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All UK pubs, cafes and restaurants must close tonight
Britain is effectively being shut down from tonight. In a dramatic escalation of the fight against coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told all of the UK’s pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants to close “as soon as possible” and not to open tomorrow. Other venues were also told to shut in a press conference this evening, as a further 39 people who tested positive for Covid-19 died – bringing the total number of confirmed UK deaths to 167. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also announced that “for the first time in our history” the Government will step in and help pay people’s wages through a coronavirus job retention scheme. He said he would defer the next quarter of VAT payments for firms until the end of June. What will the Government’s response mean for you? Read our Q&A. And, as Britons clear supermarket shelves, is panic buying irrational? Lizzy Burden explains why it can seem to make economic sense.
Meanwhile, Britons are being warned to prepare for the long haul. Scientists advising the Government have agreed that social measures will need to be in place for most of a year at least in order to control the spread of coronavirus. It came as a 26-year-old man became the first person in Britain to be arrested on suspicion of failing to comply with Covid-19 isolation measures. To check where coronavirus cases have been confirmed near you, use our postcode search tool. PS: Stay informed with our liveblog, daily Global Health Bulletin, WhatsApp group and virus podcast. Our index page has all our articles.
School’s out – which children get to go back?
Schools have been ordered to close their doors today – and open next week only for children of key workers and the most vulnerable youngsters. But headteachers have warned that the Government’s list of key workers is “far more extensive” than had previously been hinted at. Education Editor Camilla Turner reports that schools face being “overwhelmed” if all the key workers on the list send their children in on Monday. So who is classed as a key worker? Read on for the full list.
How to celebrate Mother’s Day during the outbreak
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. But, for many, it will feel very different to previous years. The Government is advising against all non-essential travel and people aged 70 and over have been asked to stay at home for 12 weeks from this weekend to prevent the spread of coronavirus. But you can still make it a day of celebration. Our guide has details of what you can do. If you are stuck at home with children this weekend, check out 48 ways to keep youngsters entertained.
You Are Not Alone: Surviving coronavirus lockdown
Comment and analysis
Video: ‘How can I survive on apples?’, asks nurse
A nurse who issued a tearful plea for panic buyers to stop stripping shelves has called for NHS staff to be given priority at supermarkets. Dawn Bilbrough filmed herself crying in her car after finding aisles empty, having spent two days working long hours at an intensive care ward in York.
Also in the news today
Prison shake-up | Criminals will no longer be called offenders by the probation service under moves to “reset” language and create an “inclusive culture”. Instead of being known as an offender, anyone under supervision will be referred to as “a person subject to probation services”. Read on for more from Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas.
World news: One story you must read
‘Justice has prevailed’ | India executed four men today for the gang-rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus in 2012 that sparked huge nationwide protests and international revulsion. The four were hanged before dawn in the capital – in India’s first execution since 2015.
Editor’s choice
- Katie Morley | ‘Ex racked up £100k debt, married a prostitute, and left me to pay’
- Midults | ‘Husband lost his job and I don’t feel he’s trying hard enough to get a new one’
- The Platform, Netflix, review | Dystopian take-down of capitalism feels very timely
Business and money briefing
Property market | Would-be house buyers and sellers are facing a nervous wait to see if their property transactions can be completed as activity in the housing market hits a coronavirus-enforced slowdown. Adam Williams explains how viewings are said to have fallen by 75pc.
And finally…
Changing seasons | Britons may still be feeling the cold, but not for much longer as the first day of spring is nearly here – marking the return of longer days, new blooms and warmer weather. Read on for details of how the March equinox has long been celebrated as a time of rebirth in the Northern Hemisphere.