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| UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces strict lockdown across country – as it happened | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| PM says people can only shop for basic necessities, limits exercise to one form a day, restricts travel only to and from essential work and tells UK to stay at home | PM says people can only shop for basic necessities, limits exercise to one form a day, restricts travel only to and from essential work and tells UK to stay at home |
| That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading. Here’s a summary of the latest news: | |
| The most significant set of restrictions on British life in living memory were set in place as the prime minister ordered people to stay in their homes. Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown in a bid to stop the coronavirus outbreak and warned that the police would be called in to enforce it. | |
| A swathe of businesses were ordered to close as part of the measures. With notable exceptions, retailers followed pubs and restaurants in being told to shut their doors after a weekend during which many people were still out and about, despite government pleas to isolate themselves. | |
| There was widespread support for the measures – but there were also calls for greater clarity. Both the Labour party, which has been calling for such measures, and trade unions largely united behind Boris Johnson as he took the drastic step in what he termed a time of “national emergency”. But political and trade union opposition also called on No 10 to offer the British people more detail on how, exactly, its plan will work. | |
| UK death toll increases to 335. The Department of Health and Social Care released its latest figures, showing that 6,650 people have tested positive for Covid-19 and 335 patients have died. | |
| FCO advises all Britons abroad to return home while they still can.The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab said the million or so British people on holiday or working abroad should return home now – before the option to do so disappears altogether. | |
| Emergency coronavirus legislation passed the Commons. The bill, which will hand ministers wide-ranging powers as they try to get a grip on the crisis, will pass to the Lords after MPs decided they could wave it through without the need for a vote. | |
| You can read a summary of the day’s earlier events here. | |
| And my colleague in Australia, Helen Sullivan, is continuing our global coronavirus coverage here: | |
| One important update: The government’s guidance says the medical need exemption to the new restrictions “includes moving children under 18 between their parents’ homes”. This would seem to suggest that separated parents will be able to maintain their shared custody arrangements. | |
| Hotels, hostels, BnBs, as well as campsites and commercial boarding houses and caravan parks are all expected to close down. | Hotels, hostels, BnBs, as well as campsites and commercial boarding houses and caravan parks are all expected to close down. |
| But ministers have said there will be exceptions where people are living in them permanently or while their primary residences are unavailable. | But ministers have said there will be exceptions where people are living in them permanently or while their primary residences are unavailable. |
| Meanwhile, business leaders are responding to the new series of measures by urging companies to “comply with its spirit”. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s chief executive, Richard Burge, has said: | Meanwhile, business leaders are responding to the new series of measures by urging companies to “comply with its spirit”. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s chief executive, Richard Burge, has said: |
| The director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, Adam Marshall, has said: | The director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, Adam Marshall, has said: |
| Here’s the list of retail businesses the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government say are exempt from the prime minister’s order to close down: | Here’s the list of retail businesses the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government say are exempt from the prime minister’s order to close down: |
| Supermarkets and other food shops | Supermarkets and other food shops |
| Health shops | Health shops |
| Pharmacies, including non-dispensing pharmacies | Pharmacies, including non-dispensing pharmacies |
| Petrol stations | Petrol stations |
| Bicycle shops | Bicycle shops |
| Home and hardware shops | Home and hardware shops |
| Laundrettes and dry cleaners | Laundrettes and dry cleaners |
| Garages | Garages |
| Car rentals | Car rentals |
| Pet shops | Pet shops |
| Corner shops and newsagents | Corner shops and newsagents |
| Post offices | Post offices |
| Banks | Banks |
| We reported earlier that Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, which includes Sports Direct and Evans Cycles, had said it intended to keep its stores open because it provides equipment people can use to keep fit while observing the government’s physical distancing rules. | We reported earlier that Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, which includes Sports Direct and Evans Cycles, had said it intended to keep its stores open because it provides equipment people can use to keep fit while observing the government’s physical distancing rules. |
| At least in respect of Evans, that has been lent weight by government guidance published this evening that explicitly says bicycle shops are exempted from the retail store closure order. | At least in respect of Evans, that has been lent weight by government guidance published this evening that explicitly says bicycle shops are exempted from the retail store closure order. |
| There is concern this evening that No 10 has not offered sufficient clarity on who is and who is not covered by the new restrictions. | There is concern this evening that No 10 has not offered sufficient clarity on who is and who is not covered by the new restrictions. |
| Plaid Cymru have written to the prime minister asking to whom was he referring, exactly, when he said that people whose jobs cannot be done from home will still be able to travel to work. | Plaid Cymru have written to the prime minister asking to whom was he referring, exactly, when he said that people whose jobs cannot be done from home will still be able to travel to work. |
| Was he referring to key workers only or anyone whose boss does not believe it’s feasible to work from home? | Was he referring to key workers only or anyone whose boss does not believe it’s feasible to work from home? |
| Work on building sites can continue as long as workers observe physical distancing, the housing secretary Robert Jenrick has said. | Work on building sites can continue as long as workers observe physical distancing, the housing secretary Robert Jenrick has said. |
| Some readers have asked how the restrictions apply to separated parents’ shared custody arrangements. The simple answer is that it’s not covered by the published guidance. But we’ve asked for clarification and will pass on any that’s forthcoming. | Some readers have asked how the restrictions apply to separated parents’ shared custody arrangements. The simple answer is that it’s not covered by the published guidance. But we’ve asked for clarification and will pass on any that’s forthcoming. |
| The Labour MP, Jess Phillips, has had this to say on the matter: | The Labour MP, Jess Phillips, has had this to say on the matter: |
| The prime minister has ordered what amounts to a UK lockdown this evening. Here’s how Boris Johnson’s position has shifted over the course of the past month or so: | The prime minister has ordered what amounts to a UK lockdown this evening. Here’s how Boris Johnson’s position has shifted over the course of the past month or so: |
| The NHS has stressed that people can still leave their homes to donate blood. An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesman has said: | The NHS has stressed that people can still leave their homes to donate blood. An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesman has said: |