Last night, on 23 March, Boris Johnson announced that the public 'must stay at home' or face a fine, putting the UK into enforced lockdown in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister had previously tried to avoid a UK lockdown but crowds at public parks and markets over the weekend showed that simply advising social-distancing was not enough.
But what exactly does a lockdown in the UK mean?
Alongside closing pubs, restaurants and leisure venues - lest they be fined - all non-essential businesses and public spaces have now been closed, too. While parks are still open, communal places within them - like playgrounds and outdoor gyms - have been closed.
Schools and childcare are only open to children of key workers, and all public gatherings of more than two people have been banned (excluding people who live together or have to gather for essential work purposes). According to the guidelines, we can only leave the house for the following reasons:
'Shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.
'One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.
'Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
'Travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.'
We must stay two metres (6ft) apart whenever we leave the house and wash our hands as soon as we arrive home.
'Separate advice is available for individuals or households who are isolating, and for the most vulnerable who need to be shielded,' the website reads. 'If you work in a critical sector outlined in this guidance, or your child has been identified as vulnerable, you can continue to take your children to school.'
And crucially for those co-parenting, 'where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 can be moved between their parents’ homes.'
So, how will this be enforced?
Will police officers and military be patrolling the streets to keep people in their homes? Given the rules in countries like Italy, with citizens there facing prison if they break the new regulations, Britons have a lot of questions about how this will affect their freedom of movement and how it will be enforced.
According to the government website, 'police and other relevant authorities have the powers to enforce [the rules], including through fines and dispersing gatherings where people do not comply.'
When does lockdown end?
It's difficult to know how long we'll stay on lockdown when things are changing so quickly. However, according to the government website the current lockdown rules are in place 'for the three weeks from 23 March, at which point the Government will look at them again and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.'
How much is the fine for violating lockdown?
An emergency bill going through parliament yesterday (23 March) enables the government to close various premises, detain people to be tested for the virus and then enforce a 14-day isolation or fines of £1,000.
Is my work essential?
The biggest confusion for many when the lockdown was announced was what counts as essential work – especially for construction workers, taxi drivers and tradespeople. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, later clarified that construction workers can still go to work while staying two metres apart and tradespeople, such as plumbers and electricians, are allowed to attend emergencies in people’s homes.
Can I go outside for exercise in a lockdown?
The UK guidelines allow people to go outside for one period of exercise per day. When confusion arose about what type of exercise was permitted, Gove said that people are allowed to run, walk or go to an allotment, but shouldn't do social activities like playing golf.
Lockdowns around the world:
In a number of other countries on lockdown leaving the house is limited to getting food or medical supplies, with citizens required to carry forms documenting why they are outside and security forces on the streets to monitor behaviour.
Across the board, looking at the restrictions on movement in other countries will give us good insight into how strict things could get in the UK - particularly when it comes to enforcing the rules if they're not followed. It’s worth bearing in mind that the UK government has so far tried to avoid all enforcement measures in an effort to protect people's personal freedoms – so the strictness of some of these policies is unlikely here.
Wuhan, China
The most extreme lockdown so far took place in Wuhan, the original epicentre of the virus. Over 11 million people were told to go into lockdown, with no journeys allowed in or out of the city even for medical reasons. Public transport was suspended and private cars banned from the roads unless belonging to someone fighting the virus’s spread – such as a key worker.
Visits to residential blocks were barred to non-residents by management with only public authorities or people helping the vulnerable allowed in, and people were only allowed to leave the house for essential supplies or seeking medical help – they were also required to wear a mask in such an event.
Restrictions became even tighter further down the line, with police doing house searches on those thought to be infected and forcing them into quarantine. While residents in key industries are now allowed to return to work, school closures and transport bans remain.
Italy
Parts of the northern region of Italy where the first to go into lockdown, quickly being extended to the rest of the country after two days. Travel is restricted except for ‘urgent, verifiable work situations and emergencies or health reasons’ with those testing positive for the virus told not to leave their homes for any reason. Anyone with respiratory problems or a fever has been told to stay home and limit social contact even with health professionals.
Public and private businesses have been told to put their staff on leave to avoid any work-related travel, all schools and universities have closed and all exams are cancelled. Supermarkets and pharmacies do remain open, but reports say little else does.
When it comes to public gatherings, they have all been banned – of any size – with museums and cultural venues closed as well as marriages, baptisms and funerals being barred. Swimming pools, sports halls and ski resorts have all been shut, too. Violation of these rules could result in a fine or even three months in prison.
Spain
Non-essential locations have all been closed in Spain, with residents told only to leave the house when necessary. According to reports, security officials and military have been deployed to monitor public gatherings and discourage them.
France
In France, people can’t leave their house except for food, essentials, doctors’ visits, brief exercise or in the case of jobs that must continue and can't be done from home. All residents must carry a special document to explain why they are outside should they be approached by police. More than 100,000 officers have been deployed to enforce these rules with checkpoints set up across the nation. .
Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, Australia and New Zealand have announced the intention to fine people, particularly people travelling into the countries. According to reports, Saudi Arabia’s fines go up to £110,000 if travellers fail to declare health-related information and travel details correctly when they enter the country. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said travellers could also be kicked out of the country, with Australian authorities threatening jail time to anyone not complying with new isolation rules.
United States of America
Residents in certain parts of California and across San Francisco have been ordered to ‘shelter in place’ until 7 April. The restrictions are not legally binding but people have been told to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. All non-essential businesses have closed and all non-essential gatherings (of any size) prohibited. Public transport and air travel is still open, but only for essential travelling.
Read More:
Coronavirus And Social-Distancing: What Should You Be Doing To Minimise Social Contact?
Coronavirus: I’m Young And Healthy – Is It Ok To Go Out And See Friends?