Councils are preparing for bars, shops and restaurants to be forcibly closed from next week in the expectation that the country will move towards some form of lockdown.
Multiple town hall sources have told the M.E.N. they anticipate measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus will step up dramatically in the coming days.
Supermarkets would be likely to be allowed to remain open, but all other public venues would be forced to shut. At yesterday’s daily Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson was asked whether it would be necessary to enforce ‘social distancing’ measures after some people in many areas - including London and Manchester - appeared to be ignoring government advice to avoid interaction in public places.
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