Accosted over a Costa: Boris is given a lecture by a walker as he heads to work (coffee in hand) to put finishing touches to lockdown loosening plan - before pleading with Brits to stay indoors this weekend... but parks, markets and beaches are packed
- Boris Johnson was walking to work through St James' Park this morning when he was spoken to by passer-by
- PM has warned Britons to stay indoors this weekend - despite briefings lockdown will be relaxed on Monday
- Today thousands of Britons appeared to ignore his advice by heading to busy parks, markets and beaches
- A further 346 coronavirus deaths were announced today, bringing the country's death toll to 31,587
- Are you the passer-by who spoke to Mr Johnson? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
Boris Johnson today pleaded with Britons to stay at home during the last days of full coronavirus lockdown, as he warned that venturing outside during the sunny weather could 'undo everything that's been done so far'.
The PM tweeted: 'Thank you for all you are doing to protect our NHS and save lives. This bank holiday weekend, please stay at home, so we don't undo everything we've done so far.'
But Mr Johnson has been accused of sending mixed messages as he tells the country to stay indoors ahead of an expected easing of lockdown on Monday, expected to be announced tomorrow night at 7pm.
In a confusing picture, the PM’s sent a second tweet from his official Downing Street account, saying: 'If you are leaving the house this weekend you need to keep two metres apart from others.'
This morning, despite telling everyone to stay home, the PM was seen walking through St James’s Park, central London, holding that commuter staple, a reusable Costa coffee cup, which he has been seen carrying four times this week.
The new father, 55, who spent six weeks struck down with Covid-19, wore a dark suit and signalled he was getting down to business ahead of finalised the UK's route out of lockdown.
As he marched to work, Mr Johnson was accosted by a passer-by, who appeared give him a piece of his mind, pointing a finger at the startled PM as a smiling woman looked on. It is unclear what the man said and MailOnline has contacted No10 for comment.
The exchange came as thousands of Britons appeared to be ignoring the Tory leader's plea to stay indoors by heading to busy parks and markets to enjoy 26C temperatures on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year.
Police in Brighton stopped cars at the end of the A23 to prevent sun-worshipping covidiots away from the seaside, with locals cheering as tourists were turned away.
And the Coastguard has said that on Friday it had the highest number of call-outs since lockdown began, with 97 incidents, 54 per cent more than the average of 63 recorded for the previous month.
Tomorrow the PM is expected to reveal his plans to ease the UK's coronavirus lockdown which will proceed with 'maximum cautiousness'.
Among the measures anticipated to be announced, commuters will be asked to cycle and walk where possible, firms told to provide staff with face masks and garden centres allowed to reopen from Wednesday. Britons may also be allowed to exercise more than once a day.
A further 346 coronavirus deaths were announced today, bringing the country's death toll to 31,587.
A member of the public stopped to give British Prime Minister Boris Johnson a talking to as he took a morning walk through St James's Park in London today. He was carrying a reusable Costa coffee cup
Mr Johnson has told Cabinet he will be proceeding with 'maximum caution' in order to avoid a second wave of deadly infections.
Speaking at today's Downing Street press briefing, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps managed expectations for any significant adjustments to lockdown.
But he did unveil a £2bn cash boost to revamp cycling routes as part of a strategy to encourage workers to stay off the roads and public transport.
The minister said that social distancing would mean space on public transport would be dramatically slashed to a tenth of pre-lockdown levels as passengers would have to observe the two-metre rule.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already said the Tube is running at a fifth of its overall capacity and it would take four months to return to normal.
Mr Johnson's lockdown exit strategy is expected to include:
- A green light for garden centres to reopen from Wednesday.
- A direction to workers to cycle or walk to work if they are able to.
- Firms will be told they must provide staff with face masks to be worn at work, on public transport and when shopping. But wearing face coverings will not be compulsory.
- A phased return for schools amid growing opposition from unions.
- A phased return for public transport use as union bosses warn they will not risk the health of their workers.
- All travellers returning to the UK will be told to self-isolate for 14 days or face fines of up to £1,000.
- A legal right to work from home is also being considered by ministers but may not be in the plan.
Transport unions have threatened to derail any move to get too many people back onto trains and buses as chiefs have said they 'will not compromise on the health, safety and livelihoods of our members'.
Teaching unions have sounded a similar warning relating to the phased return of schools.
Ministers have been urging the UK to stick with social distancing rules this weekend despite the sunny weather and to wait for the PM to set out his plan tomorrow.
Mr Johnson repeated that message this morning as he tweeted: 'Thank you for all you are doing to protect our NHS and save lives.
'This bank holiday weekend, please stay at home, so we don’t undo everything that’s been done so far.'
The PM also acknowledged the strain the lockdown has put on people's mental health as he said it 'has been a difficult time for many'. He told anyone who is struggling that 'there is help available'.
Ministers are thought to want to start sending children back to classrooms in June but unions have said they will not sign off on the plans until a test and tracing system is fully operational.
The return of schools and childcare services will be key to restoring much of the economy because many workers with children will be unable to go back to work until education settings are up and running.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is also expected to announce that firms will be required to provide returning staff with face coverings.
The wearing of such masks will not be compulsory in England but it will be recommended while at work, while shopping and while using public transport.
The Cabinet Office has paid for machines to make the coverings which will then be sent to companies to allocate in order to avoid a run on medical-grade masks which the NHS needs, according to The Telegraph.
However, such a move is unlikely to be enough for critics, with former health secretary Jeremy Hunt today arguing that temperature-checking walk-through scanners should be installed at the entrances to all restaurants and offices.
Mr Johnson's long-anticipated 'road map' for getting out of lockdown is expected to set out 'milestones' for the easing of measures.
Initial changes - some starting from Monday - are likely to focus on outdoor activities due to the reduced rate of transmission outdoors compared to indoors.
Mr Johnson will announce that garden centres will be allowed to open their doors to customers from Wednesday May 13.
Nursery bosses will have to ensure shoppers obey social distancing measures, such as keeping two metres away from others, and will be expected to put restrictions in place, including queuing systems and installing Perspex shields to protect till staff, in a similar way to supermarkets.
A senior Government source said: 'Garden centres are typically open large open-air spaces where the risk of transmission of coronavirus is lower.
'With strict social distancing measures in place we believe they can open safely from next week.'
It is also understood ministers are preparing to recommend that commuters use their bicycles for journeys to work, in a bid to reduce the number of people using public transport.
Mr Shapps will later unveil a further £250 million for extra cycle lanes, while trials on the use of e-scooters on British roads are due to be fast-tracked.
The lockdown plan is due to set out a phased restarting of the UK economy with different sectors returning at different times.
However, those workers who can work from home could soon be given the legal right to do so.
This would stop them feeling compelled to go to the office, make it easier for workplaces to comply with social distancing measures and reduce the strain on public transport.
The plans are under consideration by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, according to The Telegraph.
Polls suggest the Government could face an uphill battle to persuade some workers to return to their firms with much of the UK population having some degree of 'coronaphobia'.
A survey conducted by YouGov between May 7-8 found that just 15 per cent of the population believe Mr Johnson should immediately lift coronavirus restrictions.
When asked if it was right to lift the lockdown now, some 75 per cent said it would be wrong, 15 per cent said it would be right and 10 per cent said they didn't know.
Travellers returning to UK face two weeks in self-isolation
From June, all arrivals in the UK - including returning Britons - will be quarantined for 14 days and face £1,000 fines or deportation if they fail to do so.
The announcement of the new travel measures comes seven weeks into the nation-wide coronavirus lockdown.
Government officials are working to avoid a second wave of the bug, which has killed more than 31,000 people in the UK alone.
The regulations mean Britons hoping for a week in the sun in the summer months will have to book three-weeks off work to ensure they can isolate on their return.
Key workers and travellers from Ireland will be exempt from the quarantine, MailOnline understands. The government has not yet revealed who will be categorised as 'key workers' and therefore be excused from self-isolating.
Travellers will have to fill in a digital form giving the address of where they will be in quarantine. This will then be checked at airports, ports and Eurostar stations, although it is not yet clear which agency will provide staff to do this or on what database the forms will be stored on.
The scheme will be enforced by spot checks on the addresses but ministers have not said whether this will involve the police, Border Force or NHS.
The ISU union - which represents borders, immigration and customs staff - called for clarity on the policy, with its professional officer Lucy Moreton warning that there was no way for passport e-gates to record people's addresses so it would have to be done by other means.
Ministers today faced questions about why a similar measure had not been put into place earlier, with 15,000 travellers arriving at UK airports every day in April with no screening, including from virus hotspots like China and the USA.
Piers Morgan tweeted: 'So we're doing this now, three months after the @WHO declared COVID-19 a global health emergency.. after we've let 100s of 1000s fly in from corona-ravaged countries with no checks... & after 55k+ people have already died in the UK? What a sick joke.'
Last month it was revealed that some 15,000 people were flying into the UK without coronavirus tests every day as ministers refused to close down airports even though the country was under lockdown.
Meanwhile, the travel industry reacted with horror at the news, with one company boss warning it could 'kill it off completely'. Industry group Airlines UK said the arrangement, reported by The Times, would 'effectively end international travel to and from the UK' and cause 'immeasurable damage' to the aviation industry and wider economy.
Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee said the move would have a 'devastating impact' on the aviation industry and the wider economy. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said she had been asking the government to quarantine travellers 'for weeks' while the head of Cornwall Airport blasted the move as 'too late'.
The news will have a huge impact on international companies and figures in showbusiness, who face having to choose whether to base themselves at home or abroad. A worker at a leading international bank in London today told MailOnline it would be the 'nail in the coffin' for face-to-face business meetings with overseas contacts as staff will not be able to fly abroad.
On Sunday afternoon Boris Johnson is expected to reveal his long-anticipated 'road map' for leaving lockdown. Prime Minister pictured again on Wednesday with another cup of Costa coffee
Ministers are believed to be targeting a phased return for schools in June but unions could stand in the way of that happening.
Union bosses have sent a list of key measures to the Government which they say must be met before pupils in England can safely return to their desks.
It includes extra money for deep cleaning and personal protective equipment (PPE) and local powers to close schools if clusters of Covid-19 infections break out in a particular area.
The joint statement was sent to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday by bodies including the NAHT school leaders union and the National Education Union (NEU).
The tests that the school workforce unions said were 'essential' to have in place before pupils return include no increase in pupil numbers until full rollout of a national test and trace scheme.
TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'Parents and staff need full confidence that schools will be safe before any pupils return.
'The government must work closely with unions to agree a plan that meets the tests we have set out.'
Unions are also flexing their muscles when it comes to the return of more public transport services due to concerns about staff safety.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: 'There is a headlong dash to lift the lockdown on our transport services for the 18th May and it is fraught with danger for both passengers and staff alike.
'To maintain the Governments own social distancing guidance would mean huge logistical and staffing input to manage passenger flows onto trains and it is imperative that all staff involved in this process are properly protected.
'RMT will not compromise on the health, safety and livelihoods of our members and we will not agree to anything that fails to put the safety of staff and passengers first.
'If that means advising our members not to work under conditions that are unsafe and in breach of the government's own guidelines then that is exactly what we will do.'
As well as setting out how measures will be eased, the PM's plan will also detail how some rules will be toughened to avoid a second peak of the disease.
That is expected to include requiring all travellers returning to the UK to self-isolate for 14 days, dashing hopes of a swift return to foreign holidays.
The Times said that those who break the rules could face fines of up to £1,000 or even deportation.
Such a measure is seen as key to stopping a second wave once the UK has suppressed the number of domestic cases.
Briefing reporters on Friday, Downing Street confirmed quarantining foreign visitors was being 'looked at'.
The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'I think ministers have said the issue of looking to ensure, as we really drive down transmission in the UK, that we are able to ensure the virus is not being brought into the country from overseas is one they are actively considering.'
Ministers have tried to downplay differences emerging between the four UK nations on lockdown measures, stating there was no 'need to get too worked up about timings of different announcements'.
The devolved administration in Wales has announced 'modest adjustments' to the restrictions on movement, put in place across the UK to stem the transmission of Covid-19.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said the changes, coming into force on Monday, included allowing more than one form of exercise per day and permitting garden centres and public libraries to reopen.
But in Scotland, only alterations to exercise guidance are expected, while those in Northern Ireland have been told there will be just 'nuanced changes' to the clampdown on movement.
Environment Secretary George Eustice attempted to temper expectations yesterday as he warned there would be no 'dramatic overnight change' to restrictions.
Mr Drakeford said this morning that the changes made in Wales were 'very modest' and he expected them to be broadly in line with what Mr Johnson announces tomorrow.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We were clearly convinced that only the very smallest and most modest steps ... were allowable at this time.
'You've heard what the Prime Minister's spokesman has been saying over the last couple of days, that the Prime Minister also thinks maximum caution is the way to approach the immediate future.
'We'll hear from the Prime Minister on Sunday the details of what he proposes for England, my view is we'll be very much in line with one another.
'Our new regime won't come in until Monday, so we'll move in a timely way together across the UK and I still think that is very much a preferable route.
However, Mr Drakeford signalled England and Wales could do different things when it comes to education as he said schools there will not reopen in June.
'We're not convinced at this point that opening schools in any significant way would be the right thing to do,' he told Today.
'We're not going to be reopening schools in Wales in the next three weeks, or indeed in June.'
What lockdown? Police turn sunworshipping covidiots away from the seaside amid 79F heat on 'hottest day of the year' as Coastguard reports highest number of call-outs since stay-at-home rules began
By Amelia Wynne for MailOnline
Police are turning sunworshipping covidiots away from the seaside today amid 79F heat on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year, as the Coastguard reports its highest number of call-outs since stay-at-home rules began.
Temperatures are predicted to hit 26C (78.8F) as most of the country will bask in warm sunshine while London and the South East will be hotter than Ibiza and St Tropez, with people pushing isolation rules to the limit on the last weekend before restrictions are lifted.
The Coastguard has said that on Friday it had the highest number of call-outs since lockdown began, with 97 incidents, 54 per cent more than the average of 63 recorded for the previous month.
Traffic police in Brighton are stopping cars at the end of the A23 which leads to the south coast seaside mecca and officers have fined visitors trying to visit for the bank holiday.
Locals cheered as tourists were turned away, voicing their support for police efforts to maintain social distancing. Traffic cops from Surrey and Sussex Road Policing Unit stopped dozens of cars and had issued 12 fines and turned around 19 cars after stopping 65 vehicles before 11am.
London and the South East could see the hottest temperatures recorded in the UK so far this year, potentially surpassing the 26C recorded in Treknow, in Cornwall, on Good Friday.
It has led the Government to issue reminders to stay at home and obey social distancing rules amid fears people could flock to parks and beaches for days out. It comes after the country enjoyed a sunny VE Day yesterday and a taste of freedom as street parties and celebrations took place.
The glorious weather comes as the public remain confused by the government's mixed messages, after they briefed to the papers that an easing of lockdown is coming and people will be allowed out to exercise more than once a day, while still insisting people must stay in this weekend.
People enjoy the warm weather on Paignton seafront in Devon today. Government have expressed concern that the sunshine will mean flouting of lockdown rules
Matt Leat, duty commander with the Coastguard, said: 'People are ignoring the measures put into place by the Government.
'I completely understand that the weather and the bank holiday coupled with the fact that we've been in this lockdown situation for just over six weeks has tempted people out to our beautiful coasts. However, as the Government said only yesterday, it's really vital that we all continue to observe the guidance.
'Every time we get a 999 or distress call, we will always respond but the minute we send in a rescue response, we're putting our frontline responders at risk as well as putting the NHS under avoidable pressure.
'Please, please continue to observe the 'Stay Home Save Lives' message - it's still in place for a reason. Exercise locally and stretch your legs, not our resources.'
However temperatures will plunge by as much as 15C on Sunday, as a cold weather front moves in from northern parts of Scotland. Saturday will be bright for most in the UK, hitting highs of up to 23C in northern England, 21C in Northern Ireland, 20C in southern parts of Scotland and 24C in Wales by the afternoon.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: 'Most of us will have some very warm and pleasant sunshine on Saturday, with London and the South East possibly surpassing the 26C (78.8F) mark, which would make it the hottest day of the year so far.
'This is because of southern winds coming in from Spain, which will make it warm and dry. But this won't be the case on Sunday, a cold front will move in from northern Scotland, meaning temperatures will plunge as much as 15C (59F) across the UK, with the possibility of snow in hilly areas.
'These changes do sometimes occur in spring, as we're in the middle of winter and summer, but this is quite a high drop we will experience.'
Under current government lockdown rules the public are allowed out once a day for exercise and sunbathing is not allowed.
However in a highly anticipated address to the nation tomorrow night it is expected Boris Johnson will slightly ease some of the strict lockdown measures.
He is likely to emulate steps announced by Wales yesterday, where limits on outdoor exercise are being dropped. It comes as garden centres will be allowed to reopen next week as part of the country's coronavirus exit plan.
They can let customers visit again from Wednesday provided strict social distancing and hygiene measures are in place, Government sources said.
Although Downing Street has been frantically playing down the scale of the changes to be announced tomorrow, it is thought Mr Johnson is set to drop the 'stay at home' slogan that many believe has been too successful in bringing the economy grinding to a halt.
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