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A third person has died from the coronavirus in the UK.

The man was aged in his sixties and had 'significant underlying health conditions', authorities said tonight following the man's death at a hospital in Manchester.

He had tested positive for the virus after recently returning to the UK from Italy, health bosses said.

The death was announced publicly shortly after the Government issued updated travel advice warning Brits against all non-essential travel to virus-hit northern Italy, and imposed new quarantine measures for travellers returning from affected regions.

Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty announced the third death in a statement this evening.

He said: “I am very sorry to report that a third patient in England who tested positive for COVID-19 has sadly died. I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends and ask that their privacy is respected.

(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“The patient, who was being treated at the North Manchester General Hospital, was over 60 years old and had significant underlying health conditions.

"They had recently travelled from an affected area. Contact tracing is already underway.”

He has become the third person in the UK to die, after an 83-year-old man died in Milton Keynes after returning home from a cruise, and an elderly woman aged in her 70s died in Berkshire.

He is the youngest yet to die from the virus on British soil.

(Image: MEN Media)

The news of the man's death comes as 64 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the UK in the past day, taking the patient total to 278 in the biggest daily rise so far.

A spokesman for North Manchester General Hospital said of the death: "We can confirm that sadly a patient being treated for Covid-19 has died at our specialist regional Infectious Diseases unit at North Manchester General Hospital.

"The man in his sixties tested positive after travelling to Italy and had a number of underlying health problems. Our thoughts are with the patient's family who are being supported by our specialist bereavement staff."

Authorities did not say whether the latest victim of the virus had travelled to northern Italy.

The region has been placed under a strict lock-down by Italian authorities after the country's death toll soared overnight.

The death toll in Italy jumped by 133 in one at 366, as millions in the country's north including the worst-hit region of Lombardy, where Milan is the capital, were placed under lockdown.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The news of the latest death comes as Brits were advised against all non-essential travel to the worst-hit areas of Italy.

People returning to the UK from lockdown areas of the country are now being told to self-isolate for 14 days - regardless of whether they show symptoms.

Fresh advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) says that people who have been to affected regions must do everything possible to reduce the chances of infecting others.

Sixteen million people are on lockdown in affected areas of Italy - amounting to a quarter of the country's population.

These areas are: the Lombardy region (which includes the cities of Milan, Bergamo, Como) and the provinces of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Rimini (all in Emilia Romagna); Pesaro e Urbino (in Marche); Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli (all in Piemonte); Padova. Treviso and Venice (in Veneto).

Three coronavirus deaths in UK

The first British citizen to die from the virus was on the quarantined ship the Diamond Princess in Japan.

The first person to die from the virus on British soil was a woman aged in her 70s in Berkshire.

A man in hospital in Milton Keynes was the second to die in the UK after contracting Covid-19.

A friend of the man earlier paid tribute to his friend, and spoke of the heartbreak for his family.

The 83-year-old from Buckinghamshire died four days after being admitted to hospital in Milton Keynes following his return from a Caribbean cruise.

(Image: PA)

The man had underlying health issues and died just 60 minutes after it was confirmed he had the illness.

The Sunday Mirror revealed today how tragically, his relatives cannot grieve properly because they themselves are in isolation to stop Covid-19 from spreading.

His friend said: “He was a wonderful man. We spoke before his cruise and he was so excited. It’s heartbreaking for his family.”

None of the victims have been publicly named yet.

Ministers have warned local councils to prepare for a potential coronavirus death toll as high as 100,000 as the UK sees its second death from Covid-19.

Whitehall officials have given the 'central estimate' to Town Halls as the UK moves firmly into the second phase of the government's strategy attempting to delay the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus 'could kill 100,000' in UK

Ministers have reportedly warned local councils to prepare for a potential coronavirus death toll as high as 100,000, it emerged today.

According to the Sunday Times, Whitehall officials prepared the estimate in guidance issued to local councils about how many casualties they should prepare for.

When questioned on the figure, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon - who has dialled in to Cobra meetings on the virus - did not deny the figure.

"We're looking at the scientific worst case scenarios," she acknowledged.

Boris Johnson will head a fresh emergency cobra meeting on Monday which will discuss further precautions.