A host of countries have had to put serious restrictions in place due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Travel bans have been enacted all over the world and many countries have asked citizens to work from home, if possible.

As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked people to avoid pubs, cinemas, restaurants and non-essential contact in general, the Daily Mail reports.

Johnson has requested that these precautions be followed for 12 weeks, at least.

The result? London, usually bustling with diverse crowds heading to offices, galleries, restaurants and social gatherings, has become a ghost town.

London’s West End looking lonely:

Usually buzzing with tourists, Chinatown in Soho now has more lanterns than people out and about:

A London eatery, following Johnson’s announcement:

No pints being pulled at a popular local pub:

Citizens have been heeding Johnson’s call to avoid places such as theatres and cinemas.

The general consensus from officials and infectious disease experts is that we need to be preparing for the long-haul when it comes to battling COVID-19.

“This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. People should be thinking of a minimum of weeks to months and depending how it goes it could be longer. It is really important people realise they are in for the long haul.

But if we are to defend the ability of the NHS to treat people, if we are to minimise mortality, we have got to see this as a long game,” says Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.

London continues to ramp up safety measures in the face of COVID-19, while the streets of UK’s biggest city remain eerily quiet, for now.

I think we’re all grateful that the ‘herd immunity’ plan didn’t take off. 

[source:dailymail]