Closure PM: ‘Stop non-essential contact, travel and work from home if you can’

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has warned that everyone should “stop non-essential contact and all non-essential travel” as he urged people to work from home and avoid pubs, clubs and theatres.

He also said anyone who lives with someone who has a cough or a temperature should stay at home for 14 days.

The PM was addressing the public after holding a COBRA meeting over the Coronavirus outbreak.

It comes after confirmed cases rocketed especially across Yorkshire over recent days.

Mr Johnson said “if you or anyone in your household” had one of the two symptoms - a high temperature or continuous cough - “you should stay at home for 14 days.

“That means that if possible you should not go out, even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise and in that case at a safe distance from others,” he said.

In a dramatic escalation of the Government’s response, Mr Johnson said that even those without symptoms needed to take extra action.

“Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel,” he said.

Mr Johnson said that from Tuesday the Government would no longer be supporting mass gatherings with emergency workers.

Mass gatherings are something “we are now moving emphatically away from”, he said.

The Prime Minister said people should start working from home “where they possibly can”.

“You should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that according to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage)

“it looks as though we are now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve” in the number of cases.

“Without drastic action cases could double every five or six days,” he said.

Mr Johnson said by the weekend, groups particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 will be asked to stay at home for 12 weeks.

He said: “In a few days time, by this coming weekend, it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.

“Again, the reason for doing this in the next few days rather than earlier or later is that this is going to be very disruptive for people who have such conditions.”