Cornwall: The UK county of Cornwall is usually bustling at this time of year, with tourists flocking to its sun-drenched beaches and quaint coastal towns.
But this Spring, bars, restaurants, hotels and tourist resorts across the county are closed in an attempt to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Without the income generated from tourism, the area faces huge financial hardship, with many business owners saying 2020 could be a disastrous year for earnings.
If lockdown measures are extended through to August, it would be the end of 80 percent of the businesses that rely on tourism, says Visit Cornwall Chief Executive, Malcolm Bell.
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"We'd be talking about 1.2 billion pounds (almost 1.5 billion US dollars) of loss."
Last week, the UK government announced a three-week extension of the lockdown, saying that relaxing the measures too soon would risk wasting all the sacrifices and all the progress that has been made.
As of Monday, the UK had reported 1,21,174 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 16,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
(AP)
