People in Atherstone and district have been told to "stay away" from public buildings if they think they might have coronavirus.

North Warwickshire Borough Council today put out a strongly-worded message on its website front page urging the public "not to visit" its offices, leisure centres or the Atherstone One Stop Shop as the UK awoke to new measures to delay the spread of Covid-19 came into full force.

Health officials have described the situation as the "worst health crisis in a generation" and Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned families will continue to "lose loved ones before their time" as up to 10,000 of the population may already be infected.

The borough council – which has its headquarters in South Street, Atherstone – advised the Stay At Home (SAH) policy if someone is displaying coronavirus symptoms as in a persistent new cough, high temperature or shortness of breath or they have visited a 'high risk' country in the last 14 days or been in close contact with someone testing positive to Covid-19.

A spokeswoman for the council told Nub News: "Our decision comes following Government advice to stay at home if you are feeling unwell.

"We want to prevent those people coming into contact with the local population in our public buildings.

"It is up to individuals to self-manage themselves if they are displaying symptoms consistent with Covid-19."

However, a 'discovery weekend' in Atherstone aimed at promoting health and fitness among the local population is "still going ahead" as of 10.30am on Friday, the council advised. Nub News warned yesterday it may be in doubt.

Free gym classes, swimming sessions and children's activities are all on offer on Saturday and Sunday at the Atherstone Leisure Complex – with other promotions at Polesworth and Coleshill centres – in a bid to incentivise people to use leisure facilities in the district.

Coronavirus has hit the area with Nub News revealing face-to-face appointments have been cancelled at Atherstone Surgery after GPs Scott Thomson and Rachael Davies plus a female administrator at Atherstone Surgery went into self-isolation at home following contact with two patients – both now thought to have tested positive for the condition.

The local authority took the 'stay away' decision hours after the UK moved from "containing" the coronavirus to "delaying" it.

The new guidance means anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, such as a continuous cough or high temperature, must stay at home for seven days.

While the measures are not as extreme as other countries like Italy and the Republic of Ireland, officials have warned the current approach could change as the disease – the risk rating for which has been raised to high – becomes more widespread.

And the UK's chief science adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, believes the new advice is a "big intervention".

He said banning large gatherings would not necessarily slow down the spread of the outbreak as "the most likely place you are going to get an infection from is a family member or friend in a small space, not in a big space".

He said that closing schools was a "very effective way of dealing with pandemic flu" but that with this coronavirus, "the role of children is less clear in terms of spreading the disease". He is hopeful the government's approach will create a "herd immunity in the UK".

The number of people who have tested positive for the virus in the UK rose to 596 while the death toll is 10.

Confirmed high profile people in the UK with the condition include Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and BT boss Philip Jansen.

Sport was left reeling by the outbreak this morning as England's cricket tour of Sri Lanka has been postponed with the players being flown home.

Premier and EFL Championship, League One and League Two games have been suspended until April 3 while all of next week's Champions League and Europa League matches have been postponed.

Arsenal's Premier League game with Brighton has been postponed after Arteta tested positive. Chelsea and Arsenal squads are self-isolating, as are Everton after a player showed symptoms. Watford are awaiting test results of one player.

The Australian Grand Prix has been called off.

Nub News has published a 'What Atherstone needs to know about coronavirus' , compiled from Government-approved sources, which you can find here.