Living safely with COVID-19

As we learn to live safely with coronavirus (COVID-19), there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others.

These actions will also help to reduce the spread of other respiratory infections, such as flu, which can spread easily and may cause serious illness in some people.

There are simple things you can do in your daily life that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at the highest risk.

Things you can choose to do are

Get vaccinated – vaccines are the best defence we have against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections such as flu

Let fresh air in if meeting others indoors, or meet outside if possible – the amount of respiratory virus in the air can build up in poorly ventilated areas

Practise good hygiene:

1. wash your hands
2. cover your coughs and sneezes and follow the advice to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’.
3. clean your surroundings frequently – pay particular attention to surfaces that are touched frequently

Wear a face covering or a face mask:

1. especially in crowded and enclosed spaces
2. when coming in contact with someone at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections
3. when COVID-19 rates are high or there are a lot of respiratory viruses circulating

Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you are advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.