United Kingdom

The UK’s first case of COVID-19 was discovered in late January. The government initially resisted strict physical distancing measures but changed course in late March as the number of confirmed cases passed 6,500, closing schools and many businesses, and directing people to stay home except for essential activities. By mid April, confirmed cases had exceeded 100,000 — including the Prime Minister Boris Johnson — and nearly 14,000 deaths were attributed to COVID-19. Restrictions are expected to continue into May until there is a sustained and consistent fall in the rate of daily deaths.

Key statistics

  • Confirmed cases

    227,741

  • Cases per 100,000 people

    342.80

  • Deaths

    32,769

  • Recovered cases

    1,023

  • Days since first case

    103

  • Days since 100 cases

    69

  • Days since highest daily increase

    33

These statistics were last updated for 15 May 2020 and are drawn from the Coronavirus COVID-19 Daily Cases dataset, published by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University, via API by Laeyoung.

UK Government COVID-19 policies

Last updated 26 April 2020

Government

Policing and justice

29 April 2020
Opened temporary prison facilities
26 March 2020
Suspended parole board hearings and jury trials
24 March 2020
Suspended prison visits
17 March 2020
Relaxed legal requirements on intelligence and law enforcement warrant process
17 March 2020
Restricted prisoners’ activities

Emergency government

29 April 2020
Extended visas for frontline health and care workers
15 April 2020
Provided additional funding for Welsh devolved administration
06 April 2020
Postponed elections
04 April 2020
Established early-release system for low-risk offenders within weeks of their release date
18 March 2020
Mobilised defence forces
17 March 2020
Relaxed legal requirements on intelligence and law enforcement warrant process
17 March 2020
Established government implementation committees
17 March 2020
Relaxed legal requirements on public services
17 March 2020
Required businesses to provide government with information about food supply
17 March 2020
Implemented emergency legislation
16 March 2020
Relaxed legal requirements on local councils
16 March 2020
Mobilised Ministry of Defence
09 March 2020
Established a taskforce to assist local responses to COVID-19
02 March 2020
Established organisational plan to respond to COVID-19

Public information

29 April 2020
Included deaths from coronavirus in non-hospital settings in daily updates
22 April 2020
Launched plan to address loneliness
20 April 2020
Created support finder tool for businesses
17 April 2020
Launched COVID-19 mental health campagin
29 March 2020
Provided guidance and funding for mental health support
25 March 2020
Launched coronavirus information service on WhatsApp
24 March 2020
Launched national text messaging service
15 March 2020
Further expanded public information campaign
15 March 2020
Began daily press conferences with Prime Minister
04 March 2020
Began handwashing information campaign
01 March 2020
Expanded public information campaign
02 February 2020
Began COVID-19 public information campaign

Public services

23 April 2020
Allocated funding to remote victim services
22 April 2020
Launched plan to address loneliness
18 April 2020
Provided additional funding to councils in England and the devolved administrations
04 April 2020
Established early-release system for low-risk offenders within weeks of their release date
03 April 2020
Provided additional funding to the bus industry in England
30 March 2020
Suspended safety testing of vehicles for six months
23 March 2020
Refunded train tickets
23 March 2020
Assumed financial responsibility for train services
20 March 2020
Suspended drivers license tests

Education

20 March 2020
Cancelled high school exams
19 March 2020
Provided meal vouchers to school students who would otherwise get free school meals
18 March 2020
Closed schools
17 March 2020
Continued free childcare to existing recipients
17 March 2020
Suspended inspections of education facilities

Movement of people

Citizens abroad

29 April 2020
Chartered flight for British citizens in Guyana
23 April 2020
Chartered flight to Australia for British citizens stranded Fiji
21 April 2020
Chartered additional flight for British citizens in the Philippines
19 April 2020
Chartered flights for vulnerable British citizens in New Zealand
17 April 2020
Chartered additional flights for British citizens in India
17 April 2020
Chartered flights for British citizens in Pakistan

Physical distancing

16 April 2020
Extended lockdown measures
23 March 2020
Closed most businesses and venues
23 March 2020
Directed people to stay at home
22 March 2020
Advised vulnerable people to stay at home
21 March 2020
Closed bars, restaurants, cafes and other entertainment venues
18 March 2020
Closed schools
17 March 2020
Revised authorities’ powers to direct people to undergo testing and isolate
12 March 2020
Advised people with COVID-19 symptoms to self-isolate for seven days
10 February 2020
Gave authorities power to direct people to undergo testing and isolate

Border measures

23 March 2020
Advised all British travellers to return
17 March 2020
Advised against all non-essential travel
27 January 2020
Required travellers returning from Wuhan to self-isolate
24 January 2020
Established public health services at Heathrow airport
22 January 2020
Implemented screening measures for returned travellers

Domestic travel

22 March 2020
Advised against nonessential travel

Healthcare

Testing and tracing

28 April 2020
Further expanded eligibility for testing
17 April 2020
Expanded eligibility for testing
15 April 2020
Expanded testing for social care workers and care home residents
04 April 2020
Launched online survey for people with potential coronavirus symptoms
02 April 2020
Created plan to increase testing
27 March 2020
Increased COVID-19 testing for health professionals
18 March 2020
Increased testing capacity
17 March 2020
Revised authorities’ powers to direct people to undergo testing and isolate
26 February 2020
Established new COVID-19 surveillance system
10 February 2020
Gave authorities power to direct people to undergo testing and isolate
07 February 2020
Increased testing capacity
27 January 2020
Began tracing people who had travelled to Wuhan
24 January 2020
Established public health services at Heathrow airport
22 January 2020
Implemented screening measures for returned travellers

Healthcare workers

27 April 2020
Established life assurance scheme for bereaved families of health workers who have died from COVID-19
17 April 2020
Expanded eligibility for testing
15 April 2020
Expanded testing for social care workers and care home residents
27 March 2020
Increased COVID-19 testing for health professionals
25 March 2020
Provided free car parking for health and social care workers
17 March 2020
Allowed students and retired healthcare workers and to provide healthcare
17 March 2020
Established emergency volunteer system
Released updated PPE guidance for NHS worker

Research

17 April 2020
Launched vaccine development taskforce
04 April 2020
Launched online survey for people with potential coronavirus symptoms
23 March 2020
Provided grants for tech companies to develop assistance for people who are isolating
23 March 2020
Funded COVID-19 genome sequencing research
06 March 2020
Funded research for COVID-19 diagnosis methods
06 March 2020
Funded research for COVID-19 vaccines
03 February 2020
Provided funding for vaccine research

Health services

02 April 2020
Brought forward funding for community pharmacies
02 April 2020
Changed NHS funding model and wrote off hospital debt
29 March 2020
Provided guidance and funding for mental health support
20 March 2020
Reduced on-site inspections of certain medical facilities
19 March 2020
Provided funding to assist non-urgent hospital patients to return home
17 March 2020
Reduced legal requirements on health system
17 March 2020
Granted authorities powers to give directions to crematoriums, mortuaries and funeral services
13 March 2020
Provided guidance on safely providing health and care services
08 March 2020
Increased staffing of NHS phone lines
05 March 2020
Listed COVID-19 as notifiable disease
11 February 2020
Established capital facility to fund urgent construction of medical facilities

Medical products and medicines

31 March 2020
Approved new breathing aid for COVID-19 patients
29 March 2020
Established specialist team to distribute medical equipment
29 March 2020
Announced minimum specifications for rapidly manufactured breathing aid devices
27 March 2020
Granted exemptions from medical device regulations
26 March 2020
Announced minimum specifications for ventilators
25 March 2020
Sought new cleaning technology for ambulances
18 March 2020
Prioritised applications for manufacturing hand sanitisers
16 March 2020
Asked businesses to make ventilators
11 February 2020
Advised medicine suppliers to retain existing stockpiles

Economy

Business support

27 April 2020
Established government-backed loan scheme for small businesses
23 April 2020
Allocated funding to remote victim services
21 April 2020
Expanded loan scheme for large businesses to cover all viable businesses
20 April 2020
Created support finder tool for businesses
19 April 2020
Established investment fund for companies affected by COVID-19
16 April 2020
Expanded business loan scheme to cover large businesses
03 April 2020
Established fund to support food distribution organisations in England
25 March 2020
Extended period to file company accounts
11 March 2020
Guaranteed loans to businesses
11 March 2020
Reimbursed businesses for sick pay
11 March 2020
Protected commercial tenants from eviction
11 March 2020
Deferred VAT tax payments
11 March 2020
Provided cash grants to small businesses
11 March 2020
Deferred income tax payments

Industry interventions

17 April 2020
Provided grants to the fishing industry
03 April 2020
Provided additional funding to the bus industry in England
27 March 2020
Suspended competition law for certain ferries
23 March 2020
Assumed financial responsibility for train services
23 March 2020
Refunded train tickets
20 March 2020
Banned export of essential medicines
19 March 2020
Entered agreement with energy suppliers to maintain energy supply to customers
17 March 2020
Allowed pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways
11 March 2020
Implemented business rates holiday
11 March 2020
Provided cash grants to hospitality and leisure businesses

Financial markets and monetary policy

17 March 2020
Began purchase of short term corporate debt by central bank

Households

Wage and income support

17 April 2020
Extended wage subsidy
15 April 2020
Extended wage subsidy eligibility dates
03 April 2020
Suspended recovery of benefit overpayments
27 March 2020
Relaxed annual leave rules
20 March 2020
Increased tax credits and welfare payments
17 March 2020
Suspended face-to-face health assessments for sickness and disability welfare payments
11 March 2020
Provided funding to local authorities to reduce taxes on vulnerable people
11 March 2020
Established a grant for self-employed people who have lost income due to COVID-19
11 March 2020
Established a wage subsidy for workers on leave due to COVID-19
04 March 2020
Reduced time required to access paid sick leave

Food and necessities

03 April 2020
Established fund to support food distribution organisations in England
27 March 2020
Delivered food parcels to vulnerable people
19 March 2020
Provided meal vouchers to school students who would otherwise get free school meals
17 March 2020
Required businesses to provide government with information about food supply

Housing

18 March 2020
Banned evictions from rented accommodation for three months
17 March 2020
Provided emergency support for homeless people

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