SCOTLAND SHUTTERED
Pubs, cafes and restaurants are ordered to close doors
PUBS, cafes and restaurants across the UK were last night ordered to close after Brits refused to stay home.
Boris Johnson made the order after many struggling businesses facing financial ruin would not shut their doors.
Bars, nightclubs, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres were among those instructed to close for the foreseeable future.
Johnson said: “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.”
At his daily Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister said the measures were needed to reduce “unnecessary” social gatherings by 75 per cent in order to have an impact on the infection rate.
“You may be tempted to go out tonight and I say to you please don’t,” he said.
“You may think that you are invincible... But you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on.”
He added: “These are places where people come together.
“The sad thing is today, for now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart.”
The Scottish Government is also telling businesses including cafes, pubs, and restaurants to close, along with nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres.
The measures follow a meeting of the UK Government’s COBRA committee, attended by the First Minister, and will be implemented across the UK with immediate effect.
Cafes and restaurants may continue to operate takeaway services but customers cannot sit in. Nicola Sturgeon said everyone must act now to slow the spread of the virus, adding that we must also reduce the number of people we meet and come into contact with.
The new advice was given after discussions with scientists and chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood.
Sturgeon added: “I know how difficult this is. But it is vital to reduce our risk of getting the virus. And to reduce the risk of infecting those who are most vulnerable of becoming seriously ill or dying. In short, it will save lives.
“It also gives our NHS the best chance of coping. We’ve put the NHS on an emergency footing.
“We’re taking steps to increase the capacity of our hospitals and intensive care wards. 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.”
The changes come as a result of updated scientific advice and will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
Dr Calderwood said: “Covid-19 is the biggest challenge of our lifetimes, and with the number of cases set to rise sharply we must do all we can to slow it down and save lives.
“As well as continuing to wash hands more regularly and self-isolating if you or anyone in your house has any symptoms, we must also limit the number of people we come into contact with.
“That is why, in light of updated advice, we are now asking restaurants, cafes, pubs, gyms and cinemas to close.
I know how difficult this is, but it is vital in reducing the spread of the virus.
“Most people have been following advice and guidance and we thank them for that. But these measures are being introduced to ensure that everyone follows the guidance which will, ultimately, save lives.”
Experts and opposition politicians had been calling for action for days.
Professor Jonathan Ball, of Nottingham University, said: “This was the right thing to do.
“Self-imposition of social distancing was clearly not working so the state had to intervene.”
There was uncertainly last night how the order will be enforced as the UK’s death toll shot up by 33 to 177.
Patients who died in the previous 24 hours were aged between 50 and 99 years old and had underlying health conditions.