Update: See the latest stories on the coronavirus outbreak.

Self-isolation might not be enough to tackle the spread of coronavirus, Public Health England (PHE) has warned. It’s now preparing for stage two of its pandemic action plan and it’s got a name – social-distancing.

The aim: further reducing the contact people have with each other, based on the knowledge that coronaviruses can be spread when those with the virus have close, sustained contact with people who aren’t infected.

Spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of an infected person would be enough to catch the Covid-19 strain, PHE has suggested. 

Its new measures haven’t come into place yet, but as the number of cases rise (to more than 100,000 globally), it may only be a matter of time before they do.

On Friday, prime minister Boris Johnson warned the country will face a “substantial period of disruption” due to the coronavirus and announced £46m of funding to help research into a vaccine for it.

As it stands, the public is being told to wash hands regularly and properly, and to self-isolate if returning from an at-risk country or experiencing symptoms fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some people might also experience aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea.

The UK is still in the “contain” phase of the outbreak, which means health officials can identifying people who have the virus and trace their close contacts. However if we move to the “delay” phase, where officials try to slow the spread of the virus and push transmission to the summer months when the NHS is less strained, then social-distancing could come into play.

What would social-distancing mean for you?

Social-distancing would mean a change in how you go about your daily life – this could be reducing your use of public transport, working from home, or stopping socialising in crowded public places – think concerts, festivals and sporting events.

People are being urged to start thinking about what they do in a typical week and how they might limit contact with others if needed. They’re also being asked to consider how they could help others in their community who might need support – doing food shops for older relatives and neighbours, for example, or organising online deliveries for them.

Public transport is likely to be be hit hard by the measures. PHE said it would consider temporarily closing transport in certain areas if the virus started to spread rapidly. People would be encouraged to use it “only for essential journeys”. Another suggestion being floated is staggered working hours to make rush hour quieter, or asking people to walk or cycle to work instead.

Social-distancing would impact our free time quite dramatically, too, as people would be advised against attending public events. PHE did note that any public health actions to stop or slow the spread of the infection would be balanced against the need to keep the country running.

It’s likely a significant portion of workers would be asked to work from home to try and stop the virus from spreading through workplaces. Contingency plans are currently being put in place.

There is also an ongoing debate around the possibility of school closures. So far children don’t appear to be suffering severe illness as a result of the virus, but the government is looking at alternative ways to deliver education and classes, and reduce the impact on exams, just in case. 

Adopting social-distancing could slow the spread of coronavirus in the UK and reduce the peak number of cases by up to a half, Sky News has reported.

So when might it be introduced?

Social-distancing will only be implemented if a range of experts and scientists, including the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, decide these measures are necessary, proportionate and informed by the latest scientific evidence, PHE said.

It’s possible that social distancing measures would be tested locally first, rather than nationally, if there’s widespread transmission in a particular area.

The health body pointed out that the idea of social-distancing is nothing new. “These measures are well-established and have been discussed and planned for many years, including as part of the government’s preparations for a flu pandemic,” it said.