The Orwell Bridge is usually flooded with traffic but today it’s a different story as Suffolk goes into lockdown to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson made history last night when he warned the nation to stay at home to stop loved ones dying due to the widespread coronavirus pandemic – which has already killed 335 people in the country.
More: Boris Johnson announces lockdown to battle coronavirusMr Johnson said the world is now seeing the “devastating effect of the invisible killer” and urged people to take this seriously.
The announcement came after hundreds of people ignored government advice to self-isolate, with crowds visiting parks, beaches and other open spaces across Suffolk and north Essex over the weekend.
But today it is a very different story.
Snapshots from the traffic cameras along the A14 at lunchtime show that the county has become eerily quiet – with many people finally listening to the PM’s instructions and staying at home.
People have been ordered to only leave the house for basic food shopping, exercise once a day and essential travel to and from work.
The A14, and in particular the Orwell Bridge, appeared to be unusually quiet – but still more can be done to help aid social distancing and “flatten the curve” of the fast developing virus here in the UK.
Despite the roads being pretty clear throughout the day, shoppers continued to line-up outside supermarkets across the county in the early hours, ignoring advice not to stock-pile.
Some shops even seemed “like a normal shopping day” because of the amount of people getting supplies.
The unusually quiet roads across Ipswich and Suffolk as a whole begs the question of whether more people should work from home in the future to help reduce our carbon footprint.
Do you think a move to working from home could be a good outcome? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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