I think there is a desire from a lot of people that the Gov be seen to be taking action eg closing schools .
They are doing stuff look here
The Contain phase – actions to date
Across the whole of the UK, public health agencies and authorities, the NHS, and Health and Social Care NI (HSCNI) have established plans and procedures to detect and isolate the first cases of COVID-19 as they emerge in the UK.
Each nation’s public health agencies have worked with Border Force, port operators and carriers to enhance port health measures. Public Health England (PHE) teams are on site at appropriate international ports, and health advice and information has been widely cascaded, as part of our public communications plan, with appropriate arrangements also put in place in the devolved administrations (given that some aspects relating to the arrival of aircraft and shipping are devolved).
Border Force and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have assisted the repatriation of British nationals and their dependants from affected areas overseas. Where foreign nationals in the UK have been unable to return to affected areas, the Home Office has provided support enabling them to remain in the UK.
New regulations introduced in England under public health legislation provide new powers for medical professionals, public health professionals and the police to allow them to detain and direct individuals in quarantined areas at risk or suspected of having the virus.
In Scotland Health Boards have powers to place restrictions on the activities of individuals who are known to have the disease, or have been exposed to the disease, and to prohibit them from entering or remaining in any place. Boards may also apply for court orders for quarantine and medical examination.
In Wales, local authorities have powers to apply for an order to be made by the Justice of the Peace to isolate, detain or require individuals to undergo medical examination. Similar powers are available to the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland. Welsh Ministers also have powers to make regulations equivalent to those now in place in England if the level of risk increases.
As part of the port health measures, direct flights arriving into the UK from countries within the UK’s CMOs’ case definition are required to provide a declaration (General Aircraft Declaration) to airport authorities stating that all their passengers are well, 60 minutes prior to landing. Similarly, The Maritime Health Declaration Form is required for all vessels arriving from any foreign port. For Scotland parallel measures are in place.
The health and social care systems and public health authorities in all parts of the UK have cascaded information widely to all health professionals on steps to take if they identify patients who may have COVID-19.
The NHS/HSCNI have well rehearsed plans that have enabled the provision of excellent care for all patients affected by this disease. The initial confirmed patients are being cared for by specialist units with expertise in handling such cases, using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. When necessary, the provision of care may move from specialist units into general facilities in hospitals.
The NHS/HSCNI have expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients – these provide coverage across the whole of the UK. If the current outbreak takes a greater hold, we will use those lessons about effective treatment methods and apply them throughout our health services, across all hospital sites and into community settings.
Once a case has been detected, our public health agencies use tried and tested procedures for rapid tracing, monitoring and isolation of close contacts, with the aim of preventing further spread.
The UK maintains strategic stockpiles of the most important medicines and protective equipment for healthcare staff who may come into contact with patients with the virus. These stocks are being monitored daily, with additional stock being ordered where necessary.
We have provided UK residents and travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if they experience symptoms and worked with NHS 111, NHS Direct Wales and NHS 24 in Scotland, to ensure people with symptoms are given appropriate advice.
Public health advice has been widely publicised and is regularly updated. See Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice.
FCO Travel Advice gives British nationals advice on what they need to know before deciding whether to travel and what to do if they are affected by an outbreak of COVID-19 while travelling. Our travel advice and consular assistance also help to contain the spread of COVID-19 to the UK.
Advice has been provided to first responders, employers, the justice system (including prison and probation services), educational settings, and the adult social care sector.
The Department for Education (DfE) provides advice about educational settings in England, which can be found on PHE’s website. A DfE helpline is being set up to manage the flow of increasing queries, from providers and from parents of pupils.
Equivalent guidance for educational settings in Scotland can be found on the Health Protection Scotland website. This guidance provides links to further advice via NHS Inform and contact details for local Health Protection Teams. Scottish local authorities can also provide advice and support to education settings in their areas, working closely with local Health Protection Teams and local and regional resilience partnerships.
In Wales, guidance for educational settings is provided on the Welsh Government website which also provides links to further public health advice.
Department for International Trade teams around the globe continue to support British companies facing disruption due to the coronavirus. The department’s officials across the globe are already working with UK businesses on the ground to relay public health advice and FCO travel advice, and provide practical and concrete support to firms, including engaging with local government and suppliers, and working with business associations to disseminate latest information on UK consular and visa services, and accessing existing UK Export Finance facilities.
All NHS and HSCNI emergency and urgent care facilities are working to establish coronavirus assessment services to lessen impacts on emergency departments and other clinical settings. This enables them to identify, isolate and contain cases, separate from other patients and the public, and in a way scalable to cope with expanding need. Specifically tailored and effective services responding to this outbreak have protected GPs, ambulance and hospital services for other patients.
The safety and security of British Nationals overseas will always be our top priority. Our initial focus has been helping those Britons who have found themselves at the greatest risk of exposure to the virus. Our crisis response team in the FCO has been working around the clock with our embassies throughout the world to provide them with the care they need and reduce the risk of importation of coronavirus into the UK. This includes the use of quarantine and self-isolation measures for those returning from at risk areas.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan/coronavirus-action-plan-a-guide-to-what-you-can-expect-across-the-uk