In a live broadcast from Number 10 the PM has announced that the public ‘must stay home’
Boris Johnson has just announced a raft of restrictions people in the UK are being urged to follow.
From tonight, people will be allowed to leave their homes for:
- 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 their household;
- any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person;
- travelling to and from work, but only where it is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home
This is not a lockdown, but it’s as close as you can get to one without it being called a lockdown. but he will look at these measure again in 3 weeks.
Meanwhile, people in the most at-risk groups have begun getting an NHS text urging them to stay at home for 12 weeks.
The UK’s death toll has reached 335. There have been 83,945 tests to date, with 6,650 confirmed cases.
The NHS in England has announced it has identified 1.5 million of the most at-risk people, while there are 200,000 in Scotland, 70,000 in Wales and 40,000 in Northern Ireland.
A text message from NHS England tells people in the most at-risk group: “Please remain at home for a minimum of 12 weeks. Home is the safest place for you. Staying in helps you stay well and that will help the NHS too.”
Emergency legislation is being debated by MPs and a meeting of the government’s emergency committee Cobra is taking place.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says Britons travelling abroad should return to the UK as soon as possible because international travel is becoming more difficult with the closure of borders and the suspension of flights.
