Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what further steps he is taking to encourage better (a) ventilation, (b) hygiene (c) social distancing and (d) face covering compliance to reduce the risk of transmission for all commutable diseases.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) supports Government departments to produce evidence-informed guidance to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, including guidance for the public on the ventilation of indoor spaces, social distancing, hand hygiene and face coverings. Many of the actions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 will also help to reduce the spread of other communicable infections in the community, such as influenza and norovirus.

In addition, the UKHSA’s e-Bug resource for children and teachers includes general advice on hygiene, infections and antibiotics. The resource has been updated with advice about COVID-19, including ventilation and hygiene and is available at the following link:

https://www.e-bug.eu/index.php?name=UK-global-teacher-homepage

The ‘Infectious Diseases Strategy 2020-2025' provides a holistic strategy of infections including strategic priorities to reduce the risk of and burden from all infectious diseases including vaccine-preventable infections and infections of pandemic potential, and brings them together into a single strategic framework. The Infections Diseases Strategy 2020-2025 is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-infectious-diseases-strategy