Boris Johnson has tonight announced a range of tough new measures to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking to the nation live from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said that people would now only be allowed to leave their homes for “very limited purposes”.
These include shopping for basic necessities, one form of exercise a day, any medical need, and to travel to and from work when “absolutely necessary”.
He also unveiled a number of tougher measures:
- People are not to meet friends or family members they do not live with
- Shopping only permitted for essentials like food and medicine, with people advised to do it “as little as you can”
- Police have powers to enforce the rules, including through fines and dispersing gatherings
- All shops selling non-essential goods, including clothes shops and electronic stores, are ordered to close
- Libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship are to close
- All gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with – are banned
- All social events, including weddings and baptisms are banned
- Funerals are not included in the new restrictions
- Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed
Johnson said the new measures would be in place initially for three weeks and would be “under constant review”.
He said they would be relaxed “if the evidence shows we are able to”.
