Anyone ordered to self-isolate due to coronoavirus 'entitled to paid sick leave'

Matthew Hancock said it was a ‘very important point’ that even those who are not displaying symptoms should be treated as if they are unwell if they are advised to stay away from work.

“Self-isolation on medical advice is considered sickness for employment purposes,” he said.

“It’s a very important message for employers and for those who can go home and self-isolate as if they were sick because it’s for medical reasons.”

Mr Hancock also suggested that home testing will be rolled out more widely, to complement existing hospital testing and the "isolation pods" for people who turn up at A&E with symptoms.

The NHS has already started pilots of home testing for coronavirus in London, where nurses and paramedics visit people with symptoms in their own homes.

Mr Hancock added: "We now have testing sites at all A&E facilities, as far as we know, across England.

"But we're also planning to introduce home testing and some of this has started already so that people don't have to go to the pods in front of A&E.

"Home testing is the safest place to be tested because then you don't have to go anywhere, and that will allow us to roll out testing to a much larger number of people as well."

The Health Secretary also urged schools not to close unless they had a confirmed case of the virus.