Coronavirus UK: When will over 70s be asked to self-isolate and how long for?

16 March 2020, 14:58 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56

COVID-19 is proving particularly dangerous for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions - so when will they be asked to stay at home and isolate?

Coronavirus confirmed cases in the UK are growing and those who are proving particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 are the elderly (over 70s) and those with underlying health conditions.

With this in mind, it’s believed that Boris Johnson and the government will soon be asking the over 70s to isolate for a long period of time, to protect themselves against coronavirus.

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So when will the over 70s be asked to self-isolate? For how long? And will it help?

Here’s everything you need to know about the plan to protect the over 70s:

When will over 70s be asked to self-isolate?

At the moment a time frame has not been confirmed by health officials or the prime minister but it’s believed it will be coming “within weeks”.

The government will first release guidelines for the elderly and those more vulnerable for social distancing before they go ahead with an official self-isolation plan.

How long will the over 70s be asked to self-isolate?

When and if it gets to that stage, those over 70 and with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or asthma, could be asked to isolate for as as little as a month or even as long as four months.

Will isolating over 70s actually help?

Proven to be the most affected by coronavirus, keeping those more vulnerable to the disease away will obviously bring their chances of catching the virus down.

However, it won’t necessarily help the general spread of COVID-19.

At the moment, the public are continuing to be asked to stay at home if they’re experiencing any coronavirus-like symptoms and to remain on top of personal hygiene to help prevent catching it.