Self Isolation
Self-isolation helps stop coronavirus spreading
Do not leave your home
if you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or live with someone who does.
This is called self-isolation.
If you are self-isolating, you must:
Must do
- not leave your home for any reason – if you need food or medicine, order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home
- not have visitors, such as friends and family, in your home You can use your garden, if you have one. Any exercise should be taken at home.
If you're not sure if you need to self-isolate
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough), use the
111 coronavirus service to find out what to do
How long to self-isolate ?
If you have symptoms
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you'll need to self-isolate for 7 days.
After 7 days:
- if you do not have a high temperature, you can stop self-isolating
- if you still have a high temperature, keep self-isolating until your temperature returns to normal
You do not need to self-isolate if you just have a cough after 7 days. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone
If you live with someone who has symptoms
If you live with someone who has symptoms, you'll need to self-isolate for 14 days from the day their symptoms started. This is because it can take 14 days for symptoms to appear.
If more than 1 person at home has symptoms, self-isolate for 14 days from the day the first person started having symptoms.
If you get symptoms, self-isolate for 7 days from when your symptoms start, even if it means you're self-isolating for longer than 14 days.
If you do not get symptoms, you can stop self-isolating after
After self-isolation
You still need to stay at home when you finish self-isolating, but you can go out for essential trips such as buying food
Read about coronavirus advice for everyone
Reducing the spread of infection in your home
Do
- wash your hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards
- clean objects and surfaces you touch often (like door handles, kettles and phones) using your regular cleaning products
- clean a shared bathroom each time you use it, for example by wiping the surfaces you have touched
Don't
- do not share towels, including hand towels and tea towels