The government has announced further measures to slow the spread of coronavirus and instructed all entertainment, hospitality and indoor leisure premises across the country from the end of trading hours on Friday 20 March to limit spread of coronavirus
- Pubs, bars, restaurants, theatres closed to further limit people’s sustained social contact as we tackle the spread of coronavirus, guided by scientific evidence
- Public urged to STAY AT HOME and limit ALL but ESSENTIAL travel - people who can work from home should do so .
The following businesses and venues have been asked to close following expert advice that more needs to be done to tackle the spread of the disease:
- Food and drink venues for consumption on-site, such as restaurants and cafes.
- Drinking establishments, including pubs, bars, nightclubs.
- Entertainment venues, including cinemas, theatres, concert halls, and bingo halls.
- Museums and galleries.
- Spas, wellness centres and massage parlours.
- Casinos and betting shops.
- All indoor leisure and sports facilities, including gyms.
This will not affect supermarkets or retailers that supply fuel, medicines and other vital goods, which will continue to be open as normal. This measure will not impact the relaxation of planning rules which will allow pubs and restaurants to operate as hot food takeaways during the coronavirus outbreak,
The closures will help limit the spread of coronavirus by helping to stop non-essential contact and unnecessary travel, in line with the public guidance announced earlier this week. The measures will be reviewed on a monthly basis. If needed, the government will enforce these measures by law.
The government has also urged the public to take further steps to protect themselves and the wider population from the coronavirus, including:
- Everyone to stay at home unless they need to get essential supplies such as food and medicines.
- All those able to work from home to do so, unless their work is essential.
- Only traveling if absolutely necessary - while public transport won’t stop, this should only be used for essential travel – for example by key workers to travel to and from work.
The closures announced today will not impact the running of public transport, and government continues to work closely with transport operators to ensure that people who need to get to work can continue to do so.
When infection rates come down, the government will remove measures as soon as it is safe to do so, guided by scientific advice.
#StayHomeSaveLives
