Boris Johnson has announced the UK is locked down for THREE weeks.
All non-essential shops must shut immediately announcing to the that the UK is now on lockdown to tackle coroavirus.
People must stay at home or face a fine.
All shops apart from food stores and chemists must close immediately, meeting friends is now banned and one form of exercise is allowed per day.
The lockdown, which will be in force for at least three weeks, follows growing pressure in recent days from the government’s top medical advisers and senior politicians.
Announcing powers not seen since wartime, Mr Johnson declared: “From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction – you must stay at home.
“Because the critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households.”
People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:
- Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
- One form of exercise a day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
- Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
- Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home
He added: “That’s all – these are the only reasons you should leave your home.