UK Government Will Urge 1.5 Million Vulnerable Citizens to Isolate Themselves Due to COVID-19

LONDON (Sputnik) - The UK government will urge the country's most vulnerable citizens to isolate themselves for at least the next 12 weeks in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick said at a press conference on Sunday.

"Following the Chief Medical Office's guidance, the NHS [National Health Service] has identified up 1.5 million in England who face the highest risk of being hospitalized by the virus. The NHS will be contacting these people in the coming days urging them to stay at home for a period of at least 12 weeks", Jenrick said.

The official added that these people included those suffering from severe respiratory diseases, certain types of cancer, and those who recently received organ transplants among others.

So far, the UK Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed 5,683 cases of COVID-19 in the country and 281 fatalities.

On Thursday, Johnson outlined a three-month timescale to turn the tide on the spread of the coronavirus on UK soil before ordering schools and universities closed.

The World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on 11 March. Over 316,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed globally, with over 13,500 deaths.