Coronavirus information

For the latest official Government and NHS news and information on Coronavirus (COVID-19), visit gov.uk/coronavirus or nhs.uk/coronavirus

Social distancing measures 

To support the NHS response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government updated its instruction on social distancing. Issued with immediate effect, people are now only allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:

• shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible;
• one form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household;
• any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; and
• travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.

To ensure compliance, the Government has immediately:

• closed all shops selling non-essential goods, including clothing and electronic stores and other premises including libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms, and places of worship;
• Stopped all gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with; and
• Stopped all social events, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies, but excluding funerals.