PM orders pubs, restaurants, gyms to close – Scheme launched for UK Gov to subsidise 80% of wages

PM Johnson and the Chancellor Rishi Sunak have announced a range of measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak, and support the public.

Pubs, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres have been asked to close “as soon as they reasonably can” tonight.

He said those providing take out services can continue to do so.

Boris Johnson said the situation will be reviewed each month.

He said “I must be absolutely clear with you: the speed of that eventual recovery depends entirely on our ability, our collective ability, to get on top of the virus now.

And that means we have to take the next steps, on scientific advice and following our plan, we are strengthening the measures announced on Monday which you will remember.

And of course people have already made a huge effort to comply with those measures for avoiding unnecessary social contact.

But we need now to push down further on that curve of transmission between us.

And so following agreement between all the formations of the United Kingdom, all the devolved administrations,

We are collectively telling, telling cafes, pubs, bars, 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.

Responding, Wales First Minister, Mark Drakeford said he would sign the necessary regulations later tonight, which will come into force immediately.

This afternoon I attended a COBR meeting, where further significant measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak were agreed across the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, we agreed a number of important actions aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.

We asked people to take action, for example by not attending pubs, clubs, restaurants and other public places.

Many people have heeded that strong advice, and behaved responsibly in the interests of our whole society.

We have seen that all around us over the past days and I am very grateful to all those who have done so.

However, we now need everyone to do what most people are doing already because otherwise, we will not slow the disease at the rate that we must.

COBR therefore considered and agreed a series of further measures, which are designed to increase the level of public compliance with the earlier advice.

Health is a devolved responsibility, and as Welsh Ministers, we will tonight exercise our powers under the 1984 Public Health Act in order to close restaurants, pubs, bars and other facilities where people gather.

This also includes leisure centres, gyms, cinemas, theatres and betting shops.

I will sign the necessary regulations later tonight, and they will come into force immediately.

We do not take this move lightly, and we know this will be immensely difficult for those employed in the industries affected.

But this is the right thing to do. We are tackling this virus in a controlled and determined way to protect and care for the most vulnerable people in our society. Together we can make that difference.