British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday unveiled a so-called battleplan to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, as the number of positive cases rose to 39.
He said the Coronavirus Action Plan does not set out what the government will do, but sets out the steps the government could take at the appropriate time on the basis of scientific advice.
The plan has four strands. Containing the virus, delaying its spread, researching its origins and cure, and finally mitigating the impact should the virus become more widespread. That is, contain, delay, research, mitigate, he said in a statement from his 10 Downing Street office in London.
And let me be absolutely clear that for the overwhelming majority of people who contract the virus, this will be a mild disease from which they will speedily and fully recover as we've already seen. But I fully understand public concern, your concern, about the global spread of this virus. And it is highly likely that we will see a growing number of UK cases, he said.
The new steps will involve possible school closures, cancelling events and bringing staff from the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) out of retirement. Over time, unnecessary travel could also be curbed and people urged to work from home and legislation will be introduced to ensure ministers have the powers to prepare for a widespread outbreak.
And forgive me for repeating this but there will be people who will be tuning into this for the first time: wash your hands with soap and hot water for the length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice, Johnson added.
Under the plan, it is estimated that up to a fifth of the country's workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK. Police may need to focus on only responding to the most serious crimes and maintaining public order if the virus spreads, with the military brought to provide support to emergency services if required.
The plan was agreed at the government's emergency COBRA committee meeting on the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, where health experts and government chiefs discussed, finalised and signed off the battleplan.
Later in the week, a major public information campaign will be launched setting out clear steps the public can take to limit the spread of the virus, including washing their hands regularly with soap and water.
A new Bill will be published in the coming weeks to ensure the UK government has all the necessary powers to prepare for and tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Under measures already in place, every UK government department has a designated ministerial virus lead to oversee the response to the global threat of the virus, for instance on schools or businesses. A war room has been set up in the Cabinet Office, bringing together communications experts and scientists from across government and the NHS to roll out the public information campaign. Coronavirus will also be a standing item on the weekly Cabinet agenda.
As the situation unfolds, more home working and discouraging unnecessary travel is planned as part of a social distancing strategy that could delay the peak of the outbreak until later in the year, potentially helping combat the virus in warmer weather conditions.
Looking at emergency registration of health professionals who have retired, the introduction of emergency indemnity coverage for healthcare workers to provide care or diagnostic services and relaxation of rules around staff to pupil ratios in education and childcare settings are also underway.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was not currently recommending the cancelling of large events such as the London Marathon or school closures, unless this was advised by Public Health England. However, he said there was a "significant risk" of the virus becoming more widespread, meaning further measures might be necessary.
"There may be things that we have to do down the line that we may not want to, but we will need the powers to do that, hence proposing emergency legislation," he said.
Meanwhile, UK's Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak has ordered his Treasury officials to work up plans to support the public health response, businesses and the economy in his Budget on March 11.
"We are well prepared for this global threat and, as the wider economic picture becomes clearer, we stand ready to announce further support where needed," he said.
The spread of the virus and deaths from the resulting disease COVID-19 have been on the rise around the world, with four new UK cases announced on Monday, all of whom had travelled to Italy which has seen the largest outbreak in Europe. The latest cases came as the European Union (EU) raised the coronavirus risk level in member states to "moderate to high".
The UK's Department of Health said a total of 13,525 people had been tested in the UK, of which 13,485 were negative.
Globally, over 90,000 people have been infected, with cases in more than 50 countries. More than 3,100 people have died the vast majority in China's Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
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