Coronavirus: Eerie images of deserted Britain as nation adheres to govt warnings

Eerie images have captured deserted shopping centres, tube stations and tourist attractions as the coronavirus outbreak continues to escalate in Britain.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres as he unveiled unprecedented peacetime measures to try and control the spread of COVID-19.

He also urged those who live with somebody who is ill to stay home for 14 days.

The announcement came after the death toll of people with coronavirus in the UK reached 55 – with another update due on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday’s confirmed cases for the UK was 1,950 – up 407 in 24 hours.

Pictures show the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on British life as more people are working from home and eschewing the likes of bars, restaurants and public transport.

Aerial images of major tourist attractions in central London, which usually draw in crowds of people every day, are practically deserted.

Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden are among the unusually quiet attractions captured in the shots, while a picture of the M24 shows hardly any cars on the road.

Other images across Britain show near-empty trains and station platforms during rush-hour, deserted streets and shopping centres and bare supermarket shelves.

It comes as scientists said the UK had “no time to lose” in changing tactics in order to prevent thousands of deaths and the NHS being overwhelmed.

The Imperial College COVID-19 response team, which is one of several scientific teams advising ministers, published a paper showing that 250,000 people could die if government efforts only focused on delaying and slowing down the spread of the virus.

After analysing the most recent data from Italy and the UK, it concluded that the only “viable strategy” was a Chinese-style policy of “suppression” of the virus.

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In other developments to tackle the infection, which has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide, Chancellor Rishi Sunak will set out a new package of support for businesses hit by the outbreak less than a week after announcing £12bn of emergency funding in the budget.

UK airports may shut down “within weeks” without government intervention, the Airport Operators Association said.

Meanwhile, the government will lay out emergency legislation expected to include powers for police to detain people to stop them spreading the virus and allowing hospitals to send patients home to free up beds.

The government will also issue detailed advice on maintaining the flow of goods to the UK, while protecting staff working on shipping routes, Dominic Raab said on Tuesday.

He said: “The government of course is keenly aware that international freight services such as shipping and haulage are vital for ensuring the continuity of the supply of essential foods, goods and material to the UK.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Eerie images of deserted Britain as nation adheres to govt warnings