Coronavirus UK: Authorities searching for those who came into contact with first cases
UK authorities are trying to trace people who may have come into close contact with the two Chinese nationals diagnosed with the coronavirus in the UK on Friday.
The pair, who are members of the same family, are being treated in a specialist isolation unit at the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle.
They were taken ill while staying at a Staycity apartment-hotel in York.
Public Health England (PHE) has said anyone who had close contact – defined as being within two metres of those infected for 15 minutes or more – will receive health advice.
Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: “Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with the confirmed cases.
“Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases.”
Peacock had previously said they did not have “any idea” of how high that number might be.
Staycity said its hotel in York would remain open and the apartments would be disinfected, having consulted with PHE.
The number of cases has also risen to almost 12,000. However, there have been no deaths outside of China.
The virus is said to have a mortality rate of around two per cent.