BRITAIN IN LOCKDOWN

Only leave home once a day ++ Don’t see friends and family ++ Fines if you don’t obey

BORIS Johnson imposed an unprecedented virus lockdown last night. Describing the crisis as a national emergency, he ordered families to stay in their homes except in special circumstances.

All ‘non-essential’ shops will be closed and public gatherings of more than two people banned. The police will be able to fine rule-breakers.

Weddings have been banned and the Prime Minister said no one should meet friends or family from other households.

The restrictions will remain in place for at least three weeks but probably far longer. The Prime Minister warned the NHS would be overwhelmed unless everyone helped to stop the spread of coronavirus now. He said without action ‘more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well’.

In his televised address to the nation he added: ‘From this evening, I must give the British people a very simple instruction – you must stay at home.

‘No Prime Minister wants to enact measures like this. I know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people’s lives, to their businesses and to their jobs.

‘But at present there are no easy options. The way ahead is hard and it is still true that sadly many lives will

be lost.’ He said it was ‘the biggest threat this country has faced for decades’ and ‘a moment of real danger’.

Under the new guidelines, there are only four acceptable reasons for going out. These are: to shop for basics, ‘as infrequently as possible’; to exercise once a day, which should be done alone; to care for a vulnerable person or attend an urgent medical appointment; or to travel to or from work where it is impossible to work from home.

Police will be given new powers from Thursday to fine those who gather outside in groups of more than two. Weddings and christenings will be banned. Funerals will be allowed with greatly restricted attendance.

And the tourist industry was also effectively shut down, with camping and caravan sites, bed and breakfasts and most hotels told to close.

The new restrictions will see the immediate closure of most shops, including clothing and electrical outlets and department stores.

Hairdressers and beauty salons will be ordered to shut their doors, as will libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms in parks. The only stores allowed to remain open are supermarkets, pharmacies, grocers, petrol stations, corner shops, hardware stores, pet shops and newsagents.

Speaking just minutes after Mr Johnson’s announcement, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘I am not going to sugar coat it in any way. Coronavirus is the biggest challenge of our lifetime.’

She said the decision to go into lockdown was ‘not done lightly’, adding: ‘stay at home’. Miss Sturgeon

‘Many lives will be lost’

said funerals will be ‘restricted to immediate family only’ and told people to think of the new measures not as ‘guidance or advice’ but as rules.

‘I fully expect the vast majority of people to do the right thing,’ she said, but added that later this week emergency powers will allow the measures to be enforced.

The latest moves follow fury in Government at the failure of sections of the public to follow ‘social distancing’ rules. Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday condemned those who thronged to parks, beaches and shops at the weekend for their ‘very selfish’ behaviour.

Government sources last night described the package as a ‘massive hardening of the stay-at-home message’. But ministers have stopped short of even stricter measures taken in countries like Italy and France, such as letting only key workers travel and shutting down cities.

In other developments on an extraordinary day:

▪ The Foreign Office advised up to a million British travellers to return, warning flights home could dry up by the end of this week;

▪ The UK death toll rose to 335, following four more deaths in Scotland and 46 in England. The latest victims south of the Border were aged between 47 and 105 and all had underlying health conditions;

▪ Privatised rail firms had their franchises suspended, with the Government effectively putting them under state control for at least six months;

▪ A senior Italian health official said Britons ignoring the advice to stay at home were committing ‘collective suicide’ that could lead to tens of thousands of extra deaths;

▪ Boris Johnson asked China for advice on tackling the crisis during a call with President Xi Jinping;

▪ Downing Street said Dominic Raab would take charge of the fight against the virus if the Prime Minister fell ill;

▪ The Cabinet prepared to hold its first ‘virtual’ meeting, with most ministers dialling in;

▪ Hospitals were told to discharge patients in just three hours to free up beds as quickly as possible;

▪ The Army was called in to deliver protective equipment such as masks and gloves to healthcare;

▪ Chancellor Rishi Sunak was ‘actively considering’ further financial help for the self-employed;

▪ The Government told families to cancel Easter travel plans and not to travel to second homes – and return from them if they have already fled;

‘A moment of real danger’

▪ Stock markets took another pummelling, with the FTSE 100 index dipping below 5,000 points;

▪ Publicans were warned they could lose their licences permanently for running secret drinking dens.

Pubs, clubs, gyms and restaurants were closed on Friday, with the public told to stay at home. But over the weekend, many high streets remained busy and parks, beaches and supermarkets were packed.

The PM is said to have been ‘reluctant’ to order a draconian clampdown on people’s movements, with some senior police officers concerned it could spark civil unrest.

But key ministers have been pushing for a tougher line. French president Emmanuel Macron is also said to have warned the PM that he would close the border unless a wider crackdown was announced.

Scientists modelling the growth of the virus found that cutting social contact by three-quarters could help halt and reverse its spread.

But data from the weekend found that footfall in high streets was down by only 30 per cent.

Martin Hewitt, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: ‘Measures to ensure social distancing have so far not had the necessary effect. These new measures are sensible, based on scientific evidence and give people clarity.’

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