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Whole families must self-isolate for two weeks if ONE shows coronavirus symptoms, PM announces
WHOLE families must self-isolate for two weeks if just ONE member shows coronavirus symptoms, the Prime Minister has announced.
Boris Johnson said that entire households will have to go into quarantine - not even being allowed to go shopping - for up to a fortnight to stop the spread of the deadly illness.
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Mr Johnson, who chaired a Corba meeting this afternoon, announced the new measure during a press conference today.
He said: "By bringing forward the right measures, at the right time, we minimise suffering and safe lives.
"Last week, we asked everyone to stay at home if you had one of two key symptoms.
"Today we need to go further - according to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), it looks as though we are now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve.
"Without drastic action, cases could double every five or six days.
"First we need to ask you to ensure that if you or anyone in your household has one of those two symptoms you should stay at home for 14 days.
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"That means that if possible you should not go out even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others.
"If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities.
"If that is not possible you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get your supplies."
New measures
Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser to the government, explained that they have today introduced a series of new measures.
He said: "The measures have two objectives, one is to delay the transmission of this virus across the community and the other is to keep people safe.
"The measures include whole household isolation.
"So if one person gets the symptoms of a new persistent cough or fever the whole household stays isolated for the 14 days.
If one person gets the symptoms of a new persistent cough or fever the whole household stays isolated for the 14 days
Sir Patrick Vallance
"The reason it's 14 days is the seven days for the person who's got the infection, the incubation period that others may catch it and the seven days after that."
Chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, added: "There has to be some common sense around this.
"People need to think through the practicalities.
"The reason for this is they are stopping it being transmitted onto the rest of the community.
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"If you are in a household with someone who has coronavirus there is a reasonably high chance that you will go on to get this.
"We do want to stress that the great majority of these people will have mild or moderate disease.
"They do not need to call the NHS 111 - we need to protect it for those who are in greatest need.
"But if anyone's health does deteriorate significantly then they should do so."
Death toll surges
It comes as the death toll in the UK hit 53 as cases surged to 1,543 - a jump of 171 more from yesterday.
The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) met at the weekend and concluded that Britain will "soon" move to delay the peak of the outbreak.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that measures include "shielding" older and medically vulnerable people.
He also said that people aged 70 and over will be asked to self-isolate for up to four months.
So far, Brits who get ill have been told to stay at least two metres away from others in their house.
What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
As Covid-19 is a new virus, experts are still working to understand it.
However, health officials say the most common symptoms of coronavirus infection usually include:
- A dry cough
- A high temperature
- Shortness of breath
Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea - but these are usually mild and begin gradually.
Developing these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have the illness and they are similar to other illnesses, such as the common cold or flu.
Some people will not develop all of these symptoms - and some might not even show symptoms at all, experts say.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, said: "It looks quite likely that there is some degree of asymptomatic transmission.
"There’s definitely quite a lot of transmission very early in the disease when there are very mild symptoms."
But now whole families will have to go into lockdown for two weeks to stop the spread further.
That's to make sure that everyone in the family has time for the symptoms to show and to get over the most infectious part of the disease.
Last week, Mr Johnson told Brits to stay at home if they have a cough or cold for at least a week.
And the elderly were instructed not to go on cruise ships in case they caught the disease.
The PM has decided to keep schools open despite Ireland announcing it would shut theirs down until the end of March to try and stop the spread.
But he warned that many more loved ones would die during the epidemic, in a stark warning to the nation.
Mr Johnson described the outbreak as the "worst public health crisis in a generation" and "it will spread further" as he revealed new measures to try and stop the spread.
Rising cases
At least 36 people have now died from coronavirus in the UK, after Wales confirmed its first death.
The patient, who was in their sixties and had underlying health conditions, died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Across the UK, 1,543 people have now tested positive for Covid-19, up from 1,372 at the same time on Sunday.
However, many thousands more are estimated to have been infected.
There had been some confusion over exactly what elderly people will be asked to do going forward.
Mr Hancock said on Sunday they will be asked to stay at home for a very long time.
However, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today said people over the age of 70 will be asked to self-isolate "as and when the moment is right" - but that they would still be able to go outside and "walk the dog".
He said: "We will ask people to do that as and when the moment is right."
He said it is "quite likely" that elderly people would have to self-isolate for months, but added: "It is the case that people will be able to go out and walk the dog. It's about being sensible, but not mixing in crowds."
But Scotland's national clinical director said elderly people across the UK will not be asked to stay at home.
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Professor Jason Leitch said this group will be asked to reduce social contact, but family visits from people without symptoms will not be banned.
Some in the scientific community have criticised the Government for taking a slower and more relaxed response to the pandemic than other countries.
About 170,000 people have been infected by Covid-19 across the world and more than 6,500 have died.
Elderly WILL be able to go out and walk their dogs during months of coronavirus self-isolation
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