Workers will get statutory sick pay from the first day off work, not the fourth, to help contain coronavirus, the prime minister has said.
Boris Johnson said people who self-isolate are helping to protect others from the virus and should not be “penalised for doing the right thing”.
It means those receiving statutory sick pay would get an extra £40.
The number of confirmed cases increased by 34 on Wednesday to a total of 85 – up from 51 on Tuesday.
England’s chief medical officer earlier said it was “likely” the virus would become an epidemic in the UK.
Prof Chris Whitty also told BBC Breakfast that up to 80% of the population could be infected with coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, “in the worst-case scenario”.
Officials believe up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of an epidemic in the UK.
