Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice: Health advice

Covid Weekly Update and Local Outbreak Management Plan
How to protect yourself and others
What to do if you feel unwell
Social distancing guidance on shielding - protecting the extremely vulnerable
- Translations and accessible formats
Self-isolating health tips
Sexual and reproductive health
Substance Misuse Services (drugs and alcohol)

How to protect yourself and others

We all need to practice social distancing to protect our friends, families and loved ones. Social distancing gives us a proactive opportunity to save lives through the actions we take right now that we will not have in a few weeks. It is a public health imperative. It is also our responsibility as a community to act while we still have a choice and while our actions can have the greatest impact.

See the government's social distancing guidance here (external link).

Residents are advised to follow the government’s latest advice on staying at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. This includes only leaving your home for one of the specified reasons, for example for essential shopping for food or medicine or to exercise once per day.

See the NHS guidance on coronavirus and staying at home (external link)

Protect yourself and others - video:

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) quick reference guides for local authority settings

Over the past few weeks, every local authority’s Public Health team has been working hard to produce local resources and advice on PPE.

These PPE quick reference guides have been developed in consultation with Public Health England and are designed to support local implementation of the national PPE guidance for frontline staff and managers (external link).

The guides cover a wide range of areas - they are available for download below:

Your pregnancy and coronavirus

If you’re pregnant you are no more likely to contract the infection than the general population. If you are infected, you are most likely to have no symptoms or a mild illness from which you will make a full recovery.

As a precautionary measure it has been advised that pregnant women, especially those above 28 weeks’ gestation engage fully with social distancing measures to reduce the risk of infection.

If you develop severe symptoms or your recovery is delayed you should contact NHS 111 or your maternity unit for further information and advice.

To find out more about how your maternity care will change read the Your pregnancy and coronavirus leaflet (PDF, 3MB).

Test and Trace

The Government has launched the NHS Test and Trace service - designed to help identify, contain and control coronavirus.

Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact, or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes.

People identified as having been in close contact with someone who has a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.

If those in isolation develop symptoms, they can book a test online (external link) or by calling 119.

Find out more about Test and Trace (external link).

Social distancing cards or badges

'Please give me space'

The government has published social distancing cards or badges which people can display if they have difficulties or concerns in maintaining social distancing. The badges are available for mobile phones as well as print.

Find out more on GOV.UK (external link)

What to do if you are unwell

If you have Covid-19 symptoms | If you have other health problems | The NHS is here to support you

If you have Covid-19 symptoms

If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy, or hospital. People who develop a fever or a cough, and all those who live in the same household, should follow the government’s latest self-isolation advice:

Help is available for anyone who needs it, regardless of immigration status.

All residents are encouraged to take the following steps to avoid catching and spreading the virus:

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you cough or sneeze 
Put used tissues in a sealed bag. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin.
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds often 
Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available 
Wash your hands after going outside
Try to avoid close contact with unwell people 
If your hands are not clean, you should not touch your eyes, nose or mouth

Please check Government advice (external link) to obtain the most recent information.

If you have other health problems

Should I still call 999 or go to hospital if I'm worried about my health?

While everyone is being told to stay at home, it can be hard to know what to do if you’re unwell. It's still important to get medical help if you need it.

Whether or not you have coronavirus symptoms, it's essential to dial 999 if you have symptoms that could be a heart attack (external link), stroke (external link), or any other non-COVID-19 related emergency. Parents of young children, pregnant women or those worried about cancer must still contact their GP and go to hospital if they are told to.

Don't delay because you think hospitals are too busy - the NHS still has systems in place to treat people for non-COVID-19 related emergencies. If you delay, it is possible things can get worse meaning you may need intensive care and have to stay longer in hospital.

Can I still contact my GP as I normally would?

Yes, it is really important that you contact your GP as you normally would for any issues. GP practices are open for business and are making sure their services are safe for non-COVID-19 patients.

Look at the advice for parents during coronavirus (PDF, 273KB)

The NHS is here to support you

If you’re worried about cancer symptoms, or if you need to book a cervical screening during the coronavirus pandemic, the NHS is open to support you.

If you are experiencing unusual symptoms that could be cancer, you should contact your local GP practice. Telephone and video consultations with GPs are available and patients will only be asked to come to their local GP practice or go to hospital if it is safe to do so. Early detection of cancer greatly increases the chances for successful treatment. Watch the video below for more information:

Those who have been invited to a cervical screening test are encouraged to contact their local GP practice and book an appointment. Although the cervical screening programme had paused during the early stage of the pandemic, the programme has now resumed.

Social distancing guidance on shielding – protecting the extremely vulnerable

The government has announced that shielders will be able to spend more time outside their homes.

The new guidance means that shielders will be able to gather in groups of up to six people outdoors, whilst maintaining social distancing, and those who live alone or are single parents with children will be able to form a ‘support bubble’ with another household.

For now, the guidance remains the same – stay at home and only go outside to exercise or to spend time outdoors with a member of your household, or with one other person from another household if you live alone.

Government’s shielding support package will remain in place until the end of July when people will no longer be advised to shield, and support will remain available from NHS volunteers (external link) and local councils. People will retain their priority for supermarket delivery slots (external link), and will still be able to access help with food shopping (external link), medication, phone calls and transport to medical appointments.

From 1 August, those who need to work and cannot do so from home will be able to return to work, as long as their workplace is COVID secure, adhering to the guidance available.

Those identified as clinically extremely vulnerable should continue to remain at home as much as possible, taking particular care to minimise contact with others outside their household and practice good, frequent handwashing.

Find out more about the latest guidance for shielders (external link).

Translations and accessible formats

Translated and accessible formats of a letter sent to shielders from the government on 22 June 2020 are now available online.

The letter shares new guidance (external link) to those who are shielding.

Self-isolating health tips

Most of us are now self-isolating. It can be tough, so try these tips to help you through it.

Stay connected with friends, family or volunteer groups. Even when you cannot have face-to-face contact, a friendly voice can be a huge boost to your day
Listen to your body. During stressful times, or periods of illness, we need to make sure we are well rested and hydrated
Equally, it is important to stay active – try some online work out sessions, yoga, or going for a walk (while following social distancing guidelines)
If you are struggling during social isolation, please contact The Samaritans anytime for free on: 116 123 or by visit The Samaritans website (external link)
Use this free time to take up something you’ve never had the time to do before – this could be anything from baking to painting to taking online classes
Make sure you are still getting fresh air regularly – sit outside if you can (in your garden or on your doorstep), or keep your windows open during the day
Keep your immediate environment clean and tidy – this will make it easier for you to be productive, work from home, and maintain a sense of organisation
Another way to feel organised is to try to stick to a routine – it might be difficult to get up and get ready in the mornings but doing this will make you feel a lot better!

Sexual and reproductive health

Although there are some changes to normal services, Haringey residents of all ages can access a range of services to support their sexual and reproductive health during this time.

See our Sexual Health page for more details

Substance Misuse Services (drugs and alcohol)

Our substance misuse services are committed to continuing to provide high level support during this challenging period. All services will continue to take self referrals and referrals from professionals, families, friends and carers.

Details of the services available are on our Alcohol and Drugs page

Visit the Gov.UK and NHS websites for more help and support.

Page last updated:

18 December 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice: Health advice

How to protect yourself and others