Boris tells Brits: halt all non-essential social contact

In a dramatic escalation of government advice, Boris Johnson, the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser have said that those with anyone in their household with a fever or a new continuous cough should self-isolate for a fortnight. They also urged even those without any symptoms to avoid non-essential social contact – so no trips to the pub or the theatre – to work from home where possible and that the vulnerable should soon begin to self-isolate.

Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, explained that these measures were necessary as we were now moving into the ‘upswing of the curve’. He said, in a slightly defensive note, that the UK was actually moving on social distancing at an earlier stage in the transmission of the virus than many other countries.