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It's clear that coronavirus, Covid-19, continues and will continue to spread across the world and our country over the next few months. We've done what can be done to contain this disease, and this has bought us valuable time, but it's now a global pandemic and the number of cases will rise sharply. Indeed, the true number of cases is higher, perhaps much higher, than the number of cases we have so far confirmed with tests.
I'm going to be clear. We are all going to be clear. This is the worst public health crisis for a generation. Some people compare it to seasonal flu. Alas, that is not right. Owing to the lack of immunity, this disease is more dangerous, and it's going to spread further.
And I must level with you, level with the British public, more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time. And the chief scientific advisor will set out the best information we have on that in a moment.
But as we've said over the last few weeks, we have a clear plan that we are now working through, and we're now getting onto the next phase in that plan because this is now not just an attempt to contain the disease as far as possible, but to delay its spread and, thereby, minimise the suffering.
If we delay the peak, even by a few weeks, then our NHS will be in a stronger state as the weather improves and fewer people suffer from normal respiratory diseases, more beds are available and we'll have more time for medical research.
From tomorrow, if you have coronavirus symptoms, however mild, either a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, then you should stay at home for at least seven days to protect others and help slow the spread of the disease.
We advise all those over 70 with serious medical conditions against going on cruises and we advise against international school trips.
At some point in the next few weeks, we are likely to go further and if someone in a household has those symptoms, we will be asking everyone in that household to stay at home. We're not introducing this measure yet, for reasons Sir Patrick will explain, but I want to signal now that this is coming down the track.
We are considering the question of banning major public events, such as sporting fixtures. And the scientific advice, as we've said over the last couple of weeks, is that banning such events will have little effect on the spread, but there is also the issue of the burden that such events can place on public services. So we're discussing these issues with colleagues in all parts of the United Kingdom, and we'll have more to say shortly about the timing of further action in that respect.