Mr Johnson told the nation: “You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say ‘No’.
“You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home.”
All non-essential business premises, such as shops and restaurants, were closed.
A few days later on March 27, both the Prime Minister and Health Secretary Matt Hancock tested positive for COVID-19.
It later emerged around this time the PM’s chief advisor Dominic Cummings made the trip from London to Durham, despite experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
Mr Cummings said he made the trip to ensure proper childcare for his child, and the PM later faced calls to sack him for what was widely perceived as the breaking of lockdown rules, however Mr Johnson stood by him.
