Coronavirus self-isolation
I’ve been told to self-isolate. What do I need to do?
What has changed
The self-isolation advice for people with coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed with effect from Monday 17th January. It is now possible to end self-isolation from day six if you have two negative lateral flow results taken 24 hours apart on day five and six and do not have a temperature. Those who are still positive on their rapid lateral flow tests must stay in isolation until they have had 2 consecutive negative tests taken on separate days. Visit the government self-isolation guidance to find out more.
If you have been advised to self-isolate, then you MUST NOT leave your home.
When do I need to isolate and for how long?
You need to isolate if you have either received a positive COVID-19 test result or potentially if you have been in contact with someone who has received a positive COVID-19 test result.
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms you should stay at home and self-isolate immediately. You should arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible. If this PCR test result is positive, you must continue to self-isolate.
- If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, but you have a positive LFT test result, you must also stay at home and self-isolate.
- If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 you are at significantly higher risk of becoming infected yourself.
If you have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, you are less likely to become severely ill if you catch COVID-19. You are also less likely to spread COVID-19 to other people, but it is still possible for this to happen. Therefore:
- If you are aged 18 years 6 months or over and you are not fully vaccinated*, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are legally required to stay at home and self-isolate
- If you are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years and 6 months, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are not legally required to self-isolate. However, you are strongly advised to take an LFD test every day for 7 days, and to self-isolate if any of these test results are positive.
A reminder that you are considered 'fully vaccinated' 14 days after having received 2 doses of an approved vaccine (such as Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Moderna/Spikevax) or one dose of the single-dose Janssen vaccine. It is still, however, recommended that you receive a booster dose of vaccine as soon as three months after your initial doses.
Visit our Covid FAQ's for any further questions on self isolation or government guidance.
Self-isolation Advice Pack
Please visit the link below if you wish to read the pack as a pdf brochure, alternatively scroll down for the web page version.
- Self Isolation Pack - Updated 14 January 2022
- Download (1.29MB - PDF)
Why is self-isolation important?
- Protect others
- Stop the Spread
- Reduce chances of more variants
- Keep hospital admissions low
We know that people can have COVID-19 without having symptoms and this means that they can also pass on the virus.
You could give the virus to other people, including those who are vulnerable to very serious illness.
Self-isolating is a vitally important and effective way of slowing the spread of COVID-19.
By self-isolating, you are not only protecting your friends, family and community but you are also helping to make sure that those most vulnerable to very serious illness are not exposed to the virus by you.
Remember, if you are asked to self-isolate, you must do so by law.
You must not leave your home if you are self-isolating.
You could be fined if you do not self-isolate.
What self isolation means:
Do not go to work, school, college, or public placesDo not go on the bus, train or use taxisDo not pop out to the supermarket to get food and medicineDo not just nip to the shops to get a birthday card, present or other items or calling at the hospital to drop things offDo not have visitors in your home – this includes friends and family (you could be exposing them to the virus). The only people allowed in your home are those providing essential careDo not go out to exercise unless within your own private garden – this means no trips to the gym, pool or for a jog or cycle, no walking the dog!
Contact tracing
Contact Tracing can make a huge difference in stopping the spread of the virus
In Doncaster, our friendly local test and trace team is on hand to help and support everybody in Doncaster who has to self-isolate due to COVID-19
The team is made of local Public Health Professionals who are working 7 days a week to support people affected by COVID-19 isolation and to stop the spread of the virus. To help us protect everybody, we will ask anybody who has tested positive for COVID-19 to complete contact tracing either by doing it online, or over the phone.
We will ask you about who lives with you, if there’s anybody you may have seen, or any places you have visited in the 2 days before you felt unwell, or tested positive for COVID-19. This helps us to know who needs to isolate and who might be at risk of catching the virus.
We will also ask if you know where you may have caught the virus because this helps us understand how we can stop more people getting the virus in the future.
We are interested in tracking the virus – this is not about tracking you!
We will never tell the contacts you name that you have tested positive for COVID-19 or share your details with them – everything is kept confidential.
They will be offered support around isolating and given the details of financial support available to help them.
Why should I give you the names of people I’ve been in contact with?
Knowing who has potentially been exposed to the virus gives us the opportunity to halt the spread further. If people are made aware that they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and they are given all the correct, up to date guidance on testing and isolating then they can take the relevant actions to ensure they are protecting themselves and their loved ones.
I don’t want people to know that they have got to isolate because of me – will they find out?
No. The Local and National Test and Trace Teams do not give any personal information about how a person may have been exposed.
I know that my close contacts can’t afford to isolate so if I give you their names I’m causing them to have money problems – what can you do to help?
There is financial support in place for people who have to isolate and are eligible to receive this support. We understand that money is a major concern for many people who have to isolate, and we run through the support available when we speak to them. Remember if you are fully vaccinated and you are a close contact to someone who has tested positive, you now need to do a PCR test and if that is negative you no longer need to isolate. You instead must test using LFT's for seven days after being identified as a close contact.
I think my close contacts are all vaccinated so what is the point of giving you the details if they won’t have to isolate?
Some of your close contacts might not be fully vaccinated and they would then need to isolate and even those who are fully vaccinated might not know how the latest guidance works. We are here to help and support people to make sure that they are aware of what needs to be done.
Depending on your job, certain people may have different guidance to follow even if they are vaccinated for example if they work in health or social care.
Even though they are vaccinated, they can still be infected with COVID-19 and pass it on to others. We can help protect others by following the guidance on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread. As well as getting a PCR test, we will advise people to consider:
- limiting close contact with other people outside your household, especially in enclosed spaces
- wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces and where you are unable to maintain social distancing
- limiting contact with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable
- taking part in twice weekly LFD testing
What is the point of isolating now? Most people have had the virus or are vaccinated.
Rates are high across the country and our rates in Doncaster remain high, particularly in the over 60s. Isolating will help to stop the spread of the virus and potentially making family, friends and loved ones ill. It is the right thing to do.
Stay at home check list and support
Here’s a helpful checklist of items to think about when staying at home – you may need to ask family and friends for help.
- Food deliveries
- Prescription deliveries
- Help to get online
- Utilities help (topping up meters)
- Financial support (self-isolation support payments)
- Care of pets – someone to walk the dog
- Support for my wellbeing
- Friends, families or co-workers I can connect with
- Know where to access support if I feel lonely, anxious or overwhelmed or need specific help
Useful contacts
Doncaster Council
Financial support
You may also be eligible if you are a parent or guardian who will lose earnings because you are caring for a child who is self-isolating.
For further details of self-isolation support payments and to apply, visit: www.doncaster.gov.uk/covidsipp
email: isolation.payments@doncaster.gov.uk
Social Isolation Alliance
Doncaster. Anyone who needs help or advice or has no other support can ring the SIA Helpline:
8am - 8pm (Monday to Friday)
8am - 6pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Call: 01302 430322
Self-isolation support payments
If you have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, either because you have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive; are unable to work and will lose income as a result, you may be eligible to apply for a self-isolation support payment.
You may also be eligible if you are a parent or guardian who will lose earnings because you are caring for a child who is self-isolating.
The payment is to support those on low incomes, who would also lose income as a result of self-isolating, or as a result of taking time off to look after children who are self-isolating, and to encourage people to get tested if they have symptoms. This is important to help stop the transmission of COVID 19.
For more details of the scheme, eligibility criteria, and to apply, go to our application page.
Return to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) homepage
- Covid-19 Easy Read Self Care Guide
- Download (1.36MB - PDF)