Boris Johnson threatens a total lockdown of the UK within 24 hours with parks and open spaces closed

Boris Johnson has hinted he could ban all Britons from leaving their homes ‘within 24 hours’ if they refuse to keep the ‘absolutely crucial’ six feet apart.

The PM used his daily press conference to warn there was ‘no doubt’ he would act to shut open spaces and limit all movement outside homes if people continued to act foolishly, but stopped short of immediate action.

It came as the UK death toll rose by 48 in just 24 hours to 281 people, with more than 5,600 confirmed cases. These who died in England were aged between 18 and 102, authorities said.

Hours earlier there had been appalling scenes as Britons across the UK flocked to beaches and parks up and down the country to take a stroll with their loved ones for Mother’s Day, despite social distancing advice from the government surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

The surge in cases of the virus comes on the day Mr Johnson urged families to stay apart and instead celebrate Mother’s Day via Skype and other remote communications.

In a tough message to the public from Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Johnson said that even though he understood the physical and mental health benefits of open spaces, he would take drastic steps to protect health.

He suggested the UK could copy some of the more extreme lockdowns in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and France.

‘I don’t think you need to use your imagination much to see where we might have to go,’ he said.

‘We will think about this very, very actively in the next 24 hours.

‘We need to think about the kinds of measures that we have seen elsewhere, other countries that have been forced to bring in restrictions on people’s movements altogether.

‘I don’t want to do that because I have tried to explain the public health benefits.’ 

The remarks are a ramping up of pressure from Downing Street but are likely to result in increased demands for the action to take place immediately in line with other nations – with some saying it should have been done already.

‘Even if you think you are personally invulnerable, there are plenty of people you can infect,’ he said.

‘Take this advice seriously. Follow it. Because it is absolutely crucial.

‘We will keep the implementation of these measures under review… and of course we will bring forward further measures if it is necessary.’ 

Hammering home the point, he added: ‘If people cannot make use of parks and playgrounds responsibly, in a way that observes the two-metre rule, then of course we are going to have to look at further measures.’

But despite advice from politicians and medical and scientific experts in recent days there were worrying scenes across the nation. 

In Dorset many strolled across the sands while others thought nothing of going for a dip in the sea this afternoon.

The Scottish government has today criticised tourists for ‘irresponsible behavior’ as many got in their caravans to try and ‘escape’ from the coronavirus.

In London, people were still out and about and some even made it down to the infamous Columbia Road Flower Market this afternoon, despite criticism from major Sadiq Khan who said Londoners needed to stay in to save lives.

Cumbria Police said despite Government advice to avoid non-essential travel, the Lake District and other tourist hotspots in the UK were experiencing an ‘influx’ of visitors.

In other developments:

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Britain rose from 5,018 to 5,683;
• In Italy, coronavirus claimed 651 lives in just one day taking the death toll to 5,476, while in France it rose 112 to 674;
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into quarantine after a doctor who treated her tested positive for the virus, and the nation banned meetings of more than two people;
• Chaos is expected at school gates this morning as teachers ask parents to hand over identification or pay slips to prove they are ‘key workers’ and entitled to keep their children in class;
• The NHS is to begin sending out letters to the 1.5million considered to be most at risk of the disease urging them to remain at home for the next 12 weeks;
• A nurse is fighting for her life in the hospital where she works after being diagnosed with coronavirus;
• High street chains including John Lewis, Zara, Waterstones and Primark announced the temporary closure of stores;
• Boots warned staff that it could run out of paracetamol by the end of trading next week, as supermarket panic buying continued with some selfish shoppers even gate-crashing an hour reserved for NHS staff;
• Thousands of churches across London and its suburbs are to close their doors entirely to try to enforce the government’s rules on social distancing.

As of 2pm today, testing has resulted in 20 new positive cases in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 128.

The total number of tests completed in Northern Ireland is 2,484.

A total of 44 were aged 44 or under, another 44 aged 45-69 and 40 were aged 70 or over. Males made up 73 cases and females 55.

Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton confirmed today that 12 people in Wales have died in total, with figures rising overnight by seven. 

‘My thoughts are with their families and friends, and I ask that their privacy is respected at this very sad time,’ Dr Atherton said.

The deaths occurred during the week, but test results have only just confirmed they were infected with Covid-19, were over 70, and had underlying medical conditions.

Five of the deaths were at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, one in Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, and one at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil. 

A further 89 people tested positive today, bringing the Welsh total of cases to 280.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also warned pubs that stay open during the Covid-19 outbreak are putting lives at risk. 

Ms Sturgeon said that while the ‘vast majority’ of bars, restaurants and cafes have complied with instructions from the Scottish Government to close, she had seen suggestions on social media that a ‘small minority might not be complying’.

She insisted: ‘If that’s true, make no mistake… lives are at risk as a result. Please do the right thing now.’

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has said self-isolaters should be banned from travelling to rural parts of Wales during the Covid-19 crisis.

Mr Price has written to First Minister Mark Drakeford demanding he stops people travelling to caravan parks, second homes, and tourist accommodation.

He said there are concerns about an influx of people into rural communities – putting even more pressure on local health and social care services.

This comes as High Street chain Boots warned staff that its warehouses only contain enough supply for another ‘1.3 weeks’, and stocks will be exhausted by the end of trading next week.

By Saturday March 28, the company expect to have run out of the painkiller Paracetamol.

In an urgent memo to staff, Boots also announced draconian measures to limit the sale of all products ‘containing Paracetamol’, in each of its 2,500 stores, to just one per person.

Halving the industry standard policy of two Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Aspirin products per customer transaction.

The company told staff the decision has been made in order to: ‘Help us support as many customers as possible’.

UK pharmacies have been placing large orders with pharmaceutical wholesalers to replace stock amid panic buying, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The memo warns staff at retail outlets: ‘Our availability on lines which are being driven by Coronavirus is changing daily. Whilst we are continuing to try and secure more stock from suppliers there are lines which are now OOS (Out Of Stock) or with very low forward weeks cover and you may not receive further deliveries for a period of time.’

It is illegal to sell more than 100 tablets or capsules of either paracetamol or aspirin in any one retail transaction, and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines limit sale to two packets per transaction.

The Paracetamol crisis comes after the government’s chief science officer urged the public to avoid ibuprofen to treat Coronavirus.

Mr Price spoke out as would-be tourists are being urged to avoid beaches and other holiday destinations in the UK to limit the spread of the virus.

The continuing rise in deaths came as the Welsh Government announced a series of measures aimed at tackling the crisis, including bringing doctors and nurses out of retirement and increasing testing.

Mr Price is urging the Welsh Government to immediately order the closure of caravan parks, holiday parks and other holiday accommodation and use them, if necessary, to house frontline health staff.

He also wants to see people banned from using their second homes during the pandemic and urged people not to travel.

‘In the interest of ensuring a consistent approach and controlling demand on local services in these areas, I believe that the time has now come for the Welsh Government to give direction,’ Mr Price said. 

‘I am asking that urgent steps are taken to avoid unnecessary additional pressure on our health and social care system at this difficult time.

‘This should clearly be done in consultation with other governments, acting in co-ordination where possible, but independently if necessary.’

Meanwhile, three junior doctors – all aged 30 – are ‘not in a good way’ and said to be on ventilators after contracting the bug in the same London hospital. 

A medical source told The Sun on Sunday: ‘Some will get mild symptoms – but not all will, and what has happened to the junior doctors shows that.  

‘Hopefully they are all strong enough to fight off the virus. But it serves as a warning to younger people not to be complacent.’ 

The UK’s coronavirus death toll skyrocketed by 56 yesterday, while seven patients in Wales who tested positive for the disease have died. 

The total deaths in England rose by 56 yesterday, as a 41-year-old is thought to be the youngest victim in Britain since the outbreak began. 

All new victims in England had underlying health conditions, which is understood to include those suffering from cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, hypertension, diabetes, as well as cancer patients.

The eldest victim was a 94-year-old.    

Eight of the new deaths in England were at Northwick Park Hospital, in North West London, which declared a ‘critical incident’ on Friday.  

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson urged Britons to celebrate Mother’s Day remotely by using video calls – as he admits the NHS could be ‘overwhelmed’ by the outbreak.

The PM warned that ‘the numbers are very stark and they are accelerating’ as doctors said a ‘tsunami’ of severely ill patients was about to engulf them.

They described near-apocalyptic scenes amid chronic shortages of basic equipment and fears that unprotected medics could become desperately ill themselves – or even become unwitting carriers and infect others.   

The PM’s plea comes as rising numbers of infections has sparked people into frantic panic-buying, clearing the shelves of the nation’s supermarkets.  

Environment Secretary George Eustice told people to ‘calm down’ and claimed there is ‘more than enough food to go around’. But he said frontline NHS staff were being deprived of essentials because of an upswing in stockpiling.

He said: ‘This is a challenging time and there are many things the Government is asking the nation to do differently as we work together to fight this pandemic.

‘Be responsible when you shop and think of others. 

‘Buying more than you need means others may be left without.’ 

Mr Eustice was flanked by British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson and NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis, who condemned the selfishness and said: ‘Frankly we should all be ashamed.’ 

The health chief made his admonishment as he pointed to a viral video of female health worker Dawn Bilbrough, 51, who broke down in tears after she faced rows of bare shelves following an exhausting shift. 

Ms Dickinson laid bare the sheer tonnage of food which has flown off the shelves in recent weeks when she revealed: ‘There is a billion pounds more food in people’s houses than there was three weeks ago, so we should make sure we eat some of it.  

Boris Johnson urges families to stay apart and celebrate Mother’s Day via Skype, warning the ‘NHS is on the brink’ amid fears of a ‘tsunami’ of severely ill patients as coronavirus deaths jump by 56 in one day

Boris Johnson urged Britons to celebrate Mother’s Day remotely by using video calls – as he admits the NHS is on the brink of being ‘overwhelmed’ by the coronavirus.

The Prime Minister’s warning that ‘the numbers are very stark and they are accelerating’ came as the UK death toll soared.

Doctors warned that a ‘tsunami’ of severely ill patients was about to engulf them, describing near-apocalyptic scenes amid chronic shortages of basic equipment and fears that unprotected medics could either become desperately ill themselves or become carriers and infect others.

As hospitals raced to convert operating theatres into intensive care wards and begged vets to hand over ventilators normally used for pets, Mr Johnson pleaded with the public to reduce social interaction, even with their mothers.

In a powerful letter, he said: ‘Today is Mother’s Day. It is a day when we celebrate the sacrifice and the effort of those who gave us life. 

‘Across the country, I know that millions of people will have been preparing to do something special – not just a card, not just flowers.

‘I know that everyone’s strongest instinct is to see their mother in person, to have a meal together, to show them how much you love them. But I am afraid that this Mother’s Day the single best present that we can give – we who owe our mothers so much – is to spare them the risk of catching a very dangerous disease.’

He added: ‘The best thing is to ring her, video call her, Skype her, but to avoid any unnecessary physical contact or proximity. And why? Because if your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus… We cannot disguise or sugar coat the threat’.

In a chilling reference to Italy, where the death toll rose by 793 yesterday to 4,825, the Prime Minister said that without a ‘heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread’, it was likely that ‘our own NHS will be similarly overwhelmed’. 

The Government yesterday signed a landmark deal with private hospitals to supply an extra 8,000 hospital beds across England, almost 1,200 more ventilators and 20,000 more staff, including 10,000 nurses and more than 700 doctors. 

Around 1.5 million people in England considered most at risk from the disease because of their health conditions will be instructed to begin ‘shielding’ themselves. Letters will go out to them this week, advising them not to go out for 12 weeks. 

NHS doctor fights for life: Ear, nose and throat consultant, 52, is on life support amid fears many more medics will catch coronavirus

A senior NHS doctor is fighting for life after being infected with coronavirus , which may have happened during a routine appointment with a patient.

The 52-year-old ear, nose and throat consultant from the Midlands had been ‘fit and well’ but was last night on a life-support machine.

News of the medic’s plight came as NHS colleagues warned many more staff will fall ill or die from coronavirus because of a chronic shortage of protective equipment.

Meanwhile, hospitals were scrambling to avoid meltdown amid a ‘tsunami’ of severely ill patients, many of them struggling to breathe.

And in a stark illustration of the desperate hunt for life-saving kit, health bosses have been forced to ask vets for ventilators designed for animals. 

Angela and Robert Walsh, who own Corner House Equine Clinic in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, said their local hospital had got in touch to ask about ventilators. 

Mrs Walsh said: ‘This brings home how serious this pandemic is. Never before have the vets of Britain been asked to provide equipment for humans.’

Mrs Walsh told The Mail on Sunday that Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, has written to every vet in the country asking for an inventory of their respiratory equipment. In hospitals, operating theatres are being frantically converted into intensive care wards and regular patients are being discharged to make way for a massive surge in coronavirus cases. 

NHS chief executive Simon Stevens announced an ‘unprecedented deal’ which will see private hospitals hand over their entire England-wide capacity of over 8,000 beds and 1,200 ventilators to the health service. 

The NHS will pay ‘cost price’, so private hospitals will not make a profit.

Official figures seen by this newspaper show that at midnight on Thursday, 163 Covid-19 patients were being treated in critical care units across England –-106 of them in London. Of those, 70 percent were men and only one in ten had severe underlying health problems. London is so far the hardest pressed area. One hospital, Northwick Park in Harrow, briefly ran out of intensive care beds on Friday.

Elsewhere in the capital, doctors – including those at some of the country’s most prestigious hospitals – admitted they may be only days away from the same fate.

One consultant at a major Central London hospital told The Mail on Sunday: ‘What’s going on up the A40 at Northwick Park is going to land right smack in our face.

‘Our whole hospital is pandemonium. It’s managing, but it’s about to stop managing.’