UK confirms 73 people have tested negative for coronavirus
A total of 73 people have tested negative for coronavirus in the UK as the death toll in China rises to 81.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced today that there had been no coronavirus cases in the UK or of UK citizens abroad, and the risk to the public is low.
It is thought that up to 300 British citizens are stuck in the region. However it is unclear whether the government will conduct an evacuation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that plans are in place to help UK nationals in Wuhan. He added “we are doing everything” to screen people from the affected regions.
The Foreign Office has warned against all travel to Hubei province and urged Britons to leave if they can.
The coronavirus has killed 81 people in China, with nearly 3,000 confirmed cases. There have been 44 cases confirmed abroad.
The US has confirmed three new cases – one in Arizona and two in California.
The Chinese authorities have extended the national Lunar New Year holiday by three days to Sunday to contain the spread.
In Shanghai the government has stopped businesses from returning to work until 10 February.
Worries over the spread of coronavirus have hit the FTSE 100 index, which dipped more than 2 per cent today.
Airlines and companies with significant exposure to China have been among the biggest fallers.
British Airways owner IAG fell 5.6 per cent and Burberry fell 5.5 per cent. The luxury clothes maker makes approximately 16 per cent of its sales in China.
“The market is back in panic mode about China’s coronavirus,” warned AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
He added that if the World Health Organisation announces a global health emergency, “there could be restrictions on international trade and travel, putting pressure on a fragile global economy.”