The first full UK‑wide Covid lockdown officially began on 23 March 2020, when Boris Johnson told people they must stay at home and non‑essential businesses had to close.

Quick Scoop: Key dates

  • 16 March 2020 – The government first advised people to avoid non‑essential social contact and travel, but this was guidance, not yet a legal “lockdown”.
  • 23 March 2020 – Boris Johnson announced a nationwide stay‑at‑home order and closure of many sectors; this is widely seen as the start of “lockdown” in the UK.
  • 26 March 2020 – The legal regulations that enforced the lockdown in England came into force in law.

Because there was no single official definition of “lockdown”, some politicians have argued it “began” with the 16 March advice, but government communications, timelines and later coverage almost all mark 23 March 2020 as the start of the UK’s first national lockdown.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.