Divorce rates in China have risen significantly because 'couples are spending too much time together at home' during coronavirus self-isolation, according to register offices across the country.

Over 300 couples have scheduled appointments to get a divorce since February 24, said Lu Shijun, the manager of a marriage registry in Dazhou, Sichuan Province of south-western China.

Officials believe the sharp increase of divorce requests could be caused by the fact that partners have spent too much time in close quarters under quarantine.

'The divorce rate [in the district] has soared compared to before [the coronavirus outbreak],' Mr Lu told the local press yesterday.

Divorce rates in China have risen significantly because 'couples are spending too much time together at home' during coronavirus self-isolation, according to register offices across China

Over 300 couples have scheduled appointments to get a divorce since February 24, said Lu Shijun, manager of a marriage registry in Dazhou, Sichuan Province of southwestern China

'Young people are spending a lot of time at home. They tend to get into heated arguments because of something petty and rush into getting a divorce,' Mr Lu explained.

Another factor could be a result of delayed applications due to the council offices closing for nearly a month during the coronavirus epidemic.

Marriage registration offices in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province in north-western China have also seen an unprecedented rise of divorce appointments since re-opening on March 1, according to reports.

Marriage registration offices in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province in northwestern China have also seen an unprecedented rise of divorce appointments since re-opening on March 1, reports say

The officials believe the increase of divorce requests could be caused by people spending too much time in close quarters during quarantine. A couple is pictured applying for a divorce

One district office received 14 requests in one day, hitting the upper limit set by the local council, a registration officer told Global Times.

Officials in Fuzhou, Fujian Province of southern China, have adjusted the number of divorce appointments to 10 couples a day after receiving an overwhelming amount of requests.

Scientists have been debating about whether spending time in close quarters is beneficial for couples.

A 2018 study found couples who lived together before marriage had lower divorce rates in the first year, compared to couples who didn't. But higher divorce rates appeared after people living with their spouses for five years or longer.

Another research showed living together could protect lovers against getting a divorce.

A Chinese medical worker is pictured checking a patient infected by the novel coronavirus

Globally, fear of the spreading coronavirus has led to a run on sales of face masks despite medical experts' advice that most people who aren't sick don't need to wear them. The picture shows people in Hong Kong queuing outside a cosmetic store for buying masks on February 3

Cities around China have ordered their citizens to self-isolate for over a month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The news comes as China sees only 8 new cases today, the lowest since the outbreak first started in January.

Elsewhere, Coronavirus panic has tightened its grip worldwide yesterday as scores of countries dramatically upped their response to the deadly pandemic.

Spain: Couple remove their protective face masks to say their goodbyes at Barcelona airport as Spain became Europe's second worst-affected country with 3,004 cases and 84 deaths

Nearly 133,000 people have been infected with the deadly disease worldwide. The death toll has also risen to 4,960.

It has led to several countries being effectively put into lockdown as they closed schools, mass events and shops, while in the US, the mayor of New York declared a state of emergency in the city.

Millions are locked down and more than 1,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Italy.

Italy: Workers in hazmat suits disinfect streets in Naples as the death toll in Italy – the hardest hit country after China – climbed from 827 to 1,016

Prime Minister Boris Johnson today held an emergency meeting where he declared the UK's tactics will shift from 'containing' the killer disease to merely 'delaying' its inevitable spread.

He branded the coronavirus as the 'worst public health crisis in a generation' and warned that 'many more' people are going to die - but still held off implementing drastic measures.

He said: 'At all stages we have been guided by the science. We will do the right thing at the right time.

Most of the cases confirmed in the UK have been in England (596). Fears are mounting that the worsening crisis in the UK is mirroring that of Italy, where millions of people have been placed in an unprecedented lockdown

South Korea: The team take a swap from the patient's mouth while they remain in the car

'This is more dangerous [than seasonal flu] and it's going to spread further. And I must level with you and the British public: more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time.'

A total of 596 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, up from 456 on Wednesday, the Department of Health said.

And two more patients have died in UK hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total to 10, NHS England said.