What Day Was the UK's first COVID-19 national lockdown announcement?

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the country's first national lockdown in a televised address, instructing people to stay at home except for limited essential purposes, in response to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement followed the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration earlier the same month and marked the beginning of an extended period of restrictions in the UK.

The address was watched by a record UK television audience for a non-sporting broadcast, reflecting the scale of public concern at the time restrictions were first announced.

The UK's initial approach before this announcement had drawn criticism for being comparatively slower than some other European countries, a debate that continued through subsequent independent public inquiries into the government's pandemic response.