Coronavirus news: One UK patient confirmed as York student as US declares national emergency as nearly 12,000 infected globally
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Britain is withdrawing its Foreign Office staff from China hours after dozens of UK nationals were evacuated from the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.
They arrived at a hospital in Merseyside on Friday, where they will spend 14 days in quarantine.
Their arrival came as the UK’s first cases of the new disease were confirmed, with health officials urgently trying to trace those who came into contact with two people diagnosed with the virus.
Meanwhile, China’s death toll from the new virus rose to 259 on Saturday, with the number of confirmed cases reaching 11,791, surpassing the number in the 2002-2003 Sars outbreak.
A shocking image from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan shows a man wearing a face mask lying dead on a pavement, Colin Drury reports:
University of York Vice-Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery has said he wishes to provide reassurance for students and staff.
"I want to reassure our students, staff and the wider community that we're working closely with the lead agency Public Health England and other agencies to manage this situation," he said.
He said the university, which is home to students and staff from more than 140 countries, is "very much an international community".
Stressing the university is open and will continue to operate as normal, he added: "I want to reiterate to students, staff, parents and visitors that we're working with our partners across the city to ensure that York and the university remain a safe and welcoming place to live, work and visit."
University of York Students' Union president Samara Jones said "many students" are likely to be worried by the news.
She said: "The student community at York is a tight-knit, global community and we will continue to support one another at this time."
Ms Jones said the union would work with the university and health authorities to continue providing accurate, up-to-date information as soon as it is available.
She added: "I would encourage students with any questions to keep an eye on the university website for any developments and key information. Our dedicated helpline will remain open over the weekend."
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