Coronavirus “is the worst public health crisis for a generation”, the prime minister has said as he set out measures that could “cause severe disruption for many months”.
Boris Johnson said anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, such as a continuous cough or high temperature, must now stay at home for seven days.
He said school trips abroad should be stopped, while people over 70 with serious medical conditions should not go on cruises.
But Johnson said there was no need to close schools now as the scientific advice “is that this could do more harm than good”.
He said this tactic may change at some point, while in the future anybody living with somebody who is taken ill will also be told to self-isolate for seven days.
Johnson said families would continue to “lose loved ones before their time” as the coronavirus outbreak worsens.
“We’ve all got to be clear, this is the worst public health crisis for a generation,” said the PM.
“Some people compare it to seasonal flu, alas that is not right.
“Due to the lack of immunity this disease is more dangerous.
“It is going to spread further and I must level with you, I must level with the British public: many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”
He said there was a need to delay the spread of Covid-19 to “minimise the suffering” and reduce the impact on the NHS.
Johnson said the government was “considering the question of banning major sporting events”.
He said the evidence suggests it will “have little effect on the spread” of coronavirus, though such events did place a burden on public services.
“If you have coronavirus symptoms however mild, either a new continuous cough or a high temperature, then you should stay at home for at least seven days to protect others and help slow the spread of the disease,” the PM added.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said the actual number of people infected in the UK at the moment could be between 5,000 and 10,000.
Johnson stepped up the response to the outbreak, moving to the so called ‘delay phase’ which includes the option of more stringent measures designed to slow down the spread of the virus.
Stock markets tumbled across the world, with Britain’s FTSE 100 down 10.9 per cent, its worst one-day performance since 1987. Sterling fell three cents against the dollar, the biggest fall since the 2016 Brexit vote.
At a meeting of Britain’s emergency committee, known as Cobra, Johnson decided to move to the so called ‘delay phase’ from the ‘contain phase’.
“We are now getting onto the next phase,” Johnson said. “This is now not just an attempt to contain the disease as far as possible but to delay its spread.”
He said those showing symptoms of having the virus should self-isolate for at least a week.
REUTERS