ALL pubs, cafes, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, theatres, leisure centres and gyms are to close from tonight to fight coronavirus, the Prime Minister has announced.

Boris Johnson set out the new measures at his daily news briefing this evening.

Takeaways, however, will remain open. 

Mr Johnson said the situation will be reviewed each month.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted that the measures to shut pubs and other public spaces were “absolutely essential to do this given the excruciating pressure hospitals, especially in London, are under”.

Today in Scotland, 322 people have now been noted to have tested positive for coronavirus, 91 of which were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Six patients have now died from Covid-19.

Elsewhere, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that “for the first time in our history” the UK Government will step in and help pay people’s wages through a coronavirus job retention scheme.

Earlier today, scientists advised social measures will need to be in place for most of a year at least in order to control the spread of Covid-19, as the UK death toll hit 177.

The Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling agreed on Monday that, while the severity of measures could alternate during the period, “stricter” measures would need to be enforced for at least half of the year in order to keep cases at a level the NHS can cope with.