UK : regular hand-washing is the single most important action individuals can take in the fight against Covid-19

The new Government publicity campaign seeks to drive home the message that regular hand-washing is the single most important action individuals can take in the fight against Covid-19.

It comes the day after the Government launched its "battle plan" to combat the outbreak with a warning that up to a fifth of the UK workforce could be off sick when the virus hits its peak.

The new adverts say hand-washing should be for 20 seconds, using soap and water or hand sanitiser.

The Government "battle plan" sets out possible strategies for delaying the virus spread including school closures, "reducing the number of large-scale gatherings" and encouraging greater home working.

In a worst case scenario, it said up to 80% of the population could become infected, with people hospitalised with pneumonia and a relatively high death rate among the elderly and frail.

The document also raises the possibility that at the virus peak, police could switch to dealing with only serious crime and maintaining public order while the military could be drafted in to support the emergency services.

Government scientific experts predict the UK's coronavirus outbreak could last around four to six months.

Globally, eight new countries – Andorra, Jordan, Latvia, Morocco, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Tunisia – have reported cases of coronavirus since Tuesday.

There are now more than 90,000 cases worldwide with more than 3,000 deaths.

Source: SomersetLive