Across the world, more than 169,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give an update on the situation in the UK later today, and is expected to announce some new measures to help prevent the virus’ spread.
What is the Government’s plan to tackle coronavirus?
The Government announced earlier this year its four stage ‘action plan’ to tackle COVID-19 in the UK.
The UK has officially entered the ‘delay’ phase, which focuses on the importance of personal hygiene and hand-washing to prevent the virus’ spread.
The current advice is to stay at home for seven days if you have a cough or a fever, but there has been no ban on large gatherings or events to date.
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Why is the UK’s coronavirus plan so different from other countries?
Across Europe, multiple countries are adopting a ‘social distancing’ approach to coronavirus.
A number of countries have also closed their borders to some, or all, other countries.
In Italy, swathes of the country have entered lockdown, where people have been forced to self-isolate.
The UK’s own approach to tackling coronavirus has been very different so far.
The Government’s approach has been rooted on what ministers have stressed is scientific advice.
It appears the UK has not followed suit with strict social distancing measures of other European countries, and is instead waiting until the virus peaks in the UK to implement similar measures.
The Government currently predicts the virus’ UK peak may be up to 14 weeks away.
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How many cases of coronavirus have been confirmed?
Now the UK has entered the ‘delay phase’ of its plan, only patients in hospitals will be tested for COVID-19.
As of 9am on March 15, there have been 1,372 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.
Of this figure, 35 patients who tested positive for the virus have died.
Around the world, there have been 169,387 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
According to John Hopkins University live maps, 6,513 people diagnosed with the illness have died.
More than 77,000 people have recovered from the virus, but a number of countries have suffered large outbreaks since the virus was discovered in December 2019.
China has confirmed more than 80,000 cases, while Italy has confirmed 24,747 cases as of March 16.
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