The UK’s first national COVID-19 lockdown effectively started on the evening of 23 March 2020, when Boris Johnson told people to “stay at home,” with the legal measures coming into force on 26 March 2020.

Quick Scoop

Key dates

  • 23 March 2020: Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first UK-wide lockdown , instructing people to stay at home and non-essential businesses to close.
  • 26 March 2020: The main legal regulations underpinning the lockdown came into force in England.
  • The same announcement on 23 March applied in principle across England, Scotland and Wales, with Northern Ireland following similar timing.

Simple way to remember it

  • The “start” most people refer to is 23 March 2020, the night the TV address went out and daily life suddenly stopped for most of the UK.

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