Coronavirus Update

Updated 29 April 2022

If you have COVID-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after five days.

How long should you stay at home and away from others if you've tested positive for COVID-19?

From the day after you did the test:

• try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days
• avoid meeting people at higher risk from COVID-19 for 10 days, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine
• if you are aged 18 or under, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days. This starts from the day after you did the test.

What to do if you have symptoms of COVID-19, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or do your normal activities?

• try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people
• avoid meeting people at higher risk from COVID-19, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine

You can go back to your normal activities if you:

• feel well enough to do so
• do not have a high temperature