LONDON: British Prime Minster Boris Johnson has ordered the closure of most retail stores and banned gatherings for three weeks in a stepped-up response to slow the new coronavirus.
The measures Johnson announced in an address to the nation on Monday night are more closely aligned with sweeping actions taken in France, Spain and Italy but mark a departure from the British government's until-now more relaxed approach to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Britain has already closed schools, bars and restaurants and urged people to stay home. But while many followed the instructions, some did not.
The approach has led to confusion, and caused alarm by public officials worried about the ever escalating numbers of cases.
There were growing calls for the government to impose tighter restrictions with more rigorous enforcement.
Johnson said that he was giving “the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home.’’
He offered a list of limited purposes for which leaving home would be allowed, including essential shopping, medical appointments and one form of exercise a day.
WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO
- People are still allowed to leave their home to shop for basic necessities.
- They can do one form of exercise such as a run, walk or bike ride, per day, and can leave the house to attend to medical needs, including helping a vulnerable person.
- Travelling to and from work is only allowed when "absolutely necessary" and the work cannot be done from home.
- Funerals are allowed.
WHAT PEOPLE CAN'T DO
- People shouldn't meet up with friends. Johnson said that people should decline any requests from a friend to hang out.
- They also should not meet up with family, except those that live in the same house.
- They should not shop for non-essential items, and should try and limit the number of shopping trips they do.
HOW THE GOVERNMENT WILL ENFORCE IT
Police will have powers to enforce the rules, including through fines and dispersing gatherings. In addition, Johnson said that the government would immediately:
- shut all shops which sell non-essential goods
- stop all gatherings of more than two people in public unless they live together.
- stop all social events, including weddings and all other ceremonies except funerals.
- parks will stay open for exercise but gatherings within them will be dispersed.
The measures will be under constant review, and they will be looked at again in three weeks.
