Self-isolating coronavirus workers WILL get sick pay, Health Secretary confirms
WORKERS forced to self-isolate over coronavirus fears WILL get sick pay, Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed today.
The MP told the Commons medical advice over the killer bug should be considered "sickness for employment purposes".
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Public Health England has advised anyone who has travelled to coronavirus-riddled areas or come into contact with anyone who has the disease to quarantine themselves for two weeks.
Staff are already being sent home across the country with travel bans put in place and workplace policies drafted to help stop the spread of the virus.
Mr Hancock said: "It's a very important message for employers and for those who can go home and self-isolate as if they were sick because it's for medical reasons."
Workplace experts Acas have published new advice also stating employees who are told not to come into work should still get their pay.
They said the new guidance deals with "sick leave, staff in quarantine and considerations for businesses in case they need to temporarily shut down".
It comes as US oil company Chevron told 300 staff at its Canary Wharf office to work from home for the foreseeable future after an employee reported flu-like symptoms.
The firm was put on red alert after the worker reported sick following a trip to a country infected with coronavirus.
A spokesperson said the company was taking "precautionary measures to reduce their risk of exposure".
Meanwhile reports also claim staff have been sent home from the offices of OMD in central London over coronavirus fears.
Around 1,000 workers from the media agency's office in Fitzrovia have reportedly been told to work from home for the rest of this week after an employee flew back to the UK and was being tested for the virus.
GOING VIRAL
Across London commuters have taken to wearing protective facemasks on the Underground as a shocking 80 per cent of Brits could be infected by deadly coronavirus, according to a doomsday scenario set out in official documents.
Thousands of us face mass coronavirus testing at GP surgeries as officials prepare for a worst-case scenario that could see 500,000 die.
Ministers are now considering the assumption that more than 50million people in the UK could catch the killer bug.
A memo seen by The Sun last night states that the “reasonable worst case” involves “up to 80 per cent of the population being infected”.
PANDEMIC FEARS
Public Health England now plans to test thousands of patients with flu-like symptoms via 11 hospitals and 100 GP practices to see if the virus has spread into the population.
It was today reported that anyone suffering from a severe chest infection at eight NHS hospitals will now be automatically tested for coronavirus - even if they haven't been at an at-risk country.
The global death toll for virus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has now reached more than 2,760 while the number of cases worldwide sits at more than 81,000.
At least 52 British tourists have been padlocked inside a quarantined Tenerife hotel today with two guests tested positive for the virus.
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And throughout northern Italy, 50,000 people have now been placed in total lockdown in 11 towns.
Italy has become the first European country gripped by an outbreak with 11 fatal cases and another 322 diagnosed with the virus.
The UK government have advised anyone who has gone north of Pisa to self-isolate themselves.
