Coronavirus: Warnings issued as thousands 'recklessly' ignore social distancing advice

Warnings of a tough crackdown have been issued against those ignoring advice to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford urged people not to ignore advice from medical experts and told people to refrain from non-essential travel in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Local authority leaders and tourism bosses have told people to stay away from popular holiday destinations in west Wales.

Police and crime commissioner Dafydd Llewelyn called for "lockdowns" in rural parts of Wales to stop self-isolationists and tourists flooding in.

He said it was a "national emergency, not a national holiday".

The leaders of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire councils urged tourists to stop visiting.

They said: "One major concern that we are starting to witness is an influx of tourists into west Wales and the consequences this may have in the coming weeks and especially the serious risk that there will be an overwhelming, unnecessary pressure on our services and supply chains."

The British Holiday and Home Parks Association told members who own and manage some 2,900 holiday and touring parks around the UK to close their parks to all holidaymakers.

Its advice included all touring guests with caravans, motorhomes and tents, as well as those who rent self-catering accommodation.

The association added: "Whilst we acknowledge that a complete closure of all holiday parks would be desirable, doing so would - in some instances - result in actions contrary to the advice of government.

"Where the owners of holiday caravans have self-isolated and are presently in situ on the holiday park, requiring them to return home, often a considerable distance away, would necessitate journeys of the type we are all being asked to avoid in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus and may send them back to the very risk they have isolated from."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared Scotland's islands a no-go zone for visitors and said ferry companies had been told not to take non-essential travellers.

She also criticised the "tiny minority" of bars that have stayed open, saying: "Let me be blunt - in doing so they put lives at risk.

"My message to them is close now. We will have emergency powers in days to force you to close and we will use these powers if we have to."

Elsewhere, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing pressure to order a widespread lockdown, with thousands ignoring "social distancing" advice.

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There was anger among MPs as crowds were seen flocking to parks, markets and beaches around the UK over the weekend.

Julian Smith, the former Northern Ireland secretary, said: "Many people have recklessly ignored government advice this weekend.

"I will support any measure the government needs to force people to follow the guidelines designed to protect NHS staff and UK citizens' lives."

Labour's Jonathan Ashworth urged the government to make "immediate preparations for the next stage" and "learn lessons from other European nations".

The government later issued updated guidance which said essential travel did not include visits to "second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays".

Speaking at his daily coronavirus news conference, Mr Johnson warned that the NHS could become "overwhelmed" in the same way Italy's healthcare system has, with the country the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe.

He said "further measures" may be necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus if people did not stay two metres apart - including in the open air.

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However, Mr Johnson was reluctant to completely ban people from going outside for a walk or to exercise because of the physical and mental health benefits, given people followed the social distancing guidelines.

The total number of virus-related deaths in the UK now stands at 281, with 5,683 confirmed cases of COVID-19.