ONE-and-a-half million people in the UK will be told to stay at home for the next 12 weeks, the government has confirmed.

Secretary of state for communities Robert Jenrick revealed the increased measures to combat the covid-19 outbreak during today’s daily briefing.

Those affected including residents with severe respiratory conditions, specific cancers include blood and bone marrow, organ transplant recipients and patients receiving immuno-suppresive drug treatments.

Mr Jenrick says that this will ‘shield the most clinically vulnerable people to save their lives’.

Those being urged not to leave their homes will have food and medicines delivered to their doors, with the military currently drawing up plans for this.

Members of the public are also asked to look out for their neighbours at this time.

Mr Jenrick added: "We need to remember our neighbours when we shop, we need to pick up the phone to our loved ones."

The Prime Minister warned that tougher measures will be implemented if people ignore the current governmental advice.

Boris Johnson said: “We now have to take special steps to protect the particularly vulnerable.

“This will do more than any other single measures that we are setting out to save lives.

“We have to do more to make sure that the existing measures that we are taking are having the effect that we want.”