Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, have been told to shut tonight in a strengthening of measures by the British government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
"The speed of our eventual recovery depends entirely on our collective ability to get on top of the virus now and that means we have to take the next steps on scientific advice," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the daily Covid-19 press conference.
"And following our plan we are strengthening the measures announced on Monday.
"We need now to push down further on that curve of transmission between us.
"And so following agreement with all the ... devolved administrations, we are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow.
"Though, to be clear, they can continue to provide take out services
"We're also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale."
Boris Johnson said the government would be continually assessing the situation around pubs and cafes and other requested closures "to see if we can relax any of these measures".
He added: "You may be tempted to go out tonight and I say to you please don't, you may think that you are invincible - but there is no guarantee that you will get it.
"But you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on."
He added: "We want you as far as possible to stay at home."
The prime minister added: "I do accept that what we're doing is extraordinary - we're taking away the ancient inalienable right of freeborn people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub.
"And I can understand how people feel about that.
"But I say to people who do go against the advice that we're getting, the very clear advice that we're getting from our medical and scientific experts, you know you're not only putting your own life, the lives of your family, at risk - you're endangering the community.
"And you're making it more difficult for us to get on and protect the NHS and save lives.
"And if you comply, if people comply as I say, then we will not only save lives, thousands of lives, but we'll come out of this thing all the faster."
