UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced an emergency change to sick pay following the coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, Johnson said the government had put 'record funding' into the NHS to ensure it has everything it needs throughout the crisis.
He went on to say that emergency legislation would mean that statutory sick pay would now be paid out on the first day someone is off sick, rather than the fourth day, which is the case currently.
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Boris Johnson said: "As yesterday's plan made clear, we are not at the point yet where we are asking large numbers of people to self-isolate, but that, of course, may come if large numbers of people have the symptoms of corona virus.
"And if they stay at home...they are helping to protect all of us by slowing the spread of the virus, and that is what the best scientific evidence tells us."
He added: "If they stay at home, and if we ask people to self-isolate, they may lose out financially, so I can today announce that the Health Secretary will bring forward as part of our emergency coronavirus legislation, measures to allow the payment of statutory sick pay from the very first day you are sick, instead of four days under the current rules.
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"And I think that is the right way forward, and nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing."
His announcement comes just one day after the UK government warned that up to one fifth of the country's workforce could end up being off sick with the coronavirus.
The government's Covid-19 plan, which was shared by the PM yesterday, read: "The current data seem to show that we are all susceptible to catching this disease, and thus it is also more likely than not that the UK will be significantly affected."
Johnson added: "It is highly likely we will see a growing number of UK cases. Our country remains extremely well prepared, as it has been since the outbreak began in Wuhan several months ago."
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