weeks. the slogan "stay home, protect the nhs, save lives" was introduced, often seen in capital letters, on a yellow background, with a red border. the government directed people to stay home throughout this period except for essential purchases, essential work travel (if remote work was not possible), medical needs, one exercise per day (alone or with household members), and providing care for others. many other non-essential activities, including all public gatherings and social events except funerals, were prohibited, with many categories of retail businesses ordered to be closed. despite the announcement, the health protection (coronavirus, restrictions) (england) regulations 2020, which made the sweeping restrictions legally enforceable, did not take effect until three days later on 26 march. operation rescript and operation broadshare saw the deployment of the covid support force, a military task force to support public services and civilian authorities in tackling the outbreak within the united kingdom and overseas. on 26 march, the number of uk covid-19 deaths increased by more than 100 in a day for the first time, rising to 578, while a total of 11,568 had tested positive for the virus. at 8:00 pm that day, people from across the uk took part in applause in appreciation of health workers, later branded as clap for our carers. this gesture was repeated on the next nine thursdays, up to 28 may. later reporting in the times suggested that during the uk's first wave, the anticipated burden on the health service led to hospitals prioritising infected people with a higher chance of survival for intensive care units, resulting in many elderly patients not receiving care despite their vulnerability. electronic display sign normally used for traffic management displays covid-19-related advice on an almost deserted chichester street in belfast city centre, 24 march 2020. on 27 march 2020, boris johnson and matt hancock announced that they had tested positive for the virus. on the same day, labour party mp angela rayner, the shadow secretary of state for education, confirmed she had been suffering symptoms and was self-isolating. chief medical adviser chris whitty also reported suffering from symptoms and would be self-isolating, while continuing to advise the uk government. that day also saw the largest increase in the number of deaths, with the figure rising by 181 from the previous day, bringing the total to 759, while 14,579 cases had been confirmed. social distancing while queueing to enter a sainsbury's supermarket, 30 march 2020 on 29 march, it was reported that the government would send a letter to 30 million households warning things would "get worse before they get better" and that tighter restrictions could be implemented if necessary. the letter would also be accompanied by a leaflet setting out the government's lockdown rules along with health information. dr jenny harries, england's deputy chief medical officer, suggested it could be six months before life could return to "normal", because social distancing measures would have to be reduced "gradually". the first nhs nurse died of covid-19. on 30 march, the prime minister's senior adviser dominic cummings was reported to be self-isolating after experiencing covid-19 symptoms. he had been at downing street on 27 march and was stated to have developed symptoms over 28 and 29 march. also, transmission within the community was thought to be decreasing, and hospital admission data suggested cases were increasing at a slower rate. the foreign and commonwealth office repatriated tens of thousands of british nationals who had been stranded abroad by the covid-19 outbreak. april 2020: lockdown continues