2 Apr 2020

Last updated: 14 December 2020

The current COVID-19 global pandemic is constantly evolving. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) data dashboard at John Hopkins University has the latest COVID-19 statistics from around the world.  

UK four nation responses to COVID – 19

Scotland

The Scottish Government has an online hub for the latest news and guidance.

England

All the guidance and information on the UK Government online hub is applicable in England unless otherwise stated. 

Wales

Welsh Government guidance on COVID-19 has been published and announcements are regularly updated. 

Northern Ireland

Guidance from the Northern Ireland Executive is available.

Action Plans to tackle COVID -19 in the UK

The UK Government has published an action plan, and the Scottish Government has published its response to date. The 4 phases of the UK's approach are:

  • Containment - caring for any infected people and identifying their close contacts
  • Delay - deciding what actions to take to slow down the spread
  • Mitigate - damage limitation if the virus spreads widely
  • Research - constant and ongoing work to inform the three other phases

International update: WHO

The WHO has published online a range of public health advice and information on COVID-19, including situation reports, technical guidance, travel advice, and advice for the public about how to protect themselves.

International perspectives

To help us understand the differing responses to COVID-19 across the world, our Overseas Regional Advisers shared their local experience. You can read these international perspectives here.

What next?

The College continues to receive regular updates from relevant public health bodies and departments, including the CMOs for England and Scotland. At this stage, it is important that public health and health protection departments continue to keep the public and clinicians updated as much as possible during what is a fast-moving situation. 

I hope that you have found this update helpful. We will continue to monitor coronavirus closely, and if you have any enquiries, please do get in touch.

Dr Conor Maguire, International Vice President