You may have already heard of the new 'Stay at Home' guidance announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday, 12 March, 2020. These include:
- if you have symptoms of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), however mild, do not leave your home for seven days from when your symptoms started
- this action will help protect others in your community while you are infectious
- plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home
- ask your employer, friends and family to help you get the things you need to stay at home
- stay at least two metres (about three steps) away from other people in your home if possible
- sleep alone, if possible
- wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water
- stay away from vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, as much as possible
- you do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after seven days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.
Please do follow these new guidelines here.
Good hygiene is the best prevention and there are some simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly and if you cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Do keep looking at the current NHS advice here.
Please also follow the updated travel guidance here.
We have also added links on our own website to helpful sites and more will be added as they become available, you can find the main page here.
The NHS website has a list of common questions about the virus, how it is transmitted, and what you can do to prevent it spreading.
Symptoms of coronavirus
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- a new continuous cough, and/or high temperature
- a high temperature
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection. If you develop the above-mentioned symptoms, however mildly it is important to follow the government’s stay at home guidance.
Rachel Robinson, Director of Public Health for Shropshire Council, said: “We can confirm a third case has tested positive for COVID-19 within Shropshire Council local authority area. This is not linked to the first two cases. As with the first two cases, this is a case in an adult who has returned from an infected area.
“We would also like to reassure the public that at this time (2.30pm on Friday, 13 March, 2020) there are no known cases of coronavirus in staff or pupils at any of our childcare or education settings.
“Should the situation change and there becomes a need for people to take additional measures to prevent the spreading of coronavirus, specific instructions will be disseminated widely, and available on the above-mentioned websites.
“Parents and carers can continue with their regular childcare arrangements until specifically told otherwise by the childcare provider or Public Health England.”
Further information
Shropshire Council has been working closely with Telford and Wrekin Council, Public Health England, NHS England and local health and care partners, to prepare and respond to COVID-19 (coronavirus).
All partners continue to work together to co-ordinate appropriate action and resources to protect the public’s health. Partners and services are working closely to support each other to ensure organisations have the capacity to respond to COVID-19 whilst still being able to provide essential everyday services. This includes the setting up of Shropshire Local Health Resilience Partnership to co-ordinate plans and prepare for any changes in the situation, should they arise. All partners keep in regular contact and take part in daily and weekly update meetings with both local, regional and national colleagues.
Work currently being undertaken:
- Promoting national guidance and key messages to the public, staff and organisations, including schools and businesses.
- Advising people to stay at home for seven days if they have symptoms of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), however mild.
* The LHRP includes representatives from: Shropshire Council, Telford & Wrekin Council, NHS England and Improvement, Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR) leads, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Foundation Trust, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, Local Medical Committee and Public Health England.
- Shropshire Council, PHE and the NHS are well prepared to deal with coronavirus. Our priority is to safeguard local communities which sometimes involves taking preventative measures to help reduce the risk of further cases.
- For confidentiality we only reveal the minimum information that is necessary for public health protection purposes because individuals have a right to have their identity and personal information protected and kept confidential. Anyone who needs to take any action as a result of a confirmed case will be contacted by Public Health England and given advice. Anyone else is not at any increased risk as a result of a particular case.
- As of 9am on Friday, 13 March, 2020, 32,771 people have been tested in the UK, of which 31,973 were confirmed negative and 798 were confirmed as positive. We advise people to follow the advice being issued by PHE, NHS and local authorities.
- We cannot comment further on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.
- Details on testing are published daily at 2pm and includes a breakdown of negative and positive tests https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public
- For more information and advice on coronavirus (COVID-19)
PHE - https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/
NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/