China has stepped up its efforts to contain the coronavirus by locking down 17 cities with more than 50 million people, as the death toll rose to 80.
Some 52 people have been tested for the viral disease in the UK, with all tests returning negative, according to the Department of Health. Meanwhile, Britons remaining in Wuhan, the Chinese province at the centre of the outbreak, have been urged to leave the area if they are able to do so.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, has said the government was “looking at all options” to help Britons leave Wuhan following reports officials have been asked to examine the logistics for an airlift from the city.
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Health officials are continuing to track down around 2,000 people who have recently flown into the UK from Wuhan, the area of China worst affected by the outbreak.
The Department of Health confirmed it is trying to find “as many passengers as we can” who arrived from the region in the past two weeks to check on their wellbeing.
It is understood Border Force officers have been recruited to help speed up the search for passengers as testing for the virus continues in the UK.
A public health hub has been set up in Heathrow, staffed by a rotating team of seven clinicians working in shifts to support patients on arrival.
One academic has said his “best guess” was that 100,000 people had been infected by the coronavirus.
Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told The Guardian: “There are very large numbers of Chinese tourists across Europe right now.
“Unless the Chinese manage to control this, and I’m sceptical about whether that is possible, we will get cases here.”
The Foreign Office has confirmed it is working on making an “option available” for British nationals to leave Wuhan in the Hubei province in China.
British citizens in the region have been told to call the FCO on (+86) (0) 10 8529 6600 or (+44) (0)207 008 1500 should they need assistance.
A spokesperson said: “We continue to monitor developments closely and are in close touch with the Chinese authorities. The safety and security of British nationals is always our primary concern.”
Here are the key questions and answers about travelling to and from China, from our travel correspondent Simon Calder:
Britons trapped in the Chinese province at the centre of the outbreak have been urged to leave the area if they are able to do so.
The Foreign Office updated its guidance to “advise against all travel to Hubei province”, which has been on lockdown for several days as China seeks to contain the illness.
But the guidance also added: “If you are in this area and able to leave, you should do so. This is due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.”
Priti Patel, the home secretary, said the government was “looking at all options” to help Britons leave Wuhan following reports that officials have been asked to examine the logistics for an airlift from the city.
Public Health England’s medical director, Dr Yvonne Doyle, has told Sky News she suspects there were already cases of cornavirus in the UK.
But she said the country was “well-prepared”.
Some 52 people have now been tested for coronavirus in the UK as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Department of Health (DoH), although all tests have returned negative.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said there was a “fair chance” cases would emerge in Britain as the overall number reported around the world climbed to about 2,744.
The death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 80 as China expanded efforts to contain the viral disease by extending the Lunar New Year holiday to keep the public at home.
A total of 17 cities with more than 50 million people have been placed on lockdown in the most far-reaching disease-control measures ever imposed.
