The UK went into its first national Covid lockdown on 23 March 2020, with the legal stay‑at‑home rules coming into force on 26 March 2020.

Key dates in a nutshell

  • 16 March 2020: Government begins advising people to avoid non‑essential contact and travel, and to work from home where possible.
  • 20 March 2020: Schools, pubs, restaurants and many venues are ordered to close across the UK.
  • 23 March 2020: Boris Johnson announces the first nationwide “stay at home” lockdown in a televised address.
  • 26 March 2020: The legal regulations for the lockdown come into force in England and the rest of the UK via emergency legislation.

In everyday conversation, most people refer to 23 March 2020 as the day the UK “went into lockdown”, because that was the dramatic TV announcement and the point when people were told to stay at home.

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