But what are the Covid-19 risks if you get a takeaway or a delivery?

What about takeaways?

Many local restaurants have reinvented themselves as takeaways.

Covid-19 is a respiratory illness; there is no evidence it can be spread via any food or food packaging. And reputable chains and good restaurant kitchens are most likely to be geared towards professional, hygienic food preparation, meaning there would be minimal risk from a freshly cooked takeaway meal.

With social distancing and extra hygiene measures in place, High Street chains - such as Pret a Manger - now offer customer takeaways and online delivery. Marks and Spencer has reopened 49 of its cafes for takeaway only.

Dozens of KFC outlets are reopening for either delivery or drive-through purchases - or both. McDonald's and Burger King have also reopened some drive-through restaurants - prompting long traffic queues.

Deliveroo and Just Eat have issued guidance on how their riders can stay safe and make food deliveries without touching restaurant packaging.

Should I eat with my hands?

If you get a takeaway delivery, the risk of packaging contamination can be minimised.

"Empty the contents [into a clean dish], dispose of the packaging into a refuse bag and wash your hands thoroughly before you eat," advises Prof Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"Take food out of a container with a spoon and eat it with a knife and fork - not your fingers."

It might be better in the current circumstances to order hot, freshly cooked food, rather than cold or raw items. The Food Standards Agency does stress the risk from food is low and "there is no reason to avoid having ready-to-eat food delivered if it has been prepared and handled properly".

For the most cautious and vulnerable though, careful preparation and cooking may be reassuring.

"With a pizza for example, if you wanted to be really safe, you could even pop it into the microwave for a couple of minutes," Prof Bloomfield adds.

What about takeaway drinks?

Some licensed premises - forced to shut because of the coronavirus restrictions - have continued to sell drinks to takeaway customers.

Pubs and bars should enforce social distancing and extra hygiene measures if they are open - such as making sure staff wear gloves when handling disposable cups.

It is legal to drink in public in the UK, except in areas where Public Space Protection Orders are in place. Local councils in Scotland set their own rules on when and where you can drink. But social distancing rules remain, and the police have powers to confiscate alcohol and move people on.

How safe are supermarket deliveries?

Delivery slots permitting, a home food drop is less risky than a trip to a supermarket as you will avoid other shoppers.

Any risk would be the possible contamination of food or packaging - handled by other people - or from the delivery driver.

You could leave a note on your door asking drivers to ring the bell and step back, but Prof Bloomfield says there's no such thing as "zero risk".

"For contained or packaged goods, either store them for 72 hours before using them - or spray and wipe plastic or glass containers with bleach [carefully diluted as directed on the bottle].

"For unwrapped fresh goods, which could have been handled by anyone - wash thoroughly under running water and leave to dry," she adds.