Coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new illness that can affect the lungs and airways.

Please see coronavirus FAQ for answers to some frequently asked questions.

Stay home to stop coronavirus spreading

Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

This includes people of all ages – even if you do not have any symptoms or other health conditions.

You can only leave your home:

to shop for basic essentials – only when you really need to
to do one form of exercise a day – such as a run, walk or cycle, alone or with other people you live with
for any medical need – for example, to visit a pharmacy or deliver essential supplies to a vulnerable person
to travel to and from work – but only where this is absolutely necessary

Continue to stay at home if you have either:

A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

You can find the latest information, advice and guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the following sources:

You can find all the latest health guidance about novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the national NHS website.

Get the latest information about the UK government's response to COVID-19 on the national GOV.UK website.

You can also find out more about the situation regarding COVID-19 on Public Health England's live blog.

There is also specific guidance available for schools, businesses and other areas: