Boris Johnson has locked down the UK for the next three weeks and told people to stay at home in the latest bid to throttle the spread of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister said people will now only be allowed to leave their homes for very limited purposes and that police will have the power to enforce the latest restrictions.
In an historic address to the nation, Mr Johnson declared a "national emergency" and said:
- People must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, for exercise but only once a day, any medical need and travel to work but only if essential.
- Shops selling non-essential goods will also be closed and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are being prohibited.
- Other premises including libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms, and places of worship must also shut.
- Funerals can still go ahead but weddings have been banned, as have baptisms and other ceremonies.
- Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed, with police being handed the power to step in and enforce the new measures.
In his televised statement from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said police forces will have the powers to enforce the new measures, including by issuing fines and dispersing gatherings.
He said people had been asked to stay at home during the pandemic, "and though huge numbers are complying - and I thank you all - the time has now come for us all to do more.
"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.
"That is why 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; and travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.”
Mr Johnson added: "To ensure compliance with the Government's instruction to stay at home, we will immediately: close all shops selling non-essential goods, including clothing and electronic stores and other premises including libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms, and places of worship; we will stop all gatherings of more than two people in public - excluding people you live with; and we'll stop social events, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies, but excluding funerals.
"Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed."
Mr Johnson said the measures will be in place for at least three weeks and that they will be reviewed after this time.
The announcement comes after a meeting of Cobra, the emergency committee, on Monday evening.
Earlier the Prime Minister’s spokesman said officials were studying a range of data showing footfalls on High Streets, public transport and parks and if social interaction was not reducing fast enough, they would take “whatever measures are necessary”.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK surged by 967 to 6,650 on Monday.
The national death toll also jumped to 336, with 55 new cases confirmed.
Over the weekend, crowds of people were witnessed visiting open spaces across many parts of the UK, at times flouting official social distancing advice.
There were growing fears that Britain is on a similar trajectory to Italy - scene of the world's worst outbreak - where the death toll passed 5,000 over the weekend.
The Italian government was one of a number of European countries to announce new or extended restrictions - with Germany banning public gatherings of more than two people not from the same household.
The Department of Health has said a total of 83,945 people have now been tested in the UK, 77,295 negative and 6,650 positive.
In England, a further 46 coronavirus patients were confirmed to have died, with four more fatalities in both Scotland and Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Announcing the new death toll, NHS England said all the patients had underlying health conditions. They were aged between 47 and 105.
Also on Monday night, emergency legislation to respond to the coronavirus outbreak cleared the House of Commons.
Meanwhile Dominic Raab and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warned Brits travelling abroad that they should return to the UK as soon as possible.
Further closures to air routes may be enforced within the next 48 hours, possibly without notice, the FCO said.
Mr Raab said: “Around the world, more airlines are suspending flights and more airports are closing, some without any notice.
“Where commercial routes don’t exist, our staff are working round the clock to give advice and support to UK nationals.
“If you are on holiday abroad the time to come home is now while you still can.”
