Coronavirus: First case in London as virus spreads to capital
Written by News on 12/02/2020
The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in London, Sky News understands.
It is the ninth confirmed case in the UK.
The news comes after the businessman at the centre of the UK outbreak of coronavirus has said he is “happy to be home” after being discharged from hospital.
Steve Walsh was treated at the specialist infectious diseases unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, but has now been given the all-clear.
The 53-year-old scout leader, from Hove in East Sussex, contracted coronavirus on a business trip to Singapore – and is linked to five other people diagnosed with it in the UK.
Meanwhile, the quarantine of 83 people being held in Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, is expected to be lifted amid reports they have all tested negative for the covid-19 strain of the coronavirus.
All of those in quarantine were flown back from China and taken directly to the hospital after arriving in the UK on 31 January.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said the “quarantine is expected to end tomorrow” but declined to comment on the test results of the patients.
In other developments:
- Deaths from COVID-19 pass 1,100; total cases near 45,000
- 2,015 new cases confirmed on 11 February – the fewest since 30 January
- Two prisoners being tested in Oxfordshire – one had recently transferred from a Thai jail
- Another 39 test positive on Diamond Princess ship off Japan, bringing total to 169
- The only two deaths outside mainland China remain one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines
- Bank of England governor says virus “already bigger than SARS” from economic perspective
- The Chinese Grand Prix due to take place in Shanghai on 19 April has been cancelled
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
More follows…
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: First case in London as virus spreads to capital
