Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Friday 6 November 2020
As the UK moves to the next phase in our fight against coronavirus, the most important thing we can do is to stay at home, control the virus, and in doing so, save lives.
The government has announced which tier each local authority in England will fall under, in line with measures set out in the COVID-19 Winter Plan published on Monday.
Portsmouth, Southampton and wider Hampshire have all been placed in tier 2, except for the Isle of Wight which has been placed into tier 1. A full list of local authority tiers can be found here. The guidance on local restriction tiers is now available in Slovak, Polish, Bangla (Bengali), Welsh, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Gujarati, Somali, Persian (Farsi) and Punjabi (Gurmukhi) here.
What to do if you have symptoms
If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough and a high temperature, or a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste, you are advised to stay at home for 10 days and get a test!
Please do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP practice.
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 10 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days. The most up-to-date public guidance is always online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
For the latest COVID-19 advice please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
How to stop infection spreading
Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact.
A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict guidelines.
This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals and returned home also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wear a face covering in enclosed spaces.
- Make space - Stay at least 2 metres apart - or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions and avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
- Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
Resources in different languages, easy read and BSL
- Covid-19 information leaflet in different languages
- Covid-19 Easy Read Leaflet
- Covid-19 Guidance in BSL
- COVID-19 guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable in different languages and easy read.
- COVID-19 guidance for households with possible Coronavirus infection in different languages and easy read.
- COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people in different languages and Easy Read versions.