You could get a call from 9am telling you to isolate for 14 days

The self isolation request could become mandatory if not obeyed.

People without coronavirus symptoms could be asked to isolate for 14 days from 9am Thursday

People who have no symptoms of coronavirus could be asked to self isolate under new government rules designed to control Covid-19 as the lockdown starts to ease.

Speaking at today's daily briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said self isolation was a "big ask" but insisted it was a "civic duty" and could be made mandatory if not obeyed.

He said: "If you are contacted by NHS track and trace instructing you to isolate you must it is your civic duty so you avoid unknowingly spreading the virus and you break the chain of transmission

"This is voluntary at first because we trust people to do the right thing but we can make it mandatory if necessary."

He added: "From 9am tomorrow in addition if you are contacted by an NHS track and trace adviser advising you you must isolate you must do that if you have symptoms or not."

Baroness Harding who led the track and trace project added that people will be expected to self isolate for 14 days.

Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus should now self-isolate, ask for a coronavirus test, and then work with the track and trace adviser to identify people they have been recently in contact with.

These people will in turn be contacted and may be asked to self isolate for 14 days, even if they don't have symptoms.

Mr Hancock said: "If you have symptoms you must isolate immediately and get yourself a test. Yesterday 2013 people tested positive and the next step is through contact tracing, like detectives, the NHS clinician and the person who tested positive work together to trace the possible movements of the virus."

The tests have now been extended to under fives as well, he confirmed.

Whole streets could be placed into a localised lockdown, according to the Government's new plan for fighting the coronavirus epidemic.

The plans are part of the government's test and trace strategy which has been developed as a way out of the current national lockdown.

Individuals with symptoms, who are now able to ask for a coronavirus test, would have their samples analysed by Public Health England who will note the locations where people have tested positive for the disease.

Under the plans, the new joint biosecurity centre will identify and notify local authorities of a new disease outbreak in localised areas.

It is understood that postcode data could, in future, be used to place an entire area into a localised lockdown should there be an outbreak of Covid-19 cases.

Local authorities will be tasked with developing plans to combat an outbreak and implement a local lockdown which could involve the closure of businesses or even whole streets.