Coronavirus (COVID-19)
England is at Step Two of the roadmap out of lockdown. Restrictions are still in place.
Self-isolating
How to self-isolate and protect Portsmouth
Our Protect Portsmouth guide to self-isolating will help you know what to do if you need to self-isolate.
You must self-isolate immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms, have tested positive or are contacted by Test and Trace as you may have been infected – even if you don’t have symptoms. You must also self-isolate if you live with or share a support bubble with someone who has symptoms or tested positive.
Self-isolating is hard but it is really important to stop others from getting ill. If you don’t self-isolate when you should, you will be breaking the law and could be fined.
The difference between staying at home and self-isolation
Self-isolating is much stricter than the instruction to stay at home. If you’re self-isolating, you should not leave the house for any reason – other than to get a coronavirus test if you have symptoms.
You can find out more about the latest coronavirus rules for everyone here.
When to self-isolate
If you tick one or more of the boxes below, you must stay at home and self-isolate:
- You have symptoms of the virus
- You tested positive for the virus
- You live or share a support bubble with someone showing symptoms
- You live or share a support bubble with or someone who has tested positive
- You have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace or local contact tracing teams and been told to self-isolate
- An alert from the NHS COVID-19 app telling you to self-isolate
- A child or young person has been told by school/college/university to stay at home and self-isolate
- You havetravelled to the UK from abroad. From 15 February, if you arrive in England from a country on the banned travel list (sometimes called the ‘red list’) you will need to self-isolate in a government quarantine hotel for 10 days. If you’re coming from a country that is not on the banned travel list, you will need to quarantine at home for 10 days.
Most people will need to self-isolate and not leave home at all for 10 full days. You may need to self-isolate for longer if you get symptoms while self-isolating or your symptoms do not go away. You can find out more on the NHS website.
What you can and can't do when you self-isolate
You can't
- You can’t pop to the shops or pharmacy
- You can’t leave the house for exercise or to walk the dog
- You can’t go to a place of work
- You can’t catch a bus or train
- You can’t go out to pick up a takeaway
- You can’t go to school or drop your children off at school
- You can’t meet up with other people
You can
- You can work from home
- You can exercise in your home or garden
- You can ask others to deliver food or medicine to your doorstep
- You can leave the house to get a coronavirus test if you have symptoms but you must go straight there and back. It is best to walk or drive yourself there if you can. Find out more about getting a test.
How to keep others safe at home
If you’re self-isolating it’s really important to do what you can to help protect others at home from coronavirus. Here are a few simple things you can do:
- Keep shared spaces like the bathroom and kitchen clean using normal household products
- Regularly clean things people touch the most such as taps, worktops, tables, door handles, light switches and handrails
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- Don’t share towels, including hand towels and tea towels
- Cover coughs and sneezes and bin tissues quickly
- Air the house and open windows when you can, coronavirus doesn’t spread as quickly in well-ventilated spaces
- Limit close contact with others at home as much as possible.
Know the symptoms and get tested
If you have coronavirus symptoms, you should book a test by calling 119 or visiting Gov.UK. The symptoms are:
- A high temperature
- A new, continuous cough
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Be prepared in case you need to self-isolate
You might not get much notice that you need to self-isolate, especially if you’re contacted by NHS Test and Trace or the Covid-19 app. As soon as you know you need to self-isolate you must stay at home. Don’t be tempted to nip out to the shops to stock up on food and essentials for the next 10 days.
It’s a good idea to plan ahead and make sure you already have essential items at home. It might be a few days before you can get supplies, from friends, family or local support services. Think about having:
- Some long-life food supplies, such as tinned food, long-life milk, frozen meals
- A stock of day-to-day essentials like soap and toothpaste
- Essential medicines and medical supplies that you rely on or might need if you start to feel unwell. Most pharmacies can deliver medication, so please don’t request more than you need – just make sure you have enough to get you through a few days of needing to stay home
- Contact details for friends, family and local support services who can help you with supplies while you’re self-isolating
It might also be helpful to think about how you will keep yourself entertained and stay comfortable if you’re feeling unwell.
Where to get help
There is help at hand if you’re worried about self-isolating, if you need help getting essentials like food or medicine, or if self-isolating will cause financial difficulty.
The HIVE online directory includes a list of food providers, food banks and businesses offering extra services like deliveries.
You can also find details of local foodbanks here.
If you have to self-isolate and you’re worried about whether you will get paid while you’re away from work, you can find out about financial support on our work and money pages.
You can get an isolation note from the NHS website to send to your employer as proof you need to be off work. You don’t need to get a note from your GP.
Test and trace support payments have been introduced for those on lower incomes who must self-isolate but can’t work from home and will lose income as a result. These £500 payments are available if you:
- have been told to stay at home by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS Covid-19 app
- are in work but facing a loss of income as you can’t work from home
- are currently receiving benefits payments
Check eligibility and apply online here. Those who are not online can call 023 9261 6708 for help with their application.
Self-isolating isn’t easy and it can be lonely. If you’re struggling to cope, having difficulty sleeping or managing stress, you’re not alone.
You can find advice on how to protect your mental wellbeing, details on where to go for help, and advice for parents, carers and young people on our mental health and wellbeing page.
If you’re self-isolating read advice from mental health charity MIND on managing your mental health in relation to coronavirus and self-isolating.
Whatever you’re going through, you can call the Samaritans free anytime, from any phone, on 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you’re feeling unwell with coronavirus symptoms you can find advice on things that might help you on the NHS website.
It’s important to get medical help if your symptoms get worse. Visit the NHS website for advice on where to get help.
If you cannot get help online, call 111. An advisor will direct to the most appropriate service and can book a slot at the Emergency Department (A&E) if needed.
If your child’s school tells you that your child should stay at home and self-isolate they must follow the same rules on what you can and can’t do.
Children and young people who are self-isolating should not leave the house for any reason. They can’t go to the park, see their friends, attend school or any other childcare setting until their period of self-isolation is over (usually 10 full days).
On our schools and families page, you can find out how schools are operating at the moment, what happens if someone in school has coronavirus symptoms and advice on when to keep your child at home.
Your school will provide advice about how your child can access the school’s remote learning systems while they are at home.
Portsmouth Education Partnership has an overview of the coronavirus support available to children, families and schools.
There is support available to students who are self-isolating through the University of Portsmouth.