Coronavirus: UK 'well prepared' to deal with cases, says government - BBC News

The UK is "well prepared" to deal with coronavirus cases and the risk to individuals "remains low", the government has said.

Downing Street said 99% of those tested in the UK had come back negative.

The total number of cases in the UK has risen to 13 after four cruise ship passengers flown back to Britain on Saturday tested positive for the virus.

It comes amid growing fears the outbreak could reach pandemic scale as more cases emerge around the world.

A total of 6,536 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the UK as of 14:00 GMT on Monday, with 6,527 returning as negative, the Department of Health said.

Italy has the largest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, currently 165, and has reported its fifth death from the virus.

It has taken tough measures to try and contain the outbreak, including enforcing a lockdown in several small towns in the Lombardy and Veneto regions.

Asked whether similar measures could be imposed in the UK, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "We will be led by the advice from public health and medical experts and will take steps which they feel are required to best protect the British public."

The risk to individuals "remains low" and 99% of those tested in the UK had come back negative, the spokesman added.

He said: "We are well prepared for UK cases, we are using tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread and the NHS is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections."

The government will continue to "work closely" with the World Health Organization and international partners, and "remain prepared for all eventualities", he said.

So far, the Department of Health and Public Health England have taken a number of measures to deal with the outbreak, which include:

• The NHS putting specialist teams in every ambulance service and some hospital units
• Coronavirus diagnostic tests being rolled out to laboratories across the UK, to allow more than 1,000 people a day to be tested
• The Foreign Office carrying out "enhanced monitoring" of direct flights from nine countries: China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Macau
• New legal powers being issued to allow the government to keep people suspected of having the virus in isolation

The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Italy over the weekend, the spokesman added.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has advised its citizens not to travel to affected areas of Italy.

Meanwhile, rugby matches in Italy involving Welsh club Ospreys and Irish side Ulster have been postponed due to restrictions enforced by officials dealing with the outbreak in Italy.

Plans are being made to reschedule both fixtures, which were due to take place on Saturday.

The UK has supplied equipment including facemasks to China to help combat the spread of the disease, the spokesman confirmed.

"We have supplied [the Chinese government] with 1,800 goggles, 430,000 disposable gloves, 194,000 sanitising wipes, 37,500 medical gowns and 2,500 facemasks," he said.

What you need to know about coronavirus

What are the symptoms?

The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

What should I do?

Frequent handwashing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection.

Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease.

Anyone experiencing symptoms, even if mild, after travelling from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau, is advised to stay indoors and call the NHS 111 phone service.

What is the government doing?

The main focus is on rapidly identifying people with the disease and taking them to specialist hospitals for treatment in isolation.

They are then tracing anybody who has come into close contact with the patient to make sure they know the signs of the disease and what to do.

The total number of UK cases has risen to 13 after four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday tested positive for the virus.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan and are being treated in specialist NHS infection centres.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Elsewhere, countries including South Korea, Italy and Iran are battling to contain the virus, which causes respiratory disease Covid-19.

About 77,000 people in China, where the virus emerged last year, have been infected and nearly 2,600 have died.

More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYxMjAzOdIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MTIwMzk?oc=5

2020-02-25 06:26:13Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYxMjAzOdIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MTIwMzk

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 13:39:28Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 13:31:13Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 12:56:13Z
52780629754028

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 12:54:37Z
52780629754028

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 10:53:50Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg

Coronavirus: Four new UK cases among ship evacuees - BBC News

Four cruise ship passengers flown to Britain on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.

They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan, England's chief medical officer said.

They have now been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres.

Two patients are in the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, one is in the Royal in Liverpool and a fourth was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, NHS England said.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus said: "These specialist centres are well prepared to deal with cases and earlier this year the Newcastle unit successfully treated and discharged two patients who had contracted the virus."

Prof Willett added there had been a "calm response" to confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, "which will continue to be important as more of us might need to self-isolate for a time, to protect ourselves, our families and the community".

Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said the four new cases were not surprising and would present no risk to the public.

The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight from Japan, adding that no-one who boarded the flight had displayed any symptoms of the virus.

Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist NHS care, the department said.

It added that "appropriate arrangements" are in place at Arrowe Park, including strict separation of passengers from staff and from each other.

It comes as 118 UK citizens and their family members rescued from Wuhan - the centre of the virus outbreak - ended their two-week isolation in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Last weekend, NHS England announced that all but one of the nine people being treated for the coronavirus in the UK had been discharged from hospital.

Analysis

by BBC News medical correspondent Fergus Walsh

It's not surprising that some of those repatriated from the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus.

They were on board a ship where the quarantine was a failure - more than one in five of the 3,700 passengers and crew have tested positive.

In the US, 18 repatriated passengers from the cruise ship subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, as did seven passengers flown back to Australia.

It would seem likely that more of those in quarantine in Arrowe Park hospital may test positive in the coming days.

But the NHS is well able to cope with such cases and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres.

Far more concerning is the situation in Italy, Iran and South Korea, where there is human-to-human spread of the virus in the community, which could eventually lead to the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic.

Arrowe Park Hospital was previously used to isolate 83 British nationals who were flown back to the UK from Wuhan on the Foreign Office's first evacuation flight in January.

Janelle Holmes, chief executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust reassured staff that the hospital was "running as usual".

"When guests arrived yesterday evening, we followed clear guidance in relation to infection prevention control. This was to minimise the chance of any infection spreading."

The evacuees had already spent two weeks in quarantine on board the cruise ship, but since then 600 passengers and crew have tested positive for the new virus, raising fears that the incubation period for the virus may be longer than originally thought.

Separately, four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday's repatriation flight.

They included David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia, according to their family and are being treated in a Japanese hospital.

Relatives said the couple are both "having a really tough time" and feel "very much in the dark" in terms of treatment, adding that they are awaiting further tests.

Italy imposes lockdown

The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. The virus has since spread to at least 11 other countries.

Over the weekend, Italian officials imposed strict quarantine restrictions in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice, as the number of coronavirus cases soared to 130 - the worst outbreak in Europe.

Venice Carnival has been cut short, schools and museums closed and sporting events suspended as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

About 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Three people have died.

Elsewhere, authorities in South Korea and Iran are battling to control rising numbers of infections.

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level". The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo.

Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan have closed their borders with Iran, where eight people are known to have died. Officials have ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces.

---

Have you been affected by the latest developments around Covid-19? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg?oc=5

2020-02-24 09:48:12Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MTYwNjM2ONIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTE2MDYzNjg