Work from home: Johnson starts to shut down Britain again as COVID-19 spreads

LOCKDOWN?

Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 unless the government moves urgently, Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, said.

The United Kingdom already has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe - and the fifth largest in the world - while it is borrowing record amounts in an attempt to pump emergency money through the damaged economy.

Gove, one of Johnson's most senior ministers, said there were many roles that could not be performed at home, in areas from manufacturing and construction to retail.

"We need to balance, obviously, the need to ensure that people can continue to work, and indeed – critically - continue to go to school and benefit from education, against taking steps to try to reduce the virus, which is why if we can limit, or appropriately restrain, social contact, that is what we are trying to do," he said.

"The second shutdown begins", read the front-page headline of the Daily Telegraph while the Daily Mail said: "UK slammed into reverse".

Shares in Britain's listed pubs and restaurant groups fell sharply on Monday in anticipation of the move. While there is no consistent policy nationwide, the move will advance closing time by at least an hour for most areas.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he had agreed with local council leaders and public health experts on new COVID-19 restrictions to be put to central government, in an attempt to stem the outbreak in the capital.