Britain has unveiled its “battle plan” to tackle the spread of coronavirus, warning that as many as a fifth of employees could be off work at the peak of the outbreak.

However, for the UK’s gig economy workers, taking as many as 14 days off work may not be an option.

Workers in the gig economy on zero-hours contracts are being "abandoned" and left penniless if they have to self-isolate for a fortnight because of the threat of coronavirus, according to trade union GMB.

“We can’t afford half a month’s wages to disappear,” says Ed Cross, a driver with courier firm Hermes. “If you’re lucky you have the savings, but once they’ve gone we have nothing.”

“Some of my colleagues are single parents where they are the only breadwinner,” Cross says. “They are the only breadwinner. They earn enough to survive, but those wages gone for 14 days would flatten them.”

Employers are normally required to offer statutory sick pay, £94.25 per week required to be paid by to employees who are off work for more than four days. On Wednesday, the Government improved this to pay out to kick in from day one of sick leave. However, this does not apply to self-employed people in the gig economy.

Speaking at Prime Minister's questions, Boris Johnson said the government would take steps to ensure “no one whether employed or self-employed” would be penalised for taking time off - although how that will work in practice is not clear.

Gig economy workers, such as Uber drivers and Deliveroo riders, are often on the frontline of dealing with people suffering the symptoms of coronavirus.

In one recent case, the GMB says, a delivery driver was contacted by a customer who considered themselves a high risk of coronavirus. The driver told the company who instructed her not to come back into work - meaning she would have no wages until she was given the all-clear.

“Once again the bogus self-employment model is screwing over the disadvantaged,” says Mick Rix a National Officer at GMB.