New coronavirus case in England is first local case in the UK
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A new coronavirus patient in England has become the first person to catch the deadly illness within the UK.
The man, from Surrey, had not been abroad recently – unlike the 19 others who have tested positive in the UK.
Experts have warned that it is “crucial” to find out where the latest UK case of coronavirus came from.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the virus had been passed on in the UK, and that it was not clear whether the patient had contracted it directly or indirectly from someone who had recently returned from abroad.
“This is being investigated and contact tracing has begun,” he added.
The total number of cases in England is now 18, plus one each in Wales and Northern Ireland for a UK total of 20.
Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government’s COBRA committee on the outbreak on Monday.
He has said people are “right to be concerned” about the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, but the “best advice” to prevent a wider outbreak is to wash your hands with hot water and soap.
The prime minister has been criticised for having not already held a COBRA meeting over the growing number cases, but insisted it was Downing Street’s “top priority”.
On Friday, a British man became the first UK citizen to die from coronavirus after being infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan.
