Anyone self-isolating or suffering from symptoms of coronavirus is being urged to double bag their waste and not leave it unsupervised for 72 hours before binning.
The Government has issued the advice on what to do with your waste – especially tissues and disposable cleaning cloths – as more and more Britons test positive for the deadly disease.
It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday urged everyone in the country to stop all ‘non-essential’ contact with others and told anyone with mild symptoms – new persistent cough and/or fever – to stay at home and self-isolate for seven days.
Those self-isolating have been issued guidance on what to do while at home and how to avoid infecting others.
This includes disposing of your waste properly – including making sure you have used two bin bags – and ensuring you do not put it out on the street for at least 72 hours after the bag is full.
The Government has issued the advice on what to do with your waste – especially tissues and disposable cleaning cloths – as more and more Britons test positive for the deadly disease
Those self-isolating have been issued guidance on what to do while at home and how to avoid infecting others – including how to dispose of their waste
Healthy people below the age of 70 have been urged to work from home if they can, to avoid socialising or going out and to stop all non-essential travel
The advice on waste states: ‘Waste from possible cases and cleaning of areas where possible cases have been should be put in a plastic rubbish bag and tied when full.
‘The plastic bag should then be placed in a second bin bag and tied.
‘It should be put in a suitable and secure place and marked for storage until the individual’s test results are known.
‘Waste should be stored safely and kept away from children. You should not put your waste in communal waste areas until negative test results are known or the waste has been stored for at least 72 hours.’
The advice adds: ‘If the individual tests negative, this can be put in with the normal waste.
‘If the individual tests positive, then store it for at least 72 hours and put in with the normal waste.’
If you cannot store you waste for 72 hours, the government is asking people to arrange for a Category B infectious waste collection.
This means that your local authority will supply you with orange clinical waste bags for you to place your bags into so the waste can be sent for appropriate treatment.
Other advice has also been issued on how to clean your home and clothes during the outbreak.
For laundry, Public Health England advice states: ‘Use the warmest water setting and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an unwell person can be washed with other people’s items.
‘Do not shake dirty laundry, this minimises the possibility of dispersing virus through the air.’
Advice on how to clean your home includes wearing disposable or washing up gloves and aprons for cleaning.
And if an area has been heavily contaminated, such as with visible bodily fluids from a person with coronavirus, people are told to consider using protection for the eyes, mouth and nose as well as gloves and an apron.
It comes after a dramatic press conference last night, in which the PM warned that the coronavirus was now in a phase of rapid spread across the UK, with London seeing a particular surge.
Everyone should avoid contact that is not absolutely necessary – with restaurants, bars and cinemas and travel off limits, and an end to large gatherings. Admitting that the squeeze could last 12 weeks or even longer, Mr Johnson acknowledged he was ‘asking a lot’.
Entire households should self-isolate for two weeks if one person has been showing symptoms, and older people should prepare to stay away from risks for months to come. He said that meant ‘you should not go out, even to buy food or essentials’.
But unlike New York – where all bars and restaurants were compelled to close by 8pm local time last night – Mr Johnson said he would rely on businesses and Britons to follow guidance.
Mr Johnson also said he was not yet ordering schools to be closed, saying he still believed it could make matters worse.
As the UK coronavirus death toll spiked to 55, the PM said: ‘If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities. If that is not possible, you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get supplies.’
‘Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and stop all non-essential travel. We need people to start working from home where they possible can. You should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues.’
In a special plea to the capital, Mr Johnson said people there were at the highest risk. ‘It looks as though London is now a few weeks ahead… it’s important that Londoners now pay special attention to what we are saying about avoiding all non-essential contact.’
The move came after ministers were warned the death toll from the virus could hit 260,000 unless dramatic measures were taken immediately.
In a statement late last night, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle also urged MPs and peers over the age of 70, as well as those with underlying health conditions and those who might be pregnant, ‘to pay particular attention to the advice of Public Health England’.
Under new guidance published on Monday, these groups are ‘strongly advised against’ social mixing in the community.
London Waterloo was bereft of commuters this morning after official advice told people to work from home if they could
Bristol Temple Meads train station was eerily quiet this morning at a time when it would usually be heaving in rush hour
Sir Lindsay said there will be ‘no access to the public gallery’ in both Houses of Parliament from today in response to the coronavirus pandemic, adding that ‘all non-essential access’ will be stopped.
On those who self-isolated, either because they had symptoms, lived in a household where someone had symptoms, or were classed as vulnerable, Mr Johnson said: ‘That means that if possible you should not go out even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others.
‘If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities. And if that is not possible, then you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get supplies.’
Mr Johnson was flanked by Chief medical officer Chris Whitty (left) and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance (right) at the press conference in Downing Street last night
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty, speaking alongside Mr Johnson and chief scientific officer Patrick Vallance in Downing Street, said the restrictions on families were crucial.
‘If one person in the household has symptoms the whole household stays at home,’ Prof Whitty said.
Prof Vallance said the action was being stepped up after the latest figures showed the UK was further along the outbreak than previously thought.
Previously the government believed Britain was four weeks behind Italy – which has been brought to its knees – but he said it looked like the UK was ‘more like three weeks’ behind.
Prof Whitty said the country had to be prepared for restrictions to be in place for ‘the long haul’.