McDonald's has announced it will be closing all its stores in the UK and Ireland amid the coronavirys outbreak.
More than 5,600 people have now tested positive for Covid-19, and the government has urged members of the public to adhere to social distancing rules.
And the fast food chain will shut all restaurants by 7pm tomorrow (March 23) - but intends to distribute food and drink to community groups.
The announcement comes after the Government ordered restaurants, cafés, pubs and other public places to close in a bid to stem the spread of the disease.
A spokesman said: "We have taken the difficult decision to close all McDonald's restaurants in the UK and Ireland by 7pm on Monday 23rd March at the latest.
"This is not a decision we are taking lightly, but one made with the well-being and safety of our employees in mind as well as in the best interests of our customers.
"We will work with local community groups to responsibly distribute food and drink from our restaurants in the coming days.
"Thank you to our brilliant employees for their hard work during this incredibly challenging time.
"We look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it is safe for us to reopen."
Today (March 22), Boris Johnson issued a warning of the possibility of tougher social distancing measures if members of the public can't use parks and public spaces responsibly.
He said the government will consider restrictions on "people's movement altogether".
But Johnson revealed they would prefer rely on the public to socially distance themselves.
Throughout the UK, members of the public have ignored government advice to head to parks and public spaces.
They were snapped enjoying ice creams in parks, and tucking into fish and chips by the coast.
But officials have repeatedly stressed Brits should be at home and avoiding going out. National Trust has even shut most of its attractions to encourage people to stop flouting the coronavirus guidelines.
