"These are extraordinary times."

IKEA will be closing all of its stores temporarily across the UK and Ireland from 6pm Friday, March 20. The Swedish retailer made the announcement this evening, stating that due to directions from the UK government they will be closing all stores in the UK and Ireland until further notice. Peter Jelkeby, country retail manager and chief sustainability officer for IKEA UK and Ireland, said that the health and safety of their customers and co-workers "is our main priority." "These are extraordinary times and I know that, like all of us here at IKEA, many of you are concerned about coronavirus," he said. "Our thoughts are with all those affected and the people working tirelessly to care for them. "As a precautionary measure against the ongoing risk of COVID-19, we have decided that, at 6pm on Friday 20th March, we will temporarily close all the IKEA stores across the UK and Ireland to customers. "Co-workers are at the heart of the IKEA business and we are committed to supporting them in the best possible way during this complex and fast-evolving situation. We would like to thank our co-workers and partners for their dedication and hard work through these unprecedented times." Customers can still browse and purchase IKEA items online or through the app. Delivery is still available however, due to high remand, the retailer is experiencing longer delivery times than usual. Contact-free delivery is also available.