ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Tesco has announced that all its 24-hour stores will reduce their hours from tonight.

The supermarket's 24-hour stores will from Tuesday night open only between 6am and 10pm to give staff more time to restock the shelves, which are being depleted quickly as shoppers stockpile.

Staff in stores were reportedly informed on Tuesday afternoon and it was not immediately clear whether some will see their shift hours cut during the uncertain times.

Details are being updated online with new store opening times, and it is believed some larger 24-hour stores that have pharmacies will remain open beyond 10pm.

Deserted London during Coronavirus - In pictures 48 show all Deserted London during Coronavirus - In pictures 1/48 A quiet Millennium Bridge PA 2/48 A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images 3/48 An empty Millennium Bridge PA 4/48 Visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Paul and Jill Ruddock gallery the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson PA 5/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 6/48 A sparsely-filled carriage on an Underground train in west London PA 7/48 A few people listen to a classical quarter performing in Covent Garden AP 8/48 A quiet Regents Street PA 9/48 Commuters walk through a quiet Waterloo Station at 9.00am AFP via Getty Images 10/48 Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern AFP via Getty Images 11/48 a near-empty Pret A Manger restaurant on the Strand AFP via Getty Images 12/48 A member of the public on the tube PA 13/48 Oxford Circus PA 14/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrod PA 15/48 Harrods PA 16/48 People walk through Chinatown PA 17/48 A view of Covent Garden PA 18/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 19/48 The Mary Poppins statue outside the closed Odeon Leicester Square PA 20/48 An empty Kings Cross tube station in London PA 21/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 22/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 23/48 An empty King's Cross tube station PA 24/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 25/48 Paddington Station Jason Collie 26/48 A couple sit at a restaurant on usually busy street in Clapham, Reuters 27/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 28/48 Bicycles remain in there racks outside an empty street near Euston station PA 29/48 Cambridge Circus PA 30/48 Leicester Square PA 31/48 Covent Garden PA 32/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrods PA 33/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 34/48 An empty cinema theatre in Canary Wharf PA 35/48 An empty terrace of tables outside a bar in Canary Wharf PA 36/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 37/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 38/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrods PA 39/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 40/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 41/48 People wait for a DLR train toward Canary Wharf at Mudchute statio PA 42/48 A view of Canary Wharf station in London PA 43/48 A view of Canary Wharf in London PA 44/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 45/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 46/48 A near-empty rush-hour train from Tring in Hertfordshire to Euston PA 47/48 A view of Canary Wharf in London PA 48/48 Twilight over London Jeremy Selwyn 1/48 A quiet Millennium Bridge PA 2/48 A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images 3/48 An empty Millennium Bridge PA 4/48 Visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Paul and Jill Ruddock gallery the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson PA 5/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 6/48 A sparsely-filled carriage on an Underground train in west London PA 7/48 A few people listen to a classical quarter performing in Covent Garden AP 8/48 A quiet Regents Street PA 9/48 Commuters walk through a quiet Waterloo Station at 9.00am AFP via Getty Images 10/48 Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern AFP via Getty Images 11/48 a near-empty Pret A Manger restaurant on the Strand AFP via Getty Images 12/48 A member of the public on the tube PA 13/48 Oxford Circus PA 14/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrod PA 15/48 Harrods PA 16/48 People walk through Chinatown PA 17/48 A view of Covent Garden PA 18/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 19/48 The Mary Poppins statue outside the closed Odeon Leicester Square PA 20/48 An empty Kings Cross tube station in London PA 21/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 22/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 23/48 An empty King's Cross tube station PA 24/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 25/48 Paddington Station Jason Collie 26/48 A couple sit at a restaurant on usually busy street in Clapham, Reuters 27/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 28/48 Bicycles remain in there racks outside an empty street near Euston station PA 29/48 Cambridge Circus PA 30/48 Leicester Square PA 31/48 Covent Garden PA 32/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrods PA 33/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 34/48 An empty cinema theatre in Canary Wharf PA 35/48 An empty terrace of tables outside a bar in Canary Wharf PA 36/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 37/48 A commuter crosses an empty Waterloo Bridge PA 38/48 A quiet shop floor in Harrods PA 39/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 40/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 41/48 People wait for a DLR train toward Canary Wharf at Mudchute statio PA 42/48 A view of Canary Wharf station in London PA 43/48 A view of Canary Wharf in London PA 44/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 45/48 London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn 46/48 A near-empty rush-hour train from Tring in Hertfordshire to Euston PA 47/48 A view of Canary Wharf in London PA 48/48 Twilight over London Jeremy Selwyn

A Tesco spokesperson said: "​We are changing these store hours to ensure we can serve customers better at this time.

"It gives our colleagues the time overnight to restock the store, replenish the shelves and support our online grocery service at a time when demand is high.”

The decision comes as the Government announced a business rates holiday for all retailers and the leisure industry.

Earlier on Tuesday, Morrisons revealed a series of packages to protect staff and announce an expansion of its online operations - including 3,500 new jobs.

Supermarkets have seen a surge in shoppers stocking up on essentials, and said supply chains are working well. However, there have been reports of abuse aimed at staff.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British public to avoid all non-essential social contact as well as venues like pubs, restaurants and theatres.

He has also repeatedly urged shoppers to be sensible when buying food.

But at a press conference on Tuesday he was asked again if supplies will last.

He said: "We are absolutely confident our supply chains are working, and will work, and we will get farm to fork food supplies."Therefore people should have no reason to stockpile or panic buy."

London panic buying during the Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 44 show all London panic buying during the Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1/44 Shoppers descended on supermarkets again AFP via Getty Images 2/44 Shoppers seen rushing to get toilet rolls as new ones are put on sale in a London Morrisons store Rex Features 3/44 Shoppers should be sensible when buying food and groceries Lucy Young 4/44 Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon PA 5/44 Lucy Young 6/44 Lucy Young 7/44 Lucy Young 8/44 Lucy Young 9/44 Lucy Young 10/44 Reuters 11/44 Reuters 12/44 Reuters 13/44 People queue outside a Sainsbury's store as the coronavirus outbreak continues Reuters 14/44 Reuters 15/44 Reuters 16/44 Jeremy Selwyn 17/44 Jeremy Selwyn 18/44 Jeremy Selwyn 19/44 Jeremy Selwyn 20/44 Jeremy Selwyn 21/44 Jeremy Selwyn 22/44 Jeremy Selwyn 23/44 Jeremy Selwyn 24/44 Queues for hand sanitizer at Boots in Islington Jeremy Selwyn 25/44 Tesco Brent Cross 9.00 am Jeremy Selwyn 26/44 Empty shelves of pasta are seen at a supermarket Reuters 27/44 Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Jeremy Selwyn 28/44 SplashNews.com 29/44 A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products Reuters 30/44 AFP via Getty Images 31/44 Shelves have been cleared of the likes of pasta and toilet roll AFP via Getty Images 32/44 A woman carries a basket filled with toilet rolls AFP via Getty Images 33/44 Shoppers wait in line for a supermarket to open its doors in London AFP via Getty Images 34/44 Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves AFP via Getty Images 35/44 AFP via Getty Images 36/44 Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Evening Standard / eyevine 37/44 AFP via Getty Images 38/44 A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford, London Cham Karimeddin 39/44 Shoppers form long queues ahead of the opening of a Costco wholesale store in Chingford Getty Images 40/44 Empty shelves in the bakery aisles of an Asda store in London PA 41/44 Shoppers queue at the checkout of a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images 42/44 A customer leaves with shopping as other customers queue to enter a Costco Wholesalers in Chingford Reuters 43/44 A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford Ashraf Karim Eddin 44/44 Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves at a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images 1/44 Shoppers descended on supermarkets again AFP via Getty Images 2/44 Shoppers seen rushing to get toilet rolls as new ones are put on sale in a London Morrisons store Rex Features 3/44 Shoppers should be sensible when buying food and groceries Lucy Young 4/44 Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon PA 5/44 Lucy Young 6/44 Lucy Young 7/44 Lucy Young 8/44 Lucy Young 9/44 Lucy Young 10/44 Reuters 11/44 Reuters 12/44 Reuters 13/44 People queue outside a Sainsbury's store as the coronavirus outbreak continues Reuters 14/44 Reuters 15/44 Reuters 16/44 Jeremy Selwyn 17/44 Jeremy Selwyn 18/44 Jeremy Selwyn 19/44 Jeremy Selwyn 20/44 Jeremy Selwyn 21/44 Jeremy Selwyn 22/44 Jeremy Selwyn 23/44 Jeremy Selwyn 24/44 Queues for hand sanitizer at Boots in Islington Jeremy Selwyn 25/44 Tesco Brent Cross 9.00 am Jeremy Selwyn 26/44 Empty shelves of pasta are seen at a supermarket Reuters 27/44 Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Jeremy Selwyn 28/44 SplashNews.com 29/44 A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products Reuters 30/44 AFP via Getty Images 31/44 Shelves have been cleared of the likes of pasta and toilet roll AFP via Getty Images 32/44 A woman carries a basket filled with toilet rolls AFP via Getty Images 33/44 Shoppers wait in line for a supermarket to open its doors in London AFP via Getty Images 34/44 Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves AFP via Getty Images 35/44 AFP via Getty Images 36/44 Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Evening Standard / eyevine 37/44 AFP via Getty Images 38/44 A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford, London Cham Karimeddin 39/44 Shoppers form long queues ahead of the opening of a Costco wholesale store in Chingford Getty Images 40/44 Empty shelves in the bakery aisles of an Asda store in London PA 41/44 Shoppers queue at the checkout of a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images 42/44 A customer leaves with shopping as other customers queue to enter a Costco Wholesalers in Chingford Reuters 43/44 A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford Ashraf Karim Eddin 44/44 Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves at a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images

But industry sources recently said: "Shoppers over coronavirus is getting worse despite appeals for calm and supermarket bosses are concerned the government is yet to get to grips with the magnitude of the crisis."

On Sunday, the food industry appealed to shoppers to stop panic buying, placing adverts in national newspapers.

But by Tuesday shelves were stripped bare of items such as pasta, soap meggs and chicken, and freezer shelves were emptied.

Meanwhile, the death toll from coronavirus in the UK has hit 71 while cases reached 1,950.

The NHS said 67 people in England have now died from the virus after 14 more secumbed to the virus as of Tuesday.

Seven of the deaths were in London, which has emerged as the epicentre of the country's outbreak.

A statement from NHS England said: “A further 14 people, who tested positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in England to 67.

“Patients were aged between 93 and 45 years old and had underlying health conditions. Their families have been informed.”