Coronavirus cases in the UK rise to 51 – details of newest patients emerge

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has risen to 51.

The jump comes after the number hit 39 yesterday, with a school in Devon confirming that a pupil had been diagnosed with coronavirus after travelling from northern Italy.

The 12 new cases emerged today and include eight patients who had recently travelled from Italy, one from Germany, one from Singapore, one from Japan and one from Iran.

They are from London, Hampshire, Northamptonshire, Bury, Wirral, Greater Manchester, Humberside and Kent.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’ve responded to a wide range of disease outbreaks in the past, the NHS has been preparing for a pandemic virus for over a decade, we have world class expertise to make sense of the emerging data, we have a strong base on which to build.”

He said the UK is currently in the containment phase but added: “If the number of global cases continues to rise, especially in Europe, the scientific advice is that we may not be able to contain the virus indefinitely”.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called for government assurances that low-paid, casual workers and others who may not be entitled to sick pay, will not be forced to choose between self-isolation and earning a living if they were to fall ill with the virus.

He said the Labour Party would support any emergency legislation ensuring people would not “have to put their health before financial interest or vice versa”.

Mr Ashworth also asked if those self-isolating due to the disease would need to go to their GP for a sick note, given that people with coronavirus symptoms have been told to stay away from their GP.

Mr Hancock did not answer Mr Ashworth’s question regarding low-paid and casual workers.

Regarding the need for a sick note, he said: “Those who do need to self-isolate for medical reasons to protect others, that counts as being off sick – they do not need to go to a GP because there is a seven-day allowance for self declaration and we keep all matters on this under review”.

He did not address the fact that the recommended self-isolation period for those suspected of having coronavirus is 14 days.

Mr Hancock called on employers to prioritise the welfare of staff and for everyone to use tissues when they sneeze and to wash their hands more often.

Meanwhile, there have been concerns over the viability of events and large gatherings, including the London Marathon just eight weeks away.

Mr Hancock told MPs that “reacting too early or over-reacting carries its own risk”, saying that the government would, therefore, “seek to minimise social disruption”.

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a government plan to tackle the spread of the disease following a meeting with senior ministers.

The plan includes having more people work form home, travel restrictions, bringing NHS staff out of retirement, and bigger class sizes in schools.

Volunteers could be brought into public services to help with tasks such as delivering food to hospitals.

Legislation allowing the government to use extra powers to help control COVID-19 is expected to passed by the end of the month.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has also pledged more funds to fight the spread of COVID-19 and has promised more cash in next week’s budget.

Mr Hancock admitted some of the planned action would be “uncomfortable” but insisted the government was “quite prepared to do that if it’s necessary”.

However, speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley@Breakfast show earlier, he said the government was seeking “as targeted as an approach as possible” with the focus on elderly and others likely to suffer most from the virus.

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On Monday, Mr Johnson said coronavirus was “highly likely” to spread further following an emergency COBRA meeting.

The Doctors’ Association UK has aired concerns of an already-stretched health service not being to cope in the event of a large increase in cases.

The European Commission has said the risk level for those in the European Union and UK was “moderate to high”.

There are currently more than 90,000 cases of coronavirus around the world and more than 3,000 deaths.

Virus Outbreak: Global Emergency – Watch a special Sky News programme on coronavirus at 6pm weekdays.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus cases in the UK rise to 51 – details of newest patients emerge