Coronavirus: Quarantine

(asked on 27th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on efforts to prevent the spread of covid-19 of statutory sick pay provisions that may deter people that have to work from (a) self-isolating and (b) reporting symptoms.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 5th March 2020

The nature and scale of the response depends on the course of the disease. As our understanding increases and the impact of the disease becomes clearer, we will issue further detailed advice about what to expect if and when further measures become necessary.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care advised in his Oral Statement on 26 February, columns 322-23, that self-isolation on medical advice is considered sickness for employment purposes and that it is a very important message for employers and those who can go home and self-isolate as if they were sick, because it is for medical reasons.

Individuals that develop any of the following symptoms, however mild: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and difficulty breathing should monitor their symptoms and call NHS 111 or their general practitioner.

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