Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday shut down social life in Britain and ordered the elderly infirm to isolate for 12 weeks, ramping up the battle against the coronavirus outbreak just as it accelerates towards it peak.

Johnson had faced a backlash after his government took a less stringent approach to tackling the virus than countries such as Italy, France and Spain which have effectively locked down much of Europe.

In a sharp toughening of Britain’s approach to the outbreak, Johnson closed down any remaining social life in the world’s fifth largest economy and ordered those over 70 with underlying health problems to isolate for 12 weeks from this weekend.

“What we are announcing today is a very substantial change in the way that we want people to live their lives and I can’t remember anything like it in my life time,” Johnson, 55, said at Number 10 Downing Street, flanked by the government’s top scientist and top doctor.

“I don’t think there’s really been anything like it in peacetime and we have to accept that it’s a very considerable psychological, behavioural change that we’re asking you, the public, the nation to do,” he said.

People should avoid pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, the government said, though Johnson stopped short of ordering them to close. He said he hoped the venues would take a responsible approach. People should also avoid unnecessary travel and work from home where possible, he said.

The limits on social contact could last for months or at least weeks, Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty said.

Johnson said anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus should isolate along with their entire household for 14 days. Home working, he said, should begin in earnest.

Sterling fell to its lowest against the US dollar since October while Johnson was speaking, down two thirds of a cent on the day. This crisis, though, is not like the 2008 financial crisis, he said.