- Self-isolating: stay at home if you think you have coronavirus
- Stay alert: what you can and cannot do
- Staying safe outside your home
- Face coverings: when to wear one and how to make your own
- Shielding: protecting yourself if you're clinically extremely vulnerable
- Unpaid carers: supporting friends and family
Coronavirus (COVID‑19)
Help control the virus
To protect yourself and others, when you leave home you must:
- wash hands - keep washing your hands regularly
- cover face - wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces
- make space - stay at least a metre away from people not in your household
If you are feeling unwell, get a test and do not leave home for at least 10 days.
If you have coronavirus symptoms:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
Do not leave home for at least 10 days after your test
Find out what support you can get
For example, if you’re out of work, need to get food, or want to take care of your mental health.
Guidance and support
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How you can get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Popular content
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Get coronavirus (COVID-19) support if you’re working less or not working - and find out how to stay safe at work.
Popular content
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Get coronavirus (COVID-19) support for your business or if you’re self-employed, and find out how to keep your business and your employees safe
Popular content
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for parents, schools, colleges and universities: closures, exams, learning, health and wellbeing.
Popular content
- Foreign travel advice for each country
- Entering or returning to the UK
- Guidance for travelling abroad
- Countries you can travel from without self-isolating
- Countries exempt from advice against non-essential international travel
- Safer air travel guidance for passengers
- Get support if you’re waiting to return to the UK
- Guidance for visa applicants in the UK and abroad
Testing
- Essential workers: book your test
- Care home workers: book your test
- How to take a swab test and where to send samples
Guidance for managers
Managing patients with coronavirus (COVID-19)
- How to protect extremely vulnerable people (shielding)
- Using PPE (personal protective equipment)
- COVID-19: guidance for health professionals
- Managing coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths
Support for healthcare workers and volunteers
- How to volunteer
- Join a vaccine research study
- Join a coronavirus detection dog study
- Join a genetic study if you tested positive for coronavirus
- Donate blood plasma if you have tested positive for coronavirus
- How to help others safely
- Guidance for unpaid carers
- Help to increase coronavirus testing capacity
- Help tackle false information spreading online
See specific guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Announcements
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Self-isolating people in areas with a high number of cases will get payments
Published 27 August 2020
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Wearing face coverings in schools in England
Published 26 August 2020
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Millions of self employed to benefit from second stage of support scheme
Published 17 August 2020