Summary

  • Pubs holding virus 'lock-ins' risk losing licences

  • Police thank public for 'staying at home'

  • Streets deserted as the lockdown takes hold

  • Iceland vans torched minutes after lockdown order

  • Work on London's Crossrail project suspended

  • MP returns to care work to help with coronavirus

  • London mayor says "stop Tube travel or more will die"

  • PM orders people to stay in their homes

  • Updates on Tuesday 24 March

  1. Travelling to Dartmoor 'puts lives at risk'published at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Travelling to Dartmoor National Park could put the lives of those who live and work there at risk say managers amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

    DartmoorImage source, Pixabay

    All car parks, toilets and visitor centres on Dartmoor have been closed, as is the park authority’s HQ at Parke.

    Dartmoor National Park said anyone going to the park would be "putting the lives of our communities at risk and additional pressure on our health and other local services".

  2. Police thank public for 'staying at home'published at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Although some towns and cities are still seeing gatherings of people, in many areas across the country people seem to be heeding the government's instructions.

    Police across the nation have been thanking residents who are staying indoors or adhering to social distancing and have been posting photos of empty streets.

    Newcastle Under LymeImage source, Newcastle Under Lyme Police
    Image caption,

    Deserted streets in Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire

    BakewellImage source, Bakewell, Hathersage and White Peak Villages Police
    Image caption,

    Police said only the ducks were defying guidelines on social distancing in Bakewell, Derbyshire

    WillingtonImage source, Melbourne and Mercia Police
    Image caption,

    People queuing at a pharmacy in Willington, Derbyshire, kept their distance

    Tower Park, PooleImage source, Poole Police
    Image caption,

    Police thanked residents in Poole for staying indoors

    ShaftesburyImage source, North Dorset Police
    Image caption,

    Officer said Shaftesbury town was "very quiet"

  3. Liverpool silenced by lockdownpublished at 15:13 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Liverpool OneImage source, Getty Images

    There wasn't a single vehicle in the car park at Liverpool One shopping centre and its walkways and escalators stood empty in reflection of that.

    Meanwhile, at the near-deserted Pier Head, the only group of figures that could be picked out was the statue of the Beatles looking over the River Mersey in the afternoon spring sun.

    LiverpoolImage source, Getty Images
  4. Hospital uses video calls in patient examinationspublished at 14:57 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    A hospital in Norfolk is using video calls to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, according to specialists.

    Norfolk and Norwich Univeristy Hospital Trust said staff were now assessing opthalmic patients using phones and tablets.

    Chrishan Gunasekera, senior registrar in ophthalmology, said: "Using Facetime or Microsoft Teams, the ophthalmologist can sit in a different room, asking questions and explaining they’ll only be entering the room to examine the patient.

    "During the examination no talking is allowed in order to reduce the risk of infection.

    "After the examination the ophthalmologist then resumes the video call from their separate room and provides the explanations of the diagnosis and the management of the patient."

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  5. EasyJet 'despicable' over rescue flights chaospublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    A Bristol couple were among up to 150 people stranded in Egypt amid coronavirus flights confusion.

    Read More
  6. Brighton beach unusually empty as sun beats downpublished at 14:51 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Brighton beachImage source, Getty Images

    The first signs of sunshine would normally see Brighton beach packed out with people trying to catch some rays.

    But on Tuesday morning there was just a lone fisherman and the odd person taking a walk along the seafront.

    Brighton PierImage source, Getty Images

    The pier has also closed its gates, leaving a sign urging people to stay safe as the lockdown gets under way across the country.

    Police on streetsImage source, Getty

    Elsewhere in the city, police officers were on patrol checking that people were adhering to the government edict to stay home.

  7. Manchester community banner praises 'heroes'published at 14:42 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Banners have been put up praising key workers in Manchester - with everyone from care workers, to bin men, to NHS staff getting a mention.

    Staff at Manchester University hospital acknowledged the "uplifting message".

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  8. Birmingham swaps gridlock for lockdownpublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Pagoda roundaboutImage source, PA Media

    The roads leading to what's commonly known as the Pagoda roundabout in Birmingham are normally akin to a car park at morning rush hour. Today, there was barely a single car as this picture was shot.

    Cannon Hill parkImage source, PA Media

    Meanwhile, people at Cannon Hill Park just outside the city centre were taking advantage of the sunshine and their one allotted chance to take daily exercise. The paths were peppered with joggers and cyclists, while one person took a moment on the bandstand.

  9. Abbey Road crossing gets a fresh coat while it's quietpublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Abbey Road crossingImage source, Getty

    The Abbey Road crossing in west London is rarely seen without people trying to replicate the Beatles' famous walk across its striped lines.

    Since the capital is quieter than normal, a fresh coat of paint is going down to refresh its markings.

    Abbey Road crossingImage source, Ge
  10. Green bin collections stop and rubbish tips shutpublished at 14:02 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Green bins in SheffieldImage source, LDRS
    Image caption,

    Green bin collections have been suspended in Sheffield

    In some parts of England bin collections have stopped and rubbish tips are shut.

    Garden bin and recycling collections are also on hold in many areas, to give household and clinical waste priority.

    Some councils reported lower staffing levels due to self-isolation and said employees had been redeployed to support essential services.

    Authorities advised people to check council websites and if in doubt put bins out as normal.

  11. Railway station provides space for hospital testspublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    An empty shop at Birmingham New Street railway station has opened as an outpatient clinic to alleviate hospital pressure during the coronavirus crisis.

    ClinicImage source, Network Rail

    It will allow patients to have routine blood tests away from hospital, says Network Rail.

    The temporary phlebotomy clinic will be run by staff from University Hospitals Birmingham Trust.

    Patrick Power, Birmingham New Street station manager, said: “We’re doing everything we can to support the NHS in this unprecedented time so offering up this empty retail unit was a real no-brainer."

  12. ExCel Centre could be turned into makeshift NHS hospitalpublished at 13:43 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Thomas Mackintosh
    BBC London News

    ExCel CentreImage source, PA Media

    The ExCel Centre in east London could be turned into a makeshift NHS hospital and critical care unit to cope with the coranavirus pandemic.

    As the number cases in London approach 2,500 a team of military planners have visited the centre to see if it could be used to help NHS England deal with the outbreak.

    The Ministry of Defence said "no final decisions have been taken" but added the military planners were continuing to look at what options might be needed.

    Opened in November 2000, the ExCel Centre hosts exhibitions and international conventions and used in the 2012 Summer Olympics for events including boxing, fencing, table tennis and weightlifting.

  13. Where do the most over-70s live?published at 13:28 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Daniel Wainwright
    Data unit - English regions

    The over-70s have been identified as one of the groups most at risk from coronavirus.

    They’re being advised to be particularly stringent when following social distancing.

    In Dorset about 79,800 people, more than one in every five residents, external, are in this age group according the population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics.

    Other places with a large population aged 70 and over include the Isle of Wight and Conwy in Wales, where about a fifth are believed to be in this age group.

    Among the shire districts, North Norfolk has about a quarter of its population aged 70 or over but the proportion for Norfolk overall is a bit lower, at just under 18%.

    Map of % of people aged over 70
  14. Iceland vans torched minutes after lockdown orderpublished at 13:17 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Iceland vanImage source, Iceland

    Two supermarket delivery vans were torched less than an hour after Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued his lockdown order, police say.

    The Iceland vehicles were discovered on fire by police in Southmead, Bristol, at about 21:30 GMT.

    It was "beyond belief anyone would be so reckless and thoughtless", Avon and Somerset Police said, while Iceland described it as "shocking anyone would act so callously" when the vans were "most needed".

  15. Mixed bag in Leeds as lockdown takes holdpublished at 13:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Albion Street LeedsImage source, PA Media

    Across the country, people are being told to follow the advice to stay at home to help try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

    For the next three weeks, the whole of the UK is asked to work from home, only go to the shops if necessary and only venture out once a day for exercise.

    Greggs LeedsImage source, PA Media

    In Leeds, it's a mixed bag - Albion Street, which is normally teeming with shoppers, was practically empty.

    But there were a few people hoping to catch trains at the station and a branch of Greggs with its doors still open, although the chain has said it will close its outlets today.

    Leeds stationImage source, PA M
  16. Third of Metro drivers self-isolate because of coronaviruspublished at 13:01 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Tyne and Wear Metro bosses have been forced to cut services after a third of drivers said they were self-isolating because of coronavirus.

    Services are running every 24 minutes as a result of crew shortages.

    Metro operator Nexus says that 32 of its 152 drivers are currently self-isolating after they or family members showed symptoms of Covid-19, while another 16 were already on long-term sick leave for other reasons.

    Metro train

    A spokesman said: “This crisis is a big test of resources and planning but we determined to keep operating so that key workers, including many NHS staff, can continue to use Metro."

  17. Oxford Street unrecognisable as shops closepublished at 12:47 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    Oxford StreetImage source, PA Media

    There were only a handful of pedestrians seen walking along Oxford Street this morning, as the shops on this normally heaving road closed following government instructions.

    Store closedImage source, Getty Images

    London's main retail destination attracts thousands of shoppers every day but as the shutters remained down on stores, the street was virtually deserted.

  18. Bristol heeds lockdown as people pack London Tubespublished at 12:40 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    The underground platform link at Bristol Temple Meads railway station was completely deserted at rush hour this morning - a good sign people in the city are taking the government lockdown seriously.

    Bristol Temple MeadsImage source, PA

    Meanwhile, in London, mayor Sadiq Khan has warned people to stop using the Tube or more people will die from coronavirus.

    He demanded employers enable staff to work from home "unless it's absolutely necessary", as pictures emerged showing packed carriages that made social distancing rules impossible to follow.

    Packed TubeImage source, Pete Kenny
  19. Stuck for things to do while in lockdown?published at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    As the country adjusts to life on lockdown, Twitter account VeryBritishProblems has a typically pithy set of suggestions for how to fill that new-found free time.

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  20. Wetherspoon boss suggests staff get a job at Tescopublished at 12:29 Greenwich Mean Time 24 March 2020

    JD Wetherspoons pub signImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    JD Wetherspoons pub sign

    The boss of the Wetherspoon pub chain has said its staff can take jobs with supermarkets amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

    Tim Martin told 40,000 workers in a video that they should feel free to take jobs at retailers such as Tesco while Wetherspoon pubs remain closed.

    He said: “If you’re offered a job… if you think it’s a good idea, do it.”