Londoners cram tube as UK has trouble minding the lockdown

Confusion has rippled through Britain on the first morning after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a three-week halt to all nonessential activity to fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

The government has told most stores to close, banned gatherings of three or more people and said everyone apart from essential workers should leave home only to buy food and medicines or to exercise.

But photos show crowded trains on some London subway lines Tuesday, amid confusion about who is still allowed to go to work.

London's Tube still crammed despite Boris ordering #coronavirus lockdown https://t.co/hXEN3hefqp pic.twitter.com/XRtPK9FLMH

— Daily Star (@dailystar) March 24, 2020

London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweets: “I cannot say this more strongly: we must stop all non-essential use of public transport now. Employers: please support your staff to work from home unless it’s absolutely necessary. Ignoring these rules means more lives lost.”

The government says police will have powers break up illegal gatherings and fine people who flout the rules. But some expressed doubts about whether the lockdown could be enforced.

“There is no way really that the police can enforce this using powers. It has got to be because the public hugely support it,” Peter Fahy, former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, tells the BBC.

— AP