London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

UK could face Italy-style lockdown, warns Boris Johnson

UK could face Italy-style lockdown, warns Boris Johnson

PM says government may consider move as No 10 criticised over mixed messages

The public must stop congregating in public or face new coronavirus enforcement measures within 24 hours, Boris Johnson has said, amid growing concern that his previous attempts to encourage social distancing were being ignored.

After a weekend of public alarm at pictures of groups spending time in parks, on beaches and at markets, the prime minister responded to mounting criticism of a mixed message from No 10 on Sunday with his most explicit warning yet that the UK could face an Italy-style lockdown.

But amid growing unease among his own supporters over Downing Street’s communications with the public, he again stopped short of taking tougher action, saying: “We will think about this very actively in the next 24 hours. If people can’t make use of parks and playgrounds responsibly, in a way that observes the 2-metre rule, then of course we’re going to have to look at further measures.”

In what appeared to be a warning that the draconian steps taken in Italy could be seen in the UK, he said: “We need to think about the kinds of measures that we’ve seen elsewhere, other countries that have been forced to bring in restrictions on people’s movements altogether.”

The prime minister’s press conference came only after some councils and organisations had moved independently to close public spaces in response to widespread concern over the number of people out in public over the sunny weekend.

It followed appeals for stronger steps from across the political spectrum, with London mayor Sadiq Khan and northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster both endorsing stricter enforcement of the guidelines, and former northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith saying he would support any measure that would force people to follow the guidelines.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said too many Britons were “either confused by the government’s social distancing measures or choose to ignore them”.

Pressed on the issue during a daily briefing at which he announced no new measures, Johnson stressed that parks and other green spaces were vital for people’s mental and physical wellbeing, but also said the public should stay indoors wherever possible.

As the official number of people in the UK to die after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus rose by 48 to reach 281:

• Chains including McDonald’s, Waterstones, Primark and Patisserie Valerie said they would be closing their shops from Monday.

Advertisement

• School leaders urged parents to “only leave your child at school if you have no choice” before the first day of attendance being limited to key workers’ families.

• Doctors’ groups said hospitals were coming under such severe pressure that clinicians would soon be forced to decide which patients to treat.

• ITV said it would stop filming Coronation Street and Emmerdale as broadcasters continued to adjust to the crisis.

• An 18-year-old with an underlying condition became the youngest victim in the UK so far.

Johnson addressed the media alongside Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, who outlined the plans for 1.5 million people in England with underlying medical conditions to be advised via letter to self-isolate for 12 weeks, with provision made for them to be supplied with food and medicines as needed.

Jenrick said community hubs would help organise care parcels, paid for by public funds, and that supermarkets might become involved. He said: “To begin with it’s going to be free to ensure that the people who really need it get the supplies as soon as possible.”

Also speaking at Downing Street the deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, warned against directly comparing the UK’s figures with those of Italy a fortnight ago.

“We will look back in due course, sadly, and see the true number of people who have died from coronavirus,” she said. “But a direct comparison with another country and against individual numbers is something we should be very cautious of.”

While some councils have announced the closure of playgrounds and even parks, Johnson said they should remain open for now, saying this was based on scientific advice. “What they’ve always said so far is that the health benefits for the whole of society of keeping the parks and the playgrounds open if we possibly can outweigh the epidemiological value of closing them,” he said.

The prime minister said the situation would be “under constant, constant review,” but when asked whether police could be part of any response, he replied: “Police?” in apparent surprise.

In a series of tweets, Ashworth said the messaging on social distancing was confusing, saying: “This cannot continue in a public health emergency.”

He said: “We have called for and welcomed measures including banning mass gatherings and pub closures. But if social distancing measures are not working the government must take stronger action.”

In the interim, devolved governments and councils have taken their own actions, in part to halt the flow of people to open spaces, but also to try to prevent urban dwellers from fleeing to more remote areas, potentially overwhelming local health services.

Nicola Sturgeon announced that ferry companies to Scottish islands had been instructed not to carry tourists and other non-essential travellers.

The Scottish first minister said hotels and holiday cottages should not take bookings for now. She said: “It may well be an understandable human instinct to think we can outrun a virus, but the fact is we can’t. What we do is we risk taking it to the places we go.”

Visit Cornwall asked holidaymakers online to “please stay away” to help reduce the speed the virus was spreading and avoid “needless lives being lost”, while authorities in Wales made a similar plea.

Some national parks and gardens closed as a weekend of good weather and Mother’s Day drew crowds. In London, Hammersmith and Fulham council said it was closing all its parks as they had been “full of people this weekend with a significant proportion ignoring government guidelines on social distancing”.

The call for greater action came as the spring weather brought a slew of social media posts showing crowds of people gathered close together in many places, including food markets and at park kiosks.

One green space features often in such photos, Victoria Park in east London, announced late on Sunday it was closing its playgrounds, skate park and cafes until further notice due to “unprecedented numbers” of visitors.

With London seen as several weeks ahead of the rest of the UK in terms of infection rates, bishops in London said churches in the capital were to close altogether for now.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×