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Police are set to be granted emergency powers if members of the public refuse self-isolation, it emerged tonight.

Those who flout the rules could be slapped with a £1,000 fine - or be detained.

It comes as over-70s are set to be made to go into self-isolation for four months even if they are not ill.

Police in England and Wales will be given emergency powers so they can use "reasonable force" to detain people who may infect others, The Telegraph reports.

Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulation 2020, which have been published on the government's website, people who are suspected of having the disease can be held for 14 days.

If they leave the secure location they are taken to, they can be moved to custody before being returned to the original place of quarantine.

A £1,000 fine will greet those who don't comply, with prison waiting for those who do not pay.

(Image: Andrew Parsons / 10 Downing Street)

Those suspected of being infected must consent to have their throat and nose swabbed, or to give a blood sample.

It is expected that the measures will be announced at some point over the next week, after over-70s were told they would have to self-isolate at some point.

They will be rolled out as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and the death toll continue to rise in the UK.

On Sunday afternoon it was announced that the coronavirus death toll in the UK has reached 35 - and three of these victims were being treated at the same NHS Trust.

(Image: Getty Images/Johner RF)

More patients died of the virus today at Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in Greater Manchester and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust across Surrey and parts of south London. Now three people have died of Covid-19 at each of these groups.

The total death toll in the country has increased more than 50% in the last 24 hours.

Twenty-two other NHS Trusts have recorded at least one death each since the start of the month. Many of these patients were elderly, and had underlying health conditions.

(Image: Getty Images)

Other drastic action potentially being considered by the authorities in a bid to control the outbreak included the early release of prisoners.

On Sunday, Prison Officers Association general secretary Steve Gillan described the coronavirus situation in prisons as “unprecedented” for both prisoners and staff.

When asked if releasing some prisoners was in the contingency plan, Mr Gillan said: “Not as yet, but previous governments have done what was called an executive release of prisoners, that may come in the future to free up spaces in prisons.”

He explained this could be in the form of temporary release or the release of prisoners towards the end of their sentences.

“The secretary of state has the powers to look at low-risk category prisoners and just release them as that executive release,” he added.