BRITISH Airways has confirmed two of its baggage handlers have tested positive for coronavirus.

The staff members are understood to have been working at Heathrow Airport and have now been placed in self-isolation.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

5 British Airways confirmed two of its baggage handlers had become infected with the virus (file photo) Credit: Alamy

The news will spark fears over how many items of luggage the workers may have handled while carrying the virus, which can survive on plastic surfaces for up to three days.

The total number of Brits infected with coronavirus today hit 163 after 47 positive tests in the last 24 hours.

One 75-year-old woman has died in Berkshire and there are fears a man in his 80s who passed away at Milton Keynes hospital today had also caught the infection.

A British Airways spokesman confirmed the positive tests, saying: "Public Health England has confirmed that two members of our staff, have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

"The colleagues have been isolated and are recovering at home."

British Airways is one of a host of airlines which has offered unpaid leave to employees amid a drop in passenger demand due to coronavirus.

It has cancelled hundreds of flights on routes to New York and short-haul destinations in Europe.

Heathrow said in a statement: "The welfare of our passengers and colleagues is our top priority.

"A dedicated Public Health England team is operating at Heathrow to respond to any incidents at the airport, and we are working closely with them to ensure our colleagues are following their latest guidance in its entirety to protect themselves and our passengers.

"In line with Public Health England's advice, we have enhanced thorough cleaning processes, increased the availability and provision of hand sanitisers for our colleagues and continue to advise anyone working or travelling through the airport to follow the Government's advice to maintain good hand hygiene."

5

The deadly bug is spreading at its fastest rate yet as a total of 47 people tested positive in the last 24 hours.

London has seen the most cases with 29 while South-East and South-West England have had 24 and 22 cases respectively.

Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, said Britain will be hit by six months of coronavirus chaos and should expect more deaths.

He told Sky News: "We should expect more cases in the UK, this is the start of an outbreak, clearly.

"We have cases across Europe, across the world, this is a global epidemic and we would expect to see more cases in the UK.

"We've got a reasonable worst-case scenario... that involves 80 per cent of the population and we think the mortality rate is one per cent or lower. I expect it to be less than that.

"It takes about 12 weeks to reach the peak then maybe about 12 weeks to go away again.

"You expect about 90 per cent of cases in the nine weeks in the middle of that and 50 per cent of cases in the three weeks of the middle of that."

5

MOST READ IN NEWS BRITS ON BRINK UK heading for ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown as hospital cases DOUBLE in 8 days LOCKTOBER Scientists want national lockdown as Gov plans 'circuit-break' for Oct half-term BATTERED ON BUS Police hunt for bus thug who beat an NHS worker unconscious over face masks 'WORST NIGHTMARE' Newborn mauled to death by 'jealous' dog who escaped from pen, says uncle CLOSING TYNE Hundreds hit the Toon for last night out before lockdown & 10pm pub curfews NO EASY WAY OUT Hancock warns getting a Covid test WON'T get you out of two weeks isolation

Yesterday, a 75-year-old British woman became the first patient to die in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus.

Health chiefs said the woman had been suffering underlying health conditions and was 'in and out of hospital' before passing away at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

More than 20,000 people have now been tested for coronavirus in the UK.

PM urges Brits not to panic buy as supermarket shelves empty amid coronavirus fears

5 British AIrways confirmed the workers who tested positive are now in isolation (file photo)