The Waverley Borough Council page that is updated as things progress is:
https://www.waverley.gov.uk/info/100010/health_and_wellbeing/2221/coronavirus_covid-19
Covid-19 – Corinavirus – is here. What does this mean to me today, next week, next month?
When I was young, I was too busy being young to think about the impact of sickness, of flu, colds, sore throats. They happened, I got better. Some people I knew had bad things happen to them but not to me. I was OK. But I am not young anymore, and a very infectious virus is on the loose and there is no prevention for it, no anti-virus serum available to be delivered by a quick and painless injection – or at least not for many months. I am a carer for my mother who is in her eighties and is susceptible to chest infections. As Town Mayor, I meet many people every week in the course of my duties. If I catch this virus, I don’t want to pass it on to anyone. I know that I could have been infected and therefore infectious without knowing about it. All I can say is that right now I feel fine and I have had no reason to think I might have caught this virus – I haven’t come into contact with anyone who has subsequently tested positive, so I haven’t had a test. But how would I know?
That’s the problem – we don’t know if we are carriers of the virus until we feel poorly, and then have a positive test result – all of which is rather too late to stop me from having passed it on to one or more people.
So, what must we do? If, or when you test positive – well, the next days and weeks are planned out. For the rest of us during the next weeks and months, we must follow the expert advice from the World Health Organisation and the Government experts. We must practice vigorous and frequent washing of our hands with soap. We must practice not touching our eyes and faces and adapt to social distancing. That is isolation from each other. This is not just about protecting ourselves, it is about protecting our loved ones and neighbours and most especially those who are vulnerable.
Personally, and in my role as Mayor, I have cancelled the fund-raising film show which was to be held on Friday the 13th. Sad for me, sad for those who had bought tickets and were looking forward to it, but especially sad for the charities I support (The Meath, Skillway, Trinity Trust Team). But, for the time being I believe that this is prudent. This is social distancing for me, and I am sorry to recommend this for you too.