Coronavirus: UK cases double as four more patients test positive for deadly virus

All new cases linked to single traveller from Singapore who spread the virus to multiple people in France en route to the UK

Four new cases of coronavirus infections in the UK have been confirmed by the government, bringing the total number of cases to eight.

The new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case of a businessman who travelled from Singapore to France and on to the UK.

A statement by the UK’s chief medical officer professor Chris Witty said the virus was passed between the people in France.

He said experts from Public Health England were working to trace people who may have been in close contact with those infected.

Prof Whitty said: “They successfully identified these individuals and ensured the appropriate support was provided.

“The patients have been transferred to specialist NHS centres at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and The Royal Free hospitals, and we are now using robust infection control measures to prevent further spread of the virus.

“The NHS is extremely well prepared to manage these cases and treat them, and we are working quickly to identify any further contacts these patients have had.”

Earlier this morning the government said the coronavirus outbreak was now a “serious and imminent threat to public health” and authorities will take additional steps to stop the spread of the virus.

It gives the government powers to detain people in isolation to help stop the spread of the virus.

The Department of Health and Social Care has now designated Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead and Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes as “isolation” facilities and Wuhan and Hubei province in China as an “infected area”.

Dr Al Edwards, from the University of Reading school of pharmacy, said: "The government is absolutely right that coronavirus is a serious and imminent threat to people in the UK.

“The main challenges facing Britain and the wider world are containment, finding everyone infected and stopping the spread, and the treatment of very ill patients, which could easily overwhelm hospitals in any country, however well-developed the health system.

“Finding people who have been infected is extremely challenging, but it is essential for containment. We are lucky we do have fairly rapid tests available, based on detecting the virus in patient blood samples, for example. However, these will only work when a patient is quite sick. After people get better, or if they have mild infection, the virus can’t be detected."

For the latest advice visit gov.uk/coronavirus.