On 3 March, the Government published the Coronavirus (COVID-19) action plan setting out what the UK as a whole has done – and plans to do – to tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, based on their experience dealing with other infectious diseases and our influenza pandemic preparedness work.

The exact response to coronavirus (COVID-19) will be tailored to the nature, scale and location of the threat in the UK, as our understanding of this develops.

The document sets out:

• what we know about the virus and the disease it causes
• how we have planned for an infectious disease outbreak such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• the actions taken so far in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• what we are planning to do next, depending on the course the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak takes
• the role the public can play in supporting this response, now and in the future

The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which began in December 2019, presents a significant challenge for the entire world. The UK government and devolved administrations, including the health and social care system, have planned extensively over the years for an event like this. The UK is therefore well prepared to respond in a way that offers substantial protection to the public.