The Dutch public health institute has advised people living in Noord-Brabant province to limit their social contacts if they have a cold, cough or a temperature, while officials try to determine where locals are being infected with coronavirus.

Most of the 128 patients already identified in the Netherlands spent time in northern Italy or were in close contact with another patient, but the source of most of the infections in the southern province remains a mystery.

In addition, many of the others with an unknown infection source have a connection with Noord-Brabant, the RIVM said. The Carnaval celebrations in Tilburg were a known link between some of the early patients.

Officials are planning to carry out tests in the province, which counts Eindhoven, Den Bosch and Breda among its other major population centres, from tomorrow in an effort to find out how widespread the virus is.

In the meantime, people in Noord-Brabant who have a cold or cough are being advised to work from home and to avoid places where there are lots of people.

‘If you have health complaints and have to leave your house, try to keep as far away from others as possible,’ the RIVM said. ‘This will reduce the chance of you spreading the virus without noticing.’

People whose complaints worsen should alert their doctor, the RIVM said.

People outside the province are advised to stay home if they have a fever and coughing or shortness of breath and were in one of the following countries or regions in the past 14 days:

China (including Hong Kong and Macao)

Singapore

South Korea

Iran

Italy: the northern provinces of Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino South Tyrol, Friuli-Julian-Venice, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria.

‘If you were in one of these areas and have symptoms of the common cold or a slightly elevated temperature, stay home and make sure you have as little contact with others as possible.’

People should only contact their GP if their symptoms worsen, the RIVM said.

Prime minister Mark Rutte said at his weekly news conference on Friday that combating coronavirus is a a ‘joint, national task’. And he stressed the importance of following the RIVM’s recommendations on hygiene, such as regularly washing your hands.

‘The Netherlands is not a country to panic, we are a down-to-earth nation,’ Rutte said. ‘You can see this in how we are dealing with the virus.’