- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- always wash your hands when you get home or into work
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
- try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
People are being urged to stay at home for seven days if they develop a high temperature or new continuous cough as part of an expanded public awareness campaign in the fight against COVID-19, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.
Ten more people in the UK have died in the last 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus. That doubles the number of UK fatalities so far, bringing the total number of deaths to 21.
For the first time, members of the public will see advice in TV adverts featuring Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and voiced by actor Mark Strong as part of the government’s drive to ensure everyone knows the best way to limit and delay the spread of the COVID-19.
Building on the current campaign, which reinforces the importance of washing your hands more often, the next phase reflects the Westminster government’s shift into the ‘delay’ phase of its action plan to limit the spread of the virus.
A key part of this is asking people to self-isolate for seven days if they develop a high temperature or a new continuous cough – however mild.
As well as on TV, people will see and hear the campaign advice in newspapers and magazines, on drive-time radio, online and through social media and on billboards and large digital displays, including at bus stops.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Coronavirus is the biggest public health crisis we have faced in a generation. It continues to spread both in the UK and around the world and we need to accept that sadly, many more of us will become infected.
“The government and the NHS are working 24/7 to fight this virus. We must all work together and play our own part in protecting ourselves and each other, as well as our NHS, from this disease. This expanded campaign will focus on ensuring the public knows exactly what they should be doing to keep themselves and others safe.
“Washing hands regularly for 20 seconds or more remains the single most important thing an individual can do, but we now also need to ask anyone with a high temperature or new continuous cough – however mild – to isolate yourself and stay at home for seven days. You should continue to follow our online clinical advice and not go to A&E or your GP if you develop mild symptoms.
“Combating this virus will require a national effort – we all have a role to play to slow its spread and protect the elderly and the vulnerable.”
This week, the UK’s Chief Medical Officers raised the risk to the public from moderate to high. The campaign offers clear, practical advice so the public can play their part in preventing and slowing the spread of the virus.
As per the current advice, the most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves remains washing their hands more often, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water. Make sure you cough or sneeze into a tissue, put it in a bin and wash your hands.
The next phase of the awareness campaign also reiterates the importance of seeking help online by visiting NHS.uk/coronavirus to check your symptoms and follow the medical advice, rather than visiting your GP.
It also urges people with any symptoms to avoid contact with older and more vulnerable people. Where possible, we are urging people to visit the 111 website rather than calling, too, to ensure the phone service is readily available to those who need it.
Last week, the Prime Minister published a ‘battle plan’ for tackling the disease in the UK, which sets out plans for a range of scenarios. This week, the Prime Minister confirmed the UK has moved into the second stage of this plan, the ‘delay’ phase.
NHS, Public Health England and Local Authority Public Health teams up and down the country are working tirelessly to support everyone in need of advice, testing or treatment.
Since January, public health teams and world leading scientists have been working round the clock on the COVID-19 response, and government has been working with partners across the country to provide tailored advice to the public, travellers coming into the country and those most at risk from COVID-19.
However some believe the UK government is not doing enough to tackle the public health emergency.
More than 200 scientists have written to the government urging them to introduce tougher measures to tackle the spread of Covid-19.
In an open letter, a group of 229 scientists from UK universities say the government’s current approach will put the NHS under additional stress and “risk many more lives than necessary”.
The scientists also criticise comments made by the government’s chief scientific adviser about managing the spread of the infection to make the population immune.
UK_scientists_statement_on_coronavirus_measures
Spain and France have imposed sweeping new restrictions and the United States has added the UK to it’s travel ban. The Foreign and Commonwelth Office is now advising UK nationals not to travel to Spain.
A FCO spokesman said: “Due to Spain declaring a State of Emergency on 14 March, which imposes significant restrictions on movement throughout the country in response to the coronavirus outbreak, we are now advising against all but essential travel to Spain.”
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “With countries, including the US, banning travel from the UK and more airlines pulling routes from their schedules, passengers urgently need clear information about their upcoming journeys, the support they will be offered if abroad and plans to ensure they get home safely.
“For anyone whose return flight to the UK is cancelled, it’s rarely a good idea to accept a refund as doing so ends the airline’s duty of care to you. Instead insist on the airline meeting its obligations to get you home on the earliest available alternative flight – with another carrier if necessary.
“The CAA must monitor the situation closely to ensure airlines are fulfilling all of their legal duty to passengers when flights are disrupted, so that we don’t see a repeat of the situation in Italy where passengers were left stranded.”
Any passengers who incur additional costs as a result of being rerouted home via an indirect route should retain all receipts to have these costs reimbursed by their airline.
Saturday’s figures rose by 36 in 24 hours in Scotland – the highest daily rise so far.
Public should only contact GP or NHS 111 if symptoms worsen.
Surveillance testing for COVID-19 (coronavirus) will be expanded to monitor the spread of the virus in the community. The programme will be extended to GP practices covering up to 1.2 million people across all health boards in Scotland.
It will test people presenting with relevant symptoms, including with flu-like symptoms or general respiratory illness and underlying health conditions. It will also support the continued testing of people admitted to hospital with symptoms.
People following the guidance to stay at home for seven days if they have mild symptoms of a new cough or raised temperature will not be routinely tested – and will continue to be advised to only phone NHS 111 or contact the GP if their condition worsens.
Surveillance testing will provide real-time information on how the virus is spreading in Scotland, which will inform NHS planning and allow resources to be directed where they are needed most.
Key workers such as NHS staff will continue to be tested if they show symptoms.
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer said: “This new approach to testing will enable us to understand the pattern and spread of coronavirus in the community, to develop a clear assessment of the situation and to predict the peak number of cases, without having to test everyone with possible symptoms.
“Those with mild symptoms do not need to be tested. They should continue to stay at home for seven days and only contact their GP or 111 if their condition worsens.
“Everybody has a role to play in helping contain this outbreak by following the latest health advice and basic hygiene precautions such as washing hands frequently, not touching their face and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.”
Letter from CMO – COVID-19 Implications of move to delay phase -13 Mar 2020
New measures to limit the impact of COVID-19 on the business community in Scotland were announced yesterday by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes.
The following steps will be put in place to support businesses during the 2020-21 financial year:
• a 75% rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value of less than £69,000 from 1 April 2020
• an £80 million fund to provide grants of at least £3,000 to small businesses in sectors facing the worst economic impact of COVID-19
• 1.6% rates relief for all properties across Scotland, effectively reversing the planned below inflation uplift in the poundage from 1 April 2020
• a fixed rates relief of up to £5,000 for all pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000 from 1 April 2020
The Finance Secretary will also write to all local authorities urging them to respond positively to requests from rate payers for payment deferrals for a fixed period.
Ms Forbes said: “COVID-19 will have challenging implications for businesses and the economy over the coming weeks and months.
“As well as following the latest health and travel advice, it’s also crucial we consider the latest economic analysis and listen carefully to what the business community is telling us. We know that the tourism and hospitality sectors are facing immediate pressure, which is why we have directed support to them in particular.
“All rate-payers will benefit from a relief that effectively reverses the planned inflationary uplift in the poundage that was due to come into effect in April.
“The measures I’m announcing today will provide £320 million of assistance to Scottish business and ensures that all Non Domestic Rate consequentials we expect to receive from the UK Government associated with the COVID-19 outbreak will be used to provide Scottish business with support through what is likely to be a difficult time.
“We will also be making the case to the UK Government that, because of the larger number of small businesses in Scotland, we need additional resources to be able to provide further support.
“Businesses receiving support are being encouraged to operate with fair work principles including supporting staff to self-isolate when they need to and if they have caring responsibilities and to consider keeping staff in employment where at all possible.
“We continue to work closely with our partners to identify what further support is needed and I’d encourage any businesses with questions relating to the impact of COVID-19 to contact the helpline we launched this week.”
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