Britons were today given official guidance on how to stay safe and avoid catching coronavirus when they are out in public.
Ministers have now urged Brits to wear face masks on public transport and in some shops where social distancing is not possible.
And they have advised people to continue washing their hands, work from home if possible and travel by walking or cycling.
The guidelines, part of the government’s 50-page exit plan, also recommend Brits wash their clothes regularly and keep their home well ventilated.
In a stark warning to the public, the guidance says: ‘It is your responsibility to adopt these principles wherever possible.
‘All of us, as customers, visitors, employees or employers, need to make changes to lower the risk of transmission of the virus.’
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
In its guidance, health chiefs say the risk of infection ‘increases the closer you are to another person’.
And they warn that the amount of time you spend in close contact with someone is another crucial risk factor.
For example, the government advice says: ‘You are very unlikely to be infected if you walk past another person in the street.’
Public Health England (PHE) recommends that people try to keep at least two metres away from others as a precaution.
The guidance reads: ‘The key thing is to not be too close to people for more than a short amount of time, as much as you can.’
KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FACE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE
Keep your hands and face as clean as possible, reads the second section of the new government advice.
In-keeping with its previous message, it says: ‘Wash your hands often using soap and water, and dry them thoroughly.
‘Use sanitiser where available outside your home, especially as you enter a building and after you have had contact with surfaces.’
And it also says you should stop touching your face, thought to be one of the main ways of catching the SARS-CoV-2 virus – which lives on surfaces.
WORK FROM HOME IF YOU CAN
Many Britons are able to do most or all of their work from home, if they are given by the proper equipment, the guidance says.
The advice reads: ‘Your employer should support you to find reasonable adjustments to do this. However, not all jobs can be done from home.’
And it says that people can travel to work, if their workplace is open and it is simply not possible to do their job from home.
AVOID BEING FACE-TO-FACE WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
In a confusing message to the public, the advice says: ‘Avoid being face to face with people if they are outside your household.’
It does not confirm whether or not people can finally see their loved ones after seven weeks of lockdown – but suggests it is possible.
The guidance says Britons are more at risk of catching the virus if they are within two metres of someone and have face-to-face contact with them.
This is because respiratory droplets carrying the virus can be released by an infected patient whenever they talk or cough, scientists say.
Instead of talking face-to-face with others, the advice says you should stand side-to-side – such as when you walk with someone.
SPEND LESS TIME WITH PEOPLE AT WORK
For Britons going back to work, the guidance says you should ‘reduce the number of people you spend time with in a work setting where you can’.
The advice recommends employers change any shift patterns to match you with the same team each day.
This advice is designed to keep circles of potential contact as small as possible, just in case someone was infected.
It also advises splitting staff up into smaller, contained teams so that people are not unnecessarily exposed to other employees.
‘Employers have a duty to assess and manage risks to your safety in the workplace,’ it says.
‘The Government has issued guidance to help them do this. This includes how to make adjustments to your workplace to help you maintain social distance.