Coronavirus: UK pubs, restaurants and gyms should close from tonight, Boris Johnson says

‘We’re also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas and leisure centres to close on the timescale,’ PM says

In a truly historic escalation of the UK’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, Boris Johnson has ordered all pubs, restaurants, gyms and other social venues across the country to close their doors this evening for the foreseeable future.

And chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an unprecedented package of support for jobs, promising to borrow unspecified sums to pay the wages of workers who would otherwise be laid off as huge swathes of the British economy shut down.

The cost of paying 80 per cent of “furloughed” workers’ wages to a maximum of £2,500 a month is “unknowable” but would run to around £10bn over the first three months if 10 per cent of all employees enter the scheme, said the Institute of Fiscal Studies think tank.

Mr Sunak said there was “no limit” to the amounts he was prepared to raise by selling gilts and bonds, and insisted he was confident of being able to finance the plan, which will initially run for three months but be extended if necessary.

The stunning developments came as coronavirus-related deaths in the UK reached 177, with almost 4,000 people testing positive for the virus.

Government scientists released analysis suggesting that “strict” social distancing measures will have to be put in place for at least six months, as well as subsequent waves of more lenient restrictions for most of the year, to keep the outbreak within a level at which the NHS can cope.

Addressing the nation from No 10, the prime minister said that “literally thousands of lives” will be saved if the British public scrupulously observe advice to shun social gatherings where the virus could be spread, but insisted ministers will be continually assessing the situation “to see if we can relax any of these measures”.

“These measures are intended to be temporary,” he added. “The speed of our eventual recovery depends entirely on our collective ability to get on top of the virus now.”

Announcing that pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants should pull down the shutters “as soon as they reasonably can” on Friday evening and not open on Saturday, Mr Johnson acknowledged that taking away “the ancient inalienable right of the British people to go to the pub” would be a wrench for many.

But he urged the public not to take advantage of a final chance to go out for a drink.

“You may be tempted to go out tonight and I say to you please don’t,” said the prime minister. “You may think that you are invincible, but there is no guarantee that you will get mild symptoms and you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on to others. We want you as far as possible to stay at home.”

A near deserted Trafalgar Square (EPA)

The ban also applies to leisure centres, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, betting shops and casinos. Any landlord breaching the order to close will risk losing his licence. But Mr Johnson stressed that shops were not included, and said there was no intention to shut down public transport networks, as has been seen in some countries.

The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has been pressing for tougher social restrictions to combat Covid-19, said the move was “absolutely essential ... given the excruciating pressure hospitals, especially in London, are under”.

Liberal Democrat acting leader Ed Davey said the government must ensure there is “well-being support” for people denied the chance to socialise, adding: “People will understandably be alarmed at these measures, but at this difficult time people must pull together. I urge everyone to closely follow the advice.”

Labour’s mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged everyone in the capital – where government advice to stay home has been only patchily followed – to comply with the new guidance.

“I support the decision to close pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas and gyms,” said Mr Khan. “If you ignore this, people will die as a result.”

Mr Sunak’s package of support for workers also included £7bn in welfare funding of more generous universal credit and tax credits, giving all claimants more than £1,000 extra over the coming year. Renters will benefit from nearly £1bn in additional support, and businesses will be able to defer VAT payments to the end of the financial year in a move worth £30bn.

The chancellor said his commitments were “unprecedented measures for unprecedented times” as he appealed to members of the public to support each other.

“Now more than at any time in our history we will be judged by our capacity for compassion,” said Mr Sunak. “Our ability to come through this won’t just be down to what government or businesses do but the individual acts of kindness that we show each other.”

The measures were hailed by business groups and unions, which had negotiated the package with the chancellor in talks over the past two days.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the “breakthrough” and said Mr Sunak had “listened to unions and taken vital steps to support working families”. “Employers can now be confident they’ll be able to pay their wage bills,” she said. “They must urgently reassure staff that their jobs are safe.”

Unite union leader Len McCluskey said: “The chancellor has done the right thing and we look forward to working further with him in the coming days to get this money into the hands of those most in need.”

And CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn described it as “a landmark package of measures for business, people and jobs”, which would support millions of workers and bring “relief” to bosses and employees.

But there were complaints that self-employed workers will be left reliant on universal credit if their work dries up.

And the shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Mr Johnson should have gone “further and faster”.

Writing in The Independent, Mr McDonnell said: “As more and more people responsibly self-isolate, it is necessary that disconnection of vital utilities – electricity, gas, water and internet – are suspended for as long as social distancing advice is in place. And as mortgage payments are suspended, so must debt payments and bailiff orders.”