THE FIRST cases of coronavirus in the UK have been confirmed.
According to the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, two members of the same family have tested positive for the deadly virus.
The Department of Health has not specified where the two patients are from.
Professor Whitty said the patients “are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus”.
“The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread,” he added.
“We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately.
"We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.”
The news comes a day after the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus to be a global public health emergency.
More than 7,700 people have been infected with the virus while 170 have died in China.
There have already been reported cases in the US, Japan and South Korea.
