Some London pubs are packed. Dangerous irresponsible idiocy.’ 

Another, @Etherea68347170, added: ‘People aren’t exercising social distancing, bars are packed! Please Boris, for the love of God… and your people… shut the pubs!’

Will Saville commented: ‘People are so stupid going into pubs, clubs, gyms. So selfish when the NHS are warning people against social contact yet people are quite happy to be packed into one place.’  

The government's chief scientific adviser begged young people to stop going to the pub and claims the UK cannot beat coronavirus if they keep flouting home confinement rules. Sir Patrick Vallance slammed young people's complacency and said 'mixing' in bars and restaurants 'needs to stop' because it is allowing the disease run rampant. Pictured, this graphic shows how pubs can be a breeding ground for the virus - from friends chatting while potentially carrying Covid-19, to glasses being passed from barman to punter

The government’s chief scientific adviser begged young people to stop going to the pub and claims the UK cannot beat coronavirus if they keep flouting home confinement rules. Sir Patrick Vallance slammed young people’s complacency and said ‘mixing’ in bars and restaurants ‘needs to stop’ because it is allowing the disease run rampant. Pictured, this graphic shows how pubs can be a breeding ground for the virus – from friends chatting while potentially carrying Covid-19, to glasses being passed from barman to punter 

Night time falls over The Broken Cross public house as it serves its last pints to customers before the Coronavirus calls time on pubs on Friday in Knutsford

Night time falls over The Broken Cross public house as it serves its last pints to customers before the Coronavirus calls time on pubs on Friday in Knutsford

On Monday, Boris Johnson ordered the country to avoid socialising, going to work or using public transport indefinitely in a desperate bid to contain the escalating crisis.

So far the highly contagious coronavirus has officially killed at least 137 people in the UK and infected 2,695. Experts estimate the true number of infections to be over 80,000. 

Sir Patrick told the briefing organised by the respected Science Media Centre: ‘It’s really important… unless everybody looks at the measures that have been introduced by the Government on trying to encourage social distancing, unless everybody does that, it doesn’t have the effect. 

‘What we absolutely shouldn’t encourage is the idea that young people can somehow ignore it [social distancing] because they’re going to be fine [if they catch it]. 

‘The mixing in pubs and restaurants is really part of allowing the disease to spread. It needs to stop among young people – as well as older people.’ 

VACCINE WILL TAKE LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS, UK’S CMO WARNS

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty admitted yesterday a vaccine would not ‘come to the rescue’ in six months as he admitted the coronavirus was now here to stay.

 He told the SMC briefing in London: ‘However much we would like there to be a vaccine riding to the rescue in six months time. 

‘Currently, we think that’s improbable. So now we’ve got to work on a different theoretical framework for actually managing this epidemic.’

Professor Whitty added that eradicating the disease in a matter of months war near-impossible.

He said: ‘It is our judgement, and it is my judgement certainly, if you look around the world, the idea that we’re going to put this virus back to going away and completely whilst not theoretically impossible, seems so improbable that based on scientific theory that is something we are trying to do. Seems to me a mistake.’

Professor Whitty said normal public health responses to a disease, like those used to isolate ebola in West Africa were no longer likely to be effective against what was now a global pandemic virus.

He said those tools such as containing and isolating infected people might work for some countries but the stage of the epidemic in the UK had gone beyond that position.  

At the same press briefing, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, also urged young people not to get complacent about catching the virus.

He admitted it was mostly older people and those with chronic conditions, but pointed to a small number of young people who’ve ended up in intensive care.

Professor Whitty said: ‘It is clear that children get this disease much less strongly than adults, I think the data on that is pretty strong now, and it certainly is the case that the majority of those that end up dying sadly are people who tend to be either in the later part of their lives, usually quite elderly, or those with pre-existing health conditions.

‘But there are also some young people who have ended up in intensive care or who have ended up with severe disease around the world. 

‘I think it’s important that we don’t give the impression that every single person who is young and healthy is just going to breeze through this.’

He added the ‘great majority’ of people will suffer no symptoms or mild to moderate symptoms, but a very small proportion of young people ‘will have severe disease even though they are young and healthy’.

Professor Whitty continued: ‘It’s important we’re clear in not trying to say ‘really, really worry’, but we also need to be clear in saying this is not a trivial infection for everybody, even if they are a young adult.’

The CMO admitted there were ‘significant health and social downsides’ to strict social distancing measures, which discouraged the Government from implementing them sooner. 

Ministers’ original ‘contain and delay’ strategy was given the green light because the downsides of social restrictions did not outweigh the upsides, he added.

But Professor Whitty said that the crisis had now escalated so much that the consensus had changed. 

When asked about long-term strategy he added: ‘Clearly a vaccine is one way out of this but we don’t expect that to happen quickly. Globally… science will help us over time.’  

WHO boss Tedros Adhanom tells youth to take coronavirus seriously

The head of the World Health Organization has warned young people that they should take coronavirus warnings seriously as they are ‘not invincible’.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the bug could put a young person ‘in hospital for weeks’ and could even be deadly while speaking in a virtual press conference in Geneva.  

Dr Ghebreyesus said: ‘Today I have a message for young people: you are not invincible. This virus could put you in hospital for weeks – or even kill you. 

‘Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else.’

Professor Whitty and Sir Patrick agreed that a vaccine would not ‘come to the rescue’ in six months, and it was likely to take far longer.  

Professor Whitty said: ‘However much we would like there to be a vaccine riding to the rescue in six months time. 

‘Currently, we think that’s improbable. So now we’ve got to work on a different theoretical framework for actually managing this epidemic.’ 

In a bid to delay the peak until then, ministers are mulling a decision to put London into total lockdown within days. 

Some 20,000 troops were put on standby overnight and the Prime Minister refused to rule out the possibility of ‘further and faster measures’ to control the spread of the virus on the busy streets of the capital, where the epidemic is running ahead of the rest of the country. 

Mr Johnson said ‘ruthless’ enforcement of so-called social distancing measures – such as working from home and avoiding social gatherings in pubs, cinemas and restaurants – was needed. 

Professor Whitty added that eradicating the disease in a matter of months war near-impossible.

He said: ‘It is our judgement, and it is my judgement certainly, if you look around the world, the idea that we’re going to put this virus back to going away and completely whilst not theoretically impossible, seems so improbable that based on scientific theory that is something we are trying to do. Seems to me a mistake.’

WHAT SHOULD EVERYONE BE DOING TO STOP THE CORONAVIRUS SPREADING? 

  • Avoid social contact
  • Work from home if possible
  • Avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other social venues
  • If someone in your household has symptoms of coronavirus (cough, fever or unusual shortness of breath), everyone in the home self-isolate for 14 days
  • If isolating, only go outside for exercise, and do it away from other people
  • Ask for help with daily necessities like food and medical supplies
  • If that is not possible – for example if you live in a remote area – you should limit social contact as much as possible
  • Vulnerable groups should self-isolate for 12 weeks from this weekend even if they have no symptoms – This includes people aged 70 and over and other adults who would normally be advised to have the flu vaccination, including people with chronic diseases such as chronic heart disease or chronic kidney disease, and pregnant women. A full list is here
  • All unnecessary visits to friends and relatives in care homes should end
  • Continue to take your children to school unless they or someone else in your home has symptoms of the coronavirus (cough, fever or unusual shortness of breath)
  • Londoners need to socially distance and work from home even more than the rest of the UK because the disease is more widespread there
  • Mass gatherings should not happen – they will no longer receive emergency services’ protection if they do go ahead 

Professor Whitty said normal public health responses to a disease, like those used to isolate ebola in West Africa were no longer likely to be effective against what was now a global pandemic virus.

He said those tools such as containing and isolating infected people might work for some countries but the stage of the epidemic in the UK had gone beyond that position.   

When asked about different strains of the virus, Professor Whitty said ‘with a strong caveat of scientific speculation’ that it was expected to mutate.

He said there was a chance that the virus could mutate ‘around the vaccine’, but that some mutations could be ‘actually useful’.

‘Smaller mutations… help to track family trees of the virus,’ said Prof Whitty, adding that this would help scientists to understand and tackle the disease.

Sir Patrick added that the UK was ‘absolutely world-class’ in addressing viral mutations.

Professor Whitty also warned that Britons will die both directly and indirectly during the epidemic.

He said: ‘People die in these epidemics… for two reasons. They die directly of the infection, unavoidably, best medical care, sadly this is still going to happen for some people.

‘But also they can die because the health service they are in is overwhelmed and therefore there’s an indirect death because there’s a difference between what could happen with health and what we were able to provide in this situation.’

On reducing the peak of the infection, he added: ‘It has an additional advantage, if you let an epidemic run its full course you get what’s called overshoot where more people get infected than you would need if it were to run at a lower peak.

‘Actually by lowering the peak you reduce the overall number of people who will get the infection.’

Boarded up Britain: Body blow for businesses as pubs, cafes and restaurants forced to shut

By Larisa Brown for the Daily Mail 

Corona ‘won’t spark rioting’

Rioting and crime is unlikely during the pandemic, according to the Government’s scientific advisers. 

They believe law and order will break down only if ministers are incompetent or large numbers of police fall sick. 

The experts on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviour said: ‘Acts of altruism will likely predominate and the Government could promote and guide these.’ 

But they warned of potential flashpoints such as over-stretched healthcare facilities and shortages of goods. 

Low officer numbers could lead to ‘a perception the police have become disempowered’ and ‘a rise in opportunistic crime by those who are already antagonistic towards the police’. 

The government should promote ‘a sense of collectivism’, the advisers say

Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants were forced to close last night in an unprecedented move that will change the face of the high street. 

Boris Johnson also told theatres, cinemas, gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, casinos and nightclubs to shut indefinitely to save thousands of lives. 

Licensed premises that fail to comply could have their licences revoked in the crackdown on social gatherings. 

However, many shops, supermarkets, newsagents, department stores, dry cleaners, hairdressers, pharmacies and post offices can remain open – and bars, cafes and restaurants will still be able to provide takeaway services. 

Announcing the seismic changes, Boris Johnson said: ‘We are telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow. 

‘We’re also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale. 

‘These are places where people come together. Indeed, the whole purpose is to bring people together. The sad thing is, for now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart. 

‘If people comply, then we will not only save lives – thousands of lives – but we’ll come out of this thing all the faster.’  

Mr Johnson said 75 per cent of the population needed to remain indoors for there to be a beneficial effect. But his spokesman said that target had not been reached yesterday, despite the public being urged to avoid social gatherings. 

Instead, photographs emerged of revellers flouting pleas to stay at home by partying in nightclubs across London, which has been hit hard by the virus. 

Asked how the ban would be policed, the PM said it would be enforced ‘strictly’, if necessary through licensing rules. 

Mayor of London threatened to close pubs before PM ordered shutdown 

The Mayor of London hit out at people who continued to go to pubs and warned he would ‘infringe’ their human rights – before Boris Johnson stepped in to close them anyway.

Sadiq Khan said ‘liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed’ in order to protect people and prevent further coronavirus deaths. 

He threatened to ban people from going to the pub and cafés in his stark address to the London Assembly last night. 

The Mayor said he was concerned that people were still not doing enough to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. 

He said: ‘Our liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed — use whatever word you want.

‘I am concerned about people not following the advice.

‘There are still too many people being witnessed on our streets, in our bars, in our cafés, using the Tube, using our buses.’

The Mayor said he would be working from home, ‘wherever possible’, to ‘set the best possible example’ as he told Londoners to do the same.  

Mr Khan added: ‘The advice from the government is just advice, and I think that provides a mixed message.

‘We may move to a situation where we move from advice to bans.

‘I can’t say this clearly enough. People should not be travelling by any means unless they absolutely must. The scientific advice on this is very clear.

‘Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary, and this includes avoiding using the transport network.’

The mayor told the London Assembly that all residents of the capital should ‘strictly follow’ the official advice and added that he would be working from home as much as possible. 

‘Clearly there are licensing arrangements which will make it relatively simple to do should that really be necessary,’ he said. 

He said people had already made a ‘huge effort to comply’ with social-distancing policies to halt the spread of the disease and there had been a ‘big reduction’ in the number of pub-goers. 

But he warned it was ‘becoming clear in order to drive that curve down, to reduce social gathering, we need to be making absolutely clear that we are going to enforce these closures’. However, No10 said there was no suggestion that the police would be drafted in. Mr Johnson said he believed everyone would see the ‘imperative in protecting the NHS and saving lives’ and do what was needed. 

Pub and nightclub owners were told to shut their doors as soon as possible last night, with all of them expected to be closed by today. 

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the measures would be in place for 14 days, after which they would be reviewed so their effectiveness could be reviewed. Mr Johnson added: ‘Some people may, of course, be tempted to go out tonight, and I say to those people, ‘Please don’t’.’ 

He said he wanted people to stay at home where possible, and warned those going out that they could become ‘vectors of the disease for older relatives, with potentially fatal consequences’. 

However, he accepted that what he was asking of the British public was extraordinary, adding: ‘We are taking away the ancient, inalienable right of the free-born people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub – and I can understand how people feel about that. 

‘But I say to people who do go against the advice that we are getting from our medical and scientific experts that you are not only putting your own life and the lives of your family at risk, but you are endangering the community and you are making it more difficult for us to get on and protect people’s lives and the NHS.’ Asked whether closing pubs and bars would encourage people to have parties at home instead, he said: ‘Obviously, we cannot forbid every form of socialising. Of course we are not doing that. 

‘What we are saying is, the risk is that they will become vectors of the disease for older relatives with potentially fatal consequences.’ 

Nik Antona, chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: ‘Whilst the pubs industry will be devastated by the decision to force closure, it is exactly the type of decisive leadership that has been called for this week as many pubs hung in limbo. 

‘Pubs and the wider hospitality industry now have clear instruction that closing their doors is the right thing to do, and the confidence that the Government will support their staff and business.’ 

Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said children who aren’t in school should also reduce social contact. She added: ‘The basic strand through all these measures is about social distancing and reducing our social interactions. 

‘We are not saying don’t go outside, but go in a way that reduces your social contact. 

‘Two metres apart for a bike ride with a buddy is fine.’ 

Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/coronavirus

Liquor is the new loo roll! Alcohol replaces toilet paper as the number one must-have for panic-buyers after Boris Johnson closed pubs and restaurants in fight against coronavirus   

Alcohol aisles are now being stripped bare by panic buyers after Boris Johnson closed pubs and restaurants in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

Boozy tipples have replaced toilet paper as the number one must-have product for customers who are continuing to go on frenzied shopping sprees despite warnings from the government to stop panic buying amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The alcohol aisles in a Tesco in Hartlepool were noticeably stark this morning after the Prime Minister ordered the closure of all pubs, restaurants and cafes yesterday. 

And shoppers across the country have noticed a similar shortage in alcohol as panic buyers continue to ransack supermarket shelves. 

Alcohol aisles are now being stripped bare by panic buyers after Boris Johnson closed pubs and restaurants in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. Pictured is an empty alcohol aisle at a Tesco in Hartlepool

Alcohol aisles are now being stripped bare by panic buyers after Boris Johnson closed pubs and restaurants in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. Pictured is an empty alcohol aisle at a Tesco in Hartlepool 

One customer posted two pictures of completely bare alcohol aisles in a Sainsbury’s in Kingston. 

Jose Cabal uploaded the pictures with the caption: ‘People panic buying is stupid and selfish. 

‘Taking it to the next level: Kingston’s Sainsbury’s.’ 

Another user wrote: ‘Sainsbury’s alcohol aisles were pretty empty tonight. 

While another said: ‘Watch this, with the pubs closed, bet the shops’ alcohol aisles will be bare as well.’

The alcohol aisles in Tesco, Hartlepool, are standing empty this morning as panic buyers got the store this morning

The alcohol aisles in Tesco, Hartlepool, are standing empty this morning as panic buyers got the store this morning

Neil Humphreys said: ‘And we thought the toilet-roll panic buying was bad. Wait till you see the alcohol aisles tomorrow!”

Another social media user wrote: ‘No drinking or eating establishments open. Cue lift-off on takeaways and empty shelves in supermarkets in the alcohol aisles.’ 

Britons woke up to a shut-down nation today after Boris Johnson ordered all pubs, restaurants, clubs, gyms and cinemas to close in a drastic ramping up of measures to stem the spread of the deadly infection, which has killed 177 and infected almost 4,000.

As people prepare to retreat indoors, people also appear to be stocking up on booze, with wine, beer and spirits flying off the shelves in supermarkets today.  

The mad shopping spree has seen heartbreaking scenes of elderly people and exhausted frontline NHS staff standing helplessly beside empty shelves, prompting chains including Sainsbury’s and M&S to set aside a golden hour where they can buy essentials before the masses stampede the store.   

A Marks & Spencer shop in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, was among the first shops to call in police to help ensure older shoppers could use the hour set aside for them. 

Asda and Aldi have hired a sports security firm, Showsec, to protect against selfish panic buyers. 

And some other 118 major stores across the UK have also requested to protection from customers who openly flout governmental advice to stop panic buying.  

The staff, who are usually escorting boxers to the ring, have been employed to work from 5am to midday. 

One Shosec worker told The Sun: ‘They cannot handle the trouble. They’re calling us in to try and get some order back but it’s going to be a mammoth task.’

Supermarkets are desperately trying to keep up with the demand in order to prevent the elderly and NHS staff and emergency workers from having to go without as a result of other selfish shoppers. 

Tesco is even hiring 20,000 shelf stackers on 12-week contracts, while Aldi is aiming for 9,000 and Asda for 5,000.   

Most supermarkets have started limiting purchases and are trying to get shoppers down to just two or three items of food, toiletries and cleaning products. 

Waitrose has started a £1million community support fund to make sure essential items are delivered to care homes.    

Chancellor Rishi Sunak ‘saves 800,000 jobs with employer bailout’ 

Rishi Sunak’s has promised to underwrite employees’ wages and is expected to save 800,000 jobs during the coronavirus epidemic.

The Chancellor told a Downing Street press briefing a new grant would cover 80 per cent of workers’ salaries – up to a maximum of £2,500 a month each – if firms kept them on. 

Analysts who were forecasting 1.5million increase in job losses because of the health crisis cut their prediction to 700,000 unemployed just minutes after the announcement. 

But his lifeline to employees – wrapped into the government’s third emergency economic package in just over a week – is set to plunge the UK into further billions of pounds of debt.

Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said that if the wage support was claimed for 10 per cent of employees it could cost the government £10billion over three months.

He said: ‘The cost of the wage subsidy package is unknowable at present but will run into several billion pounds per month that it is in operation.’ 

‘It is clearly a policy designed in haste and will require considerable speed and flexibility from HMRC to deliver. As a result there are obvious concerns about its design.’  

The breakneck speed at which the measures were compiled meant the Treasury has not yet released an exact costings calculations, leading to differing estimates from forecasters.

The Financial Times calculated that the scheme would cost £3.5billion every three months for every one million workers affected.

Flanking Boris Johnson in Number 10, Mr Sunak hammered home the seriousness of the economic fallout and unveiled the ‘unprecedented measures for unprecedented times’.

He said: ‘The truth is we are already seeing job losses and there may be more to come. I cannot promise you that no one will face hardship in the weeks ahead.’ 

Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, told The Times: ‘This is quite frankly a spectacular package that involves the government directly paying the wages of millions of employees.

‘It won’t stop the unemployment rate from rising from just under four per cent now. 

‘But without this package we thought that it would shoot up to the financial crisis level of eight percent.’ 

Mr Sunak also allowed businesses to hold on to £30billion of VAT, which they would normally pass on to tax authorities.

He said: ‘Combined with our previous announcements on public services and business support, our planned economic response will be one of the most comprehensive in the world.’

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS?

What is the coronavirus? 

A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body’s normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word ‘corona’, which means crown, because they are encased by a spiked shell which resembles a royal crown.

The coronavirus from Wuhan is one which has never been seen before this outbreak. It has been named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The name stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2.

Experts say the bug, which has killed around one in 50 patients since the outbreak began in December, is a ‘sister’ of the SARS illness which hit China in 2002, so has been named after it.

The disease that the virus causes has been named COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

Dr Helena Maier, from the Pirbright Institute, said: ‘Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that infect a wide range of different species including humans, cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats and wild animals. 

‘Until this new coronavirus was identified, there were only six different coronaviruses known to infect humans. Four of these cause a mild common cold-type illness, but since 2002 there has been the emergence of two new coronaviruses that can infect humans and result in more severe disease (Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses). 

‘Coronaviruses are known to be able to occasionally jump from one species to another and that is what happened in the case of SARS, MERS and the new coronavirus. The animal origin of the new coronavirus is not yet known.’ 

The first human cases were publicly reported from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where approximately 11million people live, after medics first started publicly reporting infections on December 31.

By January 8, 59 suspected cases had been reported and seven people were in critical condition. Tests were developed for the new virus and recorded cases started to surge.

The first person died that week and, by January 16, two were dead and 41 cases were confirmed. The next day, scientists predicted that 1,700 people had become infected, possibly up to 7,000. 

Where does the virus come from?

According to scientists, the virus almost certainly came from bats. Coronaviruses in general tend to originate in animals – the similar SARS and MERS viruses are believed to have originated in civet cats and camels, respectively.

The first cases of COVID-19 came from people visiting or working in a live animal market in Wuhan, which has since been closed down for investigation.

Although the market is officially a seafood market, other dead and living animals were being sold there, including wolf cubs, salamanders, snakes, peacocks, porcupines and camel meat. 

A study by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, published in February 2020 in the scientific journal Nature, found that the genetic make-up virus samples found in patients in China is 96 per cent identical to a coronavirus they found in bats.

However, there were not many bats at the market so scientists say it was likely there was an animal which acted as a middle-man, contracting it from a bat before then transmitting it to a human. It has not yet been confirmed what type of animal this was.

Dr Michael Skinner, a virologist at Imperial College London, was not involved with the research but said: ‘The discovery definitely places the origin of nCoV in bats in China.

‘We still do not know whether another species served as an intermediate host to amplify the virus, and possibly even to bring it to the market, nor what species that host might have been.’  

So far the fatalities are quite low. Why are health experts so worried about it? 

Experts say the international community is concerned about the virus because so little is known about it and it appears to be spreading quickly.

It is similar to SARS, which infected 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 in an outbreak in Asia in 2003, in that it is a type of coronavirus which infects humans’ lungs. It is less deadly than SARS, however, which killed around one in 10 people, compared to approximately one in 50 for COVID-19.

Another reason for concern is that nobody has any immunity to the virus because they’ve never encountered it before. This means it may be able to cause more damage than viruses we come across often, like the flu or common cold.

Speaking at a briefing in January, Oxford University professor, Dr Peter Horby, said: ‘Novel viruses can spread much faster through the population than viruses which circulate all the time because we have no immunity to them.

‘Most seasonal flu viruses have a case fatality rate of less than one in 1,000 people. Here we’re talking about a virus where we don’t understand fully the severity spectrum but it’s possible the case fatality rate could be as high as two per cent.’

If the death rate is truly two per cent, that means two out of every 100 patients who get it will die. 

‘My feeling is it’s lower,’ Dr Horby added. ‘We’re probably missing this iceberg of milder cases. But that’s the current circumstance we’re in.

‘Two per cent case fatality rate is comparable to the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 so it is a significant concern globally.’

How does the virus spread?

The illness can spread between people just through coughs and sneezes, making it an extremely contagious infection. And it may also spread even before someone has symptoms.

It is believed to travel in the saliva and even through water in the eyes, therefore close contact, kissing, and sharing cutlery or utensils are all risky. It can also live on surfaces, such as plastic and steel, for up to 72 hours, meaning people can catch it by touching contaminated surfaces.

Originally, people were thought to be catching it from a live animal market in Wuhan city. But cases soon began to emerge in people who had never been there, which forced medics to realise it was spreading from person to person. 

What does the virus do to you? What are the symptoms?

Once someone has caught the COVID-19 virus it may take between two and 14 days, or even longer, for them to show any symptoms – but they may still be contagious during this time.

If and when they do become ill, typical signs include a runny nose, a cough, sore throat and a fever (high temperature). The vast majority of patients will recover from these without any issues, and many will need no medical help at all.

In a small group of patients, who seem mainly to be the elderly or those with long-term illnesses, it can lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in which the insides of the lungs swell up and fill with fluid. It makes it increasingly difficult to breathe and, if left untreated, can be fatal and suffocate people.

Figures are showing that young children do not seem to be particularly badly affected by the virus, which they say is peculiar considering their susceptibility to flu, but it is not clear why. 

What have genetic tests revealed about the virus? 

Scientists in China have recorded the genetic sequences of around 19 strains of the virus and released them to experts working around the world. 

This allows others to study them, develop tests and potentially look into treating the illness they cause.   

Examinations have revealed the coronavirus did not change much – changing is known as mutating – much during the early stages of its spread.

However, the director-general of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu, said the virus was mutating and adapting as it spread through people.

This means efforts to study the virus and to potentially control it may be made extra difficult because the virus might look different every time scientists analyse it.   

More study may be able to reveal whether the virus first infected a small number of people then change and spread from them, or whether there were various versions of the virus coming from animals which have developed separately.

How dangerous is the virus?  

The virus has a death rate of around two per cent. This is a similar death rate to the Spanish Flu outbreak which, in 1918, went on to kill around 50million people.

Experts have been conflicted since the beginning of the outbreak about whether the true number of people who are infected is significantly higher than the official numbers of recorded cases. Some people are expected to have such mild symptoms that they never even realise they are ill unless they’re tested, so only the more serious cases get discovered, making the death toll seem higher than it really is.

However, an investigation into government surveillance in China said it had found no reason to believe this was true.

Dr Bruce Aylward, a World Health Organization official who went on a mission to China, said there was no evidence that figures were only showing the tip of the iceberg, and said recording appeared to be accurate, Stat News reported.

Can the virus be cured? 

The COVID-19 virus cannot be cured and it is proving difficult to contain.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses, so they are out of the question. Antiviral drugs can work, but the process of understanding a virus then developing and producing drugs to treat it would take years and huge amounts of money.

No vaccine exists for the coronavirus yet and it’s not likely one will be developed in time to be of any use in this outbreak, for similar reasons to the above.

The National Institutes of Health in the US, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas, say they are working on a vaccine based on what they know about coronaviruses in general, using information from the SARS outbreak. But this may take a year or more to develop, according to Pharmaceutical Technology.

Currently, governments and health authorities are working to contain the virus and to care for patients who are sick and stop them infecting other people.

People who catch the illness are being quarantined in hospitals, where their symptoms can be treated and they will be away from the uninfected public.

And airports around the world are putting in place screening measures such as having doctors on-site, taking people’s temperatures to check for fevers and using thermal screening to spot those who might be ill (infection causes a raised temperature).

However, it can take weeks for symptoms to appear, so there is only a small likelihood that patients will be spotted up in an airport.

Is this outbreak an epidemic or a pandemic?   

The outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11. A pandemic is defined by the World Health Organization as the ‘worldwide spread of a new disease’. 

Previously, the UN agency said most cases outside of Hubei had been ‘spillover’ from the epicentre, so the disease wasn’t actually spreading actively around the world.

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