Shoppers have been warned that cash could carry bacteria and viruses and they should wash their hands after using bank notes.
The Manchester Evening News said people have been urged to use contactless payment wherever possible, to reduce their contact with bacteria-covered money.
Officials disclosed on Tuesday that the number of people in the UK diagnosed with Covid-19 had risen to 51, with 12 new cases – while a British woman staying in Tenerife has also tested positive for the virus.
The Government has launched a renewed public information campaign urging people to wash their hands to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Adverts will seek to drive home the message that regular hand-washing is the single most important action individuals can take in the fight against Covid-19.
Speaking to the Telegraph, a World Health Organization spokesperson said: "We know that money changes hands frequently and can pick up all sorts of bacteria and viruses.
"We would advise people to wash their hands after handling banknotes, and avoid touching their face.
"When possible it would also be advisable to use contactless payments to reduce the risk of transmission."
Research by the London Metropolitan University also discovered that £5 and £10 polymer notes already in circulation held eight types of bacteria between them.
Listeria was one bacteria found on the notes, which can cause nausea, diarrhoea and even miscarriages.
The 2018 study also found the antibiotic resistant Enterococcus faecium on the bank notes, as well as Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
An expert from London-based electronic payments provider myPOS , said: "Using a contactless card to make transactions is so much safer than handling notes and coins which can hold life-threatening bugs.
"With each note and coin likely to have been touched by thousands of people, you can only imagine how much bacteria they are exposed to – whereas a debit or credit card is easy to keep clean."
They continued: "We are fast becoming a cashless society, so much so it’s now less convenient to get cash out of an ATM rather than make a card payment.
"And, looking at the scientific evidence, people who use card payments instead could be saving themselves from a number of health risks."
