British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus news conference inside number 10 Downing Street on March 19, 2020 in London, England.
Leon Neal - WPA Pool | Getty Images
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced lockdown measures in the capital city of London, telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close from Friday.
Speaking at a daily press conference on the coronavirus outbreak, Johnson said: "We are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow."
He clarified takeout services for these businesses would be able to continue.
"We are also telling nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, gyms and leisure centers to close on the same timescale."
"These are places where people come together, and indeed the whole purpose of these businesses in many cases is to bring people together. But, the sad thing is, I'm afraid today, for now at least, physically we need to keep people apart," Johnson said.
It was not immediately clear whether the recommendations were enforceable by law, although Johnson said licensing laws would allow the government to order these businesses to close.
The prime minister said the newly announced measures would be reviewed on a monthly basis.
To date, the U.K. has reported 3,297 cases of the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, with 168 deaths.
Sterling rose on the news, trading up 1.5% to reach $1.1657 Friday evening London time
'Unprecedented' measures
Standing alongside Johnson at the daily press conference Friday, U.K. Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced the government would pay 80% of wages for employees who are unable to work — up to £2,500 a month.
Sunak described the extra measures as "unprecedented" in the history of the British state.
It comes roughly 24 hours after the prime minister warned further restrictive measures might be needed in the capital city, with evidence suggesting the flu-like virus is spreading faster in London.
On Thursday, he suggested the U.K. could turn the tide against the coronavirus within 12 weeks if the right measures were taken.
Schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will all close until further notice from Friday.
The former mayor of London has ruled out the prospect of stopping public transport in London, despite speculation about possible travel restrictions where approximately 9 million people live.
The U.K. government has been criticized for being too cautious with their approach to the outbreak.
Separately, Transport for London (TfL) announced Thursday that up to 40 Tube stations on the London Underground had closed as part of a partial network shutdown.
TfL also said there would be no night Tube and that bus services would be reduced.
Epicenter of the outbreak
The U.K. has reported the sixth-highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, behind Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Switzerland. The WHO recently declared Europe as the new epicenter of the outbreak.
Italy has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 infections on the continent. It has also registered more deaths than any other country worldwide, overtaking China — where the outbreak first started in December last year.
Earlier this week, the U.K.'s finance minister announced a £330 billion ($398 billion) aid package of loans for businesses, as well as a business rates holiday and grants.
— CNBC's Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNuYmMuY29tLzIwMjAvMDMvMjAvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdWstcG0tYW5ub3VuY2VzLWxvY2tkb3duLW1lYXN1cmVzLWluLWxvbmRvbi5odG1s0gFgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vYW1wLzIwMjAvMDMvMjAvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdWstcG0tYW5ub3VuY2VzLWxvY2tkb3duLW1lYXN1cmVzLWluLWxvbmRvbi5odG1s?oc=5
2020-03-20 17:42:26Z
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