London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Six ways the lockdown has changed the UK

Six ways the lockdown has changed the UK

Life in the UK has been utterly transformed since restrictions were brought in to curb the spread of coronavirus.

On 23 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said all non-essential travel and public gatherings had to stop, with people urged to leave home only for exercise, to shop for essential items, for medical care, or when their work could not be done at home.

All shops selling non-essential items closed. Pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and places of worship have all also shut. These restrictions have affected all aspects of society.


1) People are largely keeping their distance

The lockdown's aim has been to limit the spread of coronavirus across the country, to help the NHS to cope and ultimately reduce the number of deaths from the disease.

Since the lockdown started on 23 March, the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus has gone from 6,650 to more than 80,000.

But the government's advisers have said there is evidence that the public's adherence to the measures is starting to have an impact.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said: "It's not taking off in that sharp uptake, it's not gone sky high. And if anything there might even be some flattening. That is because of what we're all doing with social distancing."

People are also adapting to how they use the health service.

In March, the number of people attending A&E dropped whilst the numbers of calls made to 111 - the NHS's hotline - reached record highs.


2) Fewer journeys made

The public's use of transport has fallen dramatically over the past few weeks, although this trend started before the lockdown measures were announced by the prime minister, as many people started to work from home.

Overall transport use - across road, rail and the Tube in London - fell by 60% between early February and the beginning of April, the Department for Transport says.

Footfall at major railway stations across the country has also fallen significantly since the lockdown was introduced, data from Network Rail suggests.

For example, in the week before the measures were brought in, footfall at Birmingham New Street station stood at over half a million. But that had fallen by 86% at the start of April to just 71,230. It's a similar trend for London and Manchester.

Meanwhile, trips to parks and beaches on 5 April, the second Sunday of lockdown, were 29% lower than normal according to Google analytics data. But the previous Sunday they were 52% lower than normal, suggesting trips were creeping back up with the warmer weather.


3) Better air quality

Air pollution levels in the UK have dropped significantly in the weeks since the country went into lockdown.

The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) level has fallen across the UK, with the daily average down almost 40% on the same period last year.

NO2, released from car exhausts, is a serious air pollutant.

Some cities have seen levels fall by more than 60%, including Brighton and Portsmouth, according to BBC analysis of Defra statistics.

Daily readings from air quality monitoring stations were compared with the same period last year.


4) More demand for benefit

About 723,000 people have applied for universal credit since the lockdown began.

Of these, 473,000 applied in the first eight days, almost as many as applied during the whole of the preceding three weeks, and almost 10 times as many as would apply in an average week.

A further 250,000 people signed up during the second week of lockdown according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Universal credit is a consolidated monthly payment for those of working-age, which replaced a host of previous benefits including income-based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit, child tax credit and working tax credit.

While furlough payments are available to help the self-employed and those who cannot do their jobs during the pandemic, some groups - such as those who have recently became a freelancer, moved jobs or been made redundant before the cut-off date are not eligible. This has helped prompt an increase in universal credit claims.

While there is still considerable pressure on the benefits system, the figures show that the number of claims is now starting to come down, having peaked in the first week of lockdown.


5) Increased appetite for long-lasting food

In the week before the restrictions started, supermarket sales were 44% higher than the same time last year, as many rushed to stock up amid fear of shortages.

But average sales fell by 7.5% over the first fortnight of lockdown according to consultancy Neilsen.

"When the country was told not to travel people stopped shopping," says Mike Watkins, Nielsen's head of retailer and business insight. "They had already bought a lot of stuff, and their larders and freezers were full."

While more people tried to shop online, as 93% of purchases are normally made in-store, supermarkets have struggled to cope with the extra demand, he adds.

Supermarket sales of non-food products such as clothes slumped 45%, and impulse buys have dipped.

"The enthusiasm of shoppers to buy nice food will be muted, as people want to limit travel and time spent in stores," Mr Watkins says.


6) Domestic abuse calls increase

The National Domestic Abuse helpline has seen a 25% increase in calls since the lockdown, the charity Refuge says.

It is now receiving hundreds of extra calls for help every week.

Isolation can make pre-existing abusive behaviour worse, but isn't the reason for it, says Refuge, which runs the helpline.

The increase echoes findings from around the world, including a 32% surge in reported domestic violence cases in France, and a 12% increase to Spain's gender violence hotline since lockdowns began in those countries.

However, overall crime reported to police in England and Wales has dropped by around 20% in recent weeks.

New police powers for fining those who breach the lockdown rules are being used - in the first two weeks, 1,084 fines were issued.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×