Millions of workers across the country have today started to work from home in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, leaving empty carriages on trains and spacious roads up and down the UK.
Some train service are facing a complete axe as the transport secretary today claimed that a decline in passengers would lead to services being cut.
Many workers based in London this morning snubbed public transport and a District Line tube had just a handful of passengers on what would usually be a packed train.
This is while London Euston, a station that connects London to other areas of the country such as Birmingham, Glasgow and Chester was also quiet with just a handful of people roaming around outside.
So far in the UK coronavirus has killed 35 people and there have been 1,372 confirmed cases and official guidance has recommended that people should implement social distancing where possible.
The government has not yet told businesses to close their offices and companies allowing their staff to work from home are doing so as a precaution in order to prevent the spread of the disease across their work forces.
A sparsely-filled District Line carriage on an Underground train in west London as many office staff in the capital opted to work from home
A man wears a ventilator mask and rubber gloves as he waits for a friend at Euston Station in London. Others are seen on their phones and waiting outside the station
The M11 in Cambridge this morning, which is noticeably less busy as a result of many people not going into work due to the coronavirus
Waterloo underground around 7.20am. The station is usually packed with commuters arriving from the south of the country and from other parts of London
While station such as Waterloo and Euston were quiet the Central Line was still busy this morning and those commuting from places such as Epping were still packing out the trains.
Other stations that connect the capital to other parts of the country were also sparsely populated.
Waterloo, a station that connects places such as Surrey to London looked eerie this morning and a photo taken at 7.20am, a time when crowds would usually be rushing around the station, showed just one or two passengers walking to the tube.
But it wasn’t just the capital that was quiet this morning, other places up and down the country were considerably less busy including Bristol and Nottingham.
On the roads the M11 in Cambridge this morning was noticeably less busy as a result of many people not going into work.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the number of train passengers had fallen by a fifth over the last week.
One of the busiest motorway junctions outside of the M25, Junction 2 of the M61 in Salford, is almost empty this morning during the peak of rush hour
Quiet streets during morning rush hour around Bristol city centre as workers stay home due to the virus that has alarmed the country
At a usually busy Nottingham station two people are seen on one of the platforms as a train pulls up. Many areas were noticeably quieter today
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘The railways have definitely seen a big drop off … last week by about 18-20 per cent in the number of passengers and we’re working with them closely.’
Speaking to The Sun today, one expert claimed that it was ‘unlikely’ that people would catch the virus by going into work.
Hugh Pennington, Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at Aberdeen University said having the option to work from home would reduce the risk and that people should take advantage of it.
Professor Pennington questioned how close people come into contact with those they work with and highlighted that the virus needs just 15 minutes of close contact with people to contract it.
‘For example, if you work as a checkout operator in a shop then that interaction with a shopper is not likely to be long enough for it to jump from A to B.
‘It’s the same with many client-facing jobs. For example, a waiter wouldn’t be at a table long enough to contract the virus from a diner’.
This morning many commuting from the south into London were greeted with spacious carriages. It was even quieter than the Christmas period, where many take time off to spend with loved ones
In Nottingham City Centre this morning just a few pedestrians were seen walking the streets as they made their way to their places of work
Hermiston Gait junction of M8 during Monday morning rush hour, the usually packed road was less busy as many passed through the A720
He added that if someone is infected and coughs or sneezes on your directly then the droplets can infect you.
It was reported last week that 20 million out of 33 million people out of the British workforce could technically work from home.
Many businesses up and down the country had already given many the option to work from home, while some buildings had closed last week due to possible cases of the virus.
Big companies in London such as Deloitte and JPMorgan have implemented contingency plans for staff, while others are expected to follow the lead in the next few days.
Yesterday high street retailer Urban Outfitters announced that it would close it’s doors to consumers until further notice.
Other businesses also implemented various measures in order to protect their employees and customers.
A usually bustling check in gate at Heathrow Airport was this morning seen sparse as many flights were cancelled because of the coronavirus
Just a handful of commuters were seen entering Cambridge Railway Station this morning. The station connects passengers to London and other big stations
This mornings rush hour in Bristol City Centre was quiet with no pedestrians in the streets as many opted to stay at home to prevent the outbreak spreading further
One retailer, ‘The Vintage Kilo Sale’, that hosts events up and down the country, this weekend switched to card only payments so their staff would not have to handle the cash.
Today Boris Johnson will address the media over the pandemic alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
The first of the daily briefings will come after the PM chairs a Cobra committee meeting expected to focus on plans to shield elderly and vulnerable citizens, household isolation and mass gatherings.
***How are you coping with the coronavirus? Send us your stories – email [email protected] or [email protected]***