Eight had recently travelled from Italy and others from Germany, Japan and Iran

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Twelve more people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number infected to 51.

Eight of the new patients announced on Tuesday had recently travelled from Italy, and the fresh cases also included the first to have travelled from Germany. The others had been to Singapore, Japan and Iran, suggesting none are believed to have contracted the virus in the UK.

Health officials in the Canary Islands reported the first case of a British national testing positive at a quarantined hotel in Tenerife.

The 12 new UK cases constitute the second highest single-day increase in cases to date. They include the first known cases in Hampshire, Humberside and Northamptonshire. Others are from London, Wirral, Greater Manchester and Kent.

Dr Will Welfare, of Public Health England North West, said there were three new Covid-19 cases in Greater Manchester, including two from Bury.

“As a result of contact tracing we know the new Bury cases announced today are known contacts of the previously confirmed case from Bury,” he said. “The third case is a resident of Bolton which is not linked to the two cases in Bury announced today. The Bolton resident became infected whilst in Italy.

“Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases. This tried and tested method will ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them and the wider public.”

The previous case from Bury was said to have contracted the virus in Italy. Given that Public Health England (PHE) has said all the new cases were contracted after overseas travel rather than within the UK, the two latest cases from Bury are also likely to have travelled to Italy.

Health officials in the Canary Islands said a woman who tested positive for coronavirus at a hotel in Tenerife on Monday is British and is now in hospital.

The woman was one of 168 British tourists staying at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel when guests were placed in quarantine after Italian visitors who had recently stayed there tested positive for Covid-19.

She is the sixth person at the hotel to test positive for coronavirus and the first Briton. On Monday, 148 guests left the 467-room hotel after they tested negative for the virus.

PHE did not specify how many patients were in each of the other six areas with new cases on the daily list. It said contact tracing had begun.

There have been 48 cases in England to date and one each in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

As of 9am on Tuesday, 13,860 people in the UK had tested negative for coronavirus.