Health Protection Information
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
Stay at home
You must stay at home, only leaving for the following very limited purposes:
- Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible.
- One form of exercise a day – for example, a run, walk or cycle – alone or with members of your immediate household.
- Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
- Travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.
Protect the NHS
You must stay at home to protect the NHS:
The NHS only has a limited number of doctors, nurses and specialist equipment.
- We are working around the clock to increase NHS capacity.
- The more people who get sick, the harder it is for the NHS to cope.
- We must slow the spread of the disease so that fewer people are sick at any one time.
Save lives
You must stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives:
- Police will disperse gatherings of more than two people in public, excluding people you live with.
- Police will issue fines to anyone who does not comply with these rules.
- Police will close all shops that are not essential, as well as playgrounds and places of worship.
Stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature
- For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
It is very important that individuals with symptoms that may be due to coronavirus and their household members stay at home. Staying at home will help control the spread of the virus to friends, the wider community, and particularly the most vulnerable.
Those with symptoms and living alone should remain at home for 7 days after the onset of their symptoms (see ending self-isolation). This will reduce the risk of you infecting others.
If you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms that may be caused by coronavirus, then household members must stay at home and not leave your house for 14 days (see ending self-isolation). If possible, you should not go out even to buy food or other essentials, other than exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others.
Ask friends or family to drop off anything you need or order supplies online, but make sure these are left outside your home for you to collect.
More online at > Stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection