Published on: 27th March 2020

We all need to stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading - even if you don't have symptoms or other health conditions.

You can only leave your home:

  • To shop for basic essentials – only when you really need to
  • To do one form of exercise a day – such as a run, walk or cycle, alone or with other people you live with
  • For any medical need – for example, to visit a pharmacy or deliver essential supplies to a vulnerable person
  • To travel to and from work – but only where this is absolutely necessary

If you have coronavirus symptoms

Continue to stay at home, do not go anywhere if you have:

  • A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

This includes places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

Use NHS 111 online –  the online coronavirus service to see if you need medical help or what to do.

More info about coronavirus and stopping the spread

Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with an infected person via cough and sneezes or hand contact. You can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if you don’t wash your hands.

Along with staying at home, here are other ways you can help to stop the spread of coronavirus:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water often – for at least 20 seconds
  • Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
  • Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • Bin used tissues straight away and wash your hands afterwards
  • Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
  • Work from home, if you can
  • Only use public transport if you have to
  • Use phone, online services, or apps to contact your GP surgery or other NHS services
  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unclean hands
  • Don't have visitors to your home

Updates for visitors

As the situation with coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to escalates, we've suspended all patient visits on our wards.

We're sorry about this, but need to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Please click here for the latest info.

Wellbeing advice

We're pulling together lots of helpful advice about how you can look after your wellbeing during this time. Click on these links for more info:

  • Ten tips for wellbeing - some simple ideas to look after your mental and physical health
  • Mindfulness - two of our professionals shared their top tips to be more mindful and how it can help you
  • Self-help guides - our online guides cover a range of mental health problems and are available in different formats.
  • Mind - coronavirus and your wellbeing
  • Every Mind Matters – an NHS and Public Health England website with lots of information to support your mental health.
  • Mental Health Foundation - advice for looking after your mental health during the coronavirus and while staying indoors
  • Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership - there are lots of mental health and wellbeing resources for all ages on the partnerships best practice hub 

For NHS staff

  • Headspace - a guided meditation app, which NHS staff can use it for free until December. You just need your NHS email to register and verify (click here for info).
  • Unmind - a daily mental health and wellbeing platform. NHS staff can use it for free until December (through your NHS email - click here).

Advice for patients taking clozapine

If you're one of our patients who has been prescribed clozapine, please contact your mental health team if you're experiencing any symptoms of the coronavirus or flu.

Easy read information

Information about the coronavirus is also available as easy read posters, with simple words and pictures: