The UK Coronavirus lockdown has arrived. At 8:30pm on Monday 23 March, the UK government outlined strict new restrictions on everday life which are designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson these restrictions (PDF) – which include where people can go and what shops can open – will last for at least three weeks and will be enforced by the police if necessary.
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In summary: all non-essential premises must now close. Takeaway and delivery services may remain open. Postal and delivery services will run as normal.
Shops that remain open must ensure a distance of two meters between customers and shop assistants, and can only allow people to enter the shop in small groups.
Communal spaces within parks, such as playgrounds and football pitches, will be closed but the parks themselves will remain open for individuals to exercise once a day.
Below is a list of the UK shops, business and other premises that are closed due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions and those shops that can remain open, for now, at least.
UK coronavirus lockdown: these shops, business and places can remain open
Food and drink: Restaurant food delivery and takeaway can remain operational. So can cafés or canteens at hospitals, care homes and schools; prison and military canteens, and services providing food or drink to the homeless.
Retail: Supermarkets and other food shops, health shops, pharmacies including non-dispensing pharmacies, petrol stations, garages, car rentals, bicycle shops, home and hardware shops, laundrettes and dry cleaners, pet shops, corner shops, newsagents, post offices, and banks. Market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food.
- Shop medical essentials at Boots.com or Superdrug.com
- Order groceries online at Waitrose.com or Tesco.com
- Shop working from home electronics at Currys (free delivery on all items)
Hotels: Where people live in these as interim abodes whilst their primary residence is unavailable they may continue to do so. The same goes for caravan parks. Key workers can continue to stay in hotels or similar where required.
Non-residential institutions: Facilities may remain open for the purpose of hosting essential voluntary or public services, such as food banks or homeless services. Funerals following the social distancing guidance; places of worship can remain open for solitary prayer.
UK coronavirus lockdown: these shops, business and places must close
Food and drink: Restaurants, cafes, including workplace canteens, public houses, bars and nightclubs, including bars in hotels or members’ clubs.
Retail: Hair, beauty and nail salons, including piercing and tattoo parlours, massage parlours, all retail with notable exceptions (which are have listed above), outdoor and indoor markets, auction houses, car showrooms.
Hotels: Hotels, hostels, BnBs, campsites and boarding houses for commercial use, caravan parks/sites for commercial uses.
Non-residential institutions: Libraries, community centres, youth centres and similar, places of worship for services, cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
Assembly and leisure: Museums and galleries, bingo halls, casinos and betting shops, spas, skating rinks, fitness studios, gyms, swimming pools or other indoor leisure centres, arcades, bowling alleys, soft play centres and similar.
Outdoor recreation: Enclosed spaces in parks, including playgrounds, sports courts and pitches, and outdoor gyms or similar.
These rules are in effect now. The government says that it will look again at these measures in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.
