Q. What is the criteria for staying at home during Coronavirus (Covid-19)?

Current advice from Public Health England for people is that everyone must stay at home to stop the spread of Covid-19 and to protect the NHS.

You should only leave the house for one of four reasons: shopping for basic necessities - for example, food and medicine - which must be as infrequent as possible; one form of exercise a day - for example, a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household; any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.

These four reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are two meters apart from anyone outside your household.

Public Health England has published further guidance on its website, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-homeguidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

In the Prime Minister’s announcement last week, he asked only key workers to come into work.

This list included: health and social care; education and childcare; food and other necessary goods; key public services; local and national government; utility workers; public safety and national security; transport.

You can read the Prime Minister’s Instruction in full

here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-address-to-the-nation-on-coronavirus-23- march-2020

Please note that advice is changing all the time, please do keep an eye on announcements from the Prime Minister and on the Public Health England website at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

At University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust we have issued guidance to our staff regarding social distancing and home working where possible.

Q. I really want to help my local community, especially the elderly and most isolated during Covid-19. Are there any opportunities locally?

Last week Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, announced a new national scheme to recruit 250,000 people to help the NHS. Role also included shopping and the delivery of medicines for the elderly and most isolated, and support for those who are shielding to protect their own health.

Locally, Support Cumbria are looking for volunteers or community groups to support vulnerable people and older adults in Cumbria who are staying at home, self-isolating or shielding. Anyone interested in volunteering can go to SupportCumbria.org.uk to register as a volunteer.

As part of the Trust’s Meals on Wheels service, we are looking for more volunteers to help deliver meals to some of Barrow's elderly and most vulnerable people, including those who are selfisolating due to COVID-19.

Two volunteers are needed per route, each day, who dedicate up to three hours a day to deliver meals over a 46-mile radius covering the Barrow area. The area includes Dalton, North Scale, Holbeck, Roose and other surrounding areas.

Over the coming weeks, we will increase our services to two deliveries per day (lunch and supper) but we need extra delivery drivers to be able to do this. Meals are homemade by the Catering team at Furness General Hospital using fresh, local produce.

If you can spare a few hours to volunteer each week please contact Tracy Litt, Catering Manager,  on Tracy.Litt@mbht.nhs.uk or 01229491001 or 07964122125.