Eight of nine people who tested positive successfully treated and discharged from hospital

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

The number of people tested for coronavirus in the UK has passed 3,000, according to official figures.

Statistics from the Department of Health and Social Care show that 3,109 tests had been carried out in the UK as of 2pm on Sunday, an increase of 117 on the 2,992 reported on Saturday.

Nine people have tested positive for the virus in the UK so far, eight of whom have since been discharged from hospital after recording two negative tests.

Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) UPDATE on #coronavirus testing in the UK:



As of 2pm on Sunday 16 February 2020, a total of 3109 tests have concluded:



3100 were confirmed negative.

9 positive.



Updates will be published at 2pm daily.



For latest information visit:

▶️https://t.co/e1hwL62CDI pic.twitter.com/V4eawr4ou7

The news came as the Sunday Telegraph reported that people with flu-like symptoms could be told by authorities to self-isolate by staying at home for a fortnight if the number of confirmed cases in the UK passes 100.

The government did not comment on the report, but said official advice was under constant review as the situation developed.

The UK chief medical officers are instructing anyone experiencing a cough, fever or shortness of breath who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the past 14 days to stay indoors and call NHS 111.

NHS England said on Saturday that all 94 people in quarantine at Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral had been released. The group had been kept in isolation at the hospital after returning to the UK from Wuhan in China, the centre of the outbreak.

Prof Keith Willet, the NHS strategic incident director, said: “The last guests have left Arrowe Park hospital and I would once again like to thank them for the calm, patient and responsible way that they have responded to what must have been a trying situation.”

Q&A How can I protect myself and others from the coronavirus outbreak? Show Hide The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advises people to: Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Advice about face masks varies. Wearing them while out and about may offer some protection against both spreading and catching the virus via coughs and sneezes, but it is not a cast-iron guarantee of protection Many countries are now enforcing or recommending curfews or lockdowns. Check with your local authorities for up-to-date information about the situation in your area. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

More than 100 people, who were evacuated later from the region, remained in isolation at the Kents Hill Park Hotel in Milton Keynes.

“I am also pleased that eight of the nine individuals who tested positive for coronavirus have now been successfully treated and discharged from hospital,” said Matt Hancock, the health secretary.

“I want to stress that any individuals who are discharged from hospital are now well and do not pose any public health risk to the public. Again, this is evidence of how well prepared our NHS is to deal with the Wuhan coronavirus.”

On Saturday, an 80-year-old Chinese man in France on holiday became the first person to die from virus in Europe, and the first fatality outside Asia. The patient, who was from the province of Hubei that includes Wuhan, had arrived in France on January 16 and suffered a lung infection caused by the virus.

The death toll from Hubei province rose by 100 late on Sunday night, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,765. There are at least 70,400 confirmed cases around the world.