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A woman crosses the millennium bridge in front of St Paul's Cathedral wearing a face mask for protection against the coronavirus on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference on the ongoing situation with coronavirus in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
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Boris Johnson gestures as Chris Whitty, UK chief medical officer, left, and Patrick Vallance, UK lead science adviser, right, stand during a coronavirus news conference inside number 10 Downing Street on Monday, March 16, 2020. Bloomberg
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A woman crosses the millennium bridge wearing a face mask on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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A couple sit at a restaurant on a usually busy street in Clapham, London, March 16, 2020. Reuters
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A couple wearing face masks walk down Clapham High Street in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
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Commuters sit on a bus in the evening, as the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world, in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
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People wait outside an Iceland store in the Kennedy Centre which opened one hour early to allow elderly shoppers to buy food, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain, March 17, 2020. Reuters
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People with their shopping as they leave an Iceland store in the Kennedy Centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain, March 17, 2020. Reuters
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Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, arrives at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of a meeting of the UK Government's emergency committee Cobra to discuss the coronavirus response on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty arrives at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra to discuss the coronavirus response on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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A passenger wears a protective mask at King's Cross train station on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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A woman crosses the millennium bridge in front of St Paul's Cathedral wearing a face mask for protection against the coronavirus on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M34OO3H5U7G2I2V3GQ2IFFJ7BQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=09b6795298c16b503eca130247fc606ceebcbbe87067e17fc82a1df9d74a3c2b&width=400&height=225)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference on the ongoing situation with coronavirus in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
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Boris Johnson gestures as Chris Whitty, UK chief medical officer, left, and Patrick Vallance, UK lead science adviser, right, stand during a coronavirus news conference inside number 10 Downing Street on Monday, March 16, 2020. Bloomberg
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A woman crosses the millennium bridge wearing a face mask on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BVZKR352FRR2QDBF2644SOBZWQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=9f3c3b21993f97fd0f6b1d3c7a35728aced31ba3fa595af7385850fd8307c052&width=400&height=225)
A couple sit at a restaurant on a usually busy street in Clapham, London, March 16, 2020. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JODNF6QHPYZJ6NLXACMWL6XBDQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=9f2e74c0b3622e3912297e19912e1216742b0f904458eb1aa5a4fd3c6aea3d31&width=400&height=225)
A couple wearing face masks walk down Clapham High Street in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LEQRIR3OPVFKNK2NISFDNPX5XY.jpg?smart=true&auth=9451c294f28975b11bd5c99c3ef46e93b0be748fe7c46cf7bbc479f51a3906b3&width=400&height=225)
Commuters sit on a bus in the evening, as the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world, in London, Britain March 16, 2020. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YRZRRCEYLZNASXQURDEQ4NQHDM.jpg?smart=true&auth=bb9cefe2098d3cf70d3dbe20bd15e65b3f412c69b694b2e467ea2092cfcdcfd0&width=400&height=225)
People wait outside an Iceland store in the Kennedy Centre which opened one hour early to allow elderly shoppers to buy food, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain, March 17, 2020. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HGLKWO3LDB437PJZHPN45YR4KE.jpg?smart=true&auth=ea257b8d189b10565f964a44fc634ed6d495349e18478888cbaeabdd7bb02555&width=400&height=225)
People with their shopping as they leave an Iceland store in the Kennedy Centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain, March 17, 2020. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SCJAL6Z47QBDBRNFUVDIAFNKLI.jpg?smart=true&auth=0c0c7a7ddab866177224bc7c87966785f2620f05f3601f697927adbbb31b1035&width=400&height=225)
Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, arrives at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of a meeting of the UK Government's emergency committee Cobra to discuss the coronavirus response on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
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Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty arrives at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra to discuss the coronavirus response on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M5QBMJ7JELNR6AIPMSQXYM7ISE.jpg?smart=true&auth=1e99f763ec99731c81d52c1f0869ff43f01708f772b99b4186bfb606d3ce18a2&width=400&height=225)
A passenger wears a protective mask at King's Cross train station on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VE7TASGNQUB67GQVDQDXETG24Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=b1bb477974e19120851a9941654fac4db504691be275805b08a99531b03f4574&width=400&height=225)
A woman crosses the millennium bridge in front of St Paul's Cathedral wearing a face mask for protection against the coronavirus on March 16, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images
Coronavirus: Britons urged to stay at home as ‘fast growth’ of infection looms
Boris Johnson asked people to work from home if they could and avoid restaurants
![Jamie Prentis](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F7e8731e9-4925-4121-9565-fee2525fc1c6.png?smart=true&auth=8c028507ec53318d49d5123c5dc965135b9b7aea1a6d3ffd9ccacfb39b6f8f40&width=70&height=70)
Jamie Prentis
17 March, 2020
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