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A British coronavirus evacuee travelling to Arrowe Park Hospital was "taken ill" and has been moved to a separate hospital for tests, the ECHO can exclusively reveal.

The patient began to feel unwell on the second evacuation flight out of the Chinese city of Wuhan carrying 11 British nationals to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The group were supposed to be then driven to Arrowe Park to join the 83 other Britons evacuated last week, where they would then be quarantined in a staff accommodation block.

The ECHO has learned this morning that only 10 passengers arrived at the Birkenhead hospital - and have been isolated from the other 83 within the block while tests are carried out on the ill person.

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An internal email from Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Arrowe Park, exclusively seen by the ECHO, said the unwell passenger "immediately self-isolated" and was taken to a separate NHS hospital when the flight landed.

It is not clear at this stage which hospital they have been taken to.

(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

The email said: "Dear all, as you know, we were expecting a further 11 people, repatriated from Wuhan in China, to arrive and join you in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital last night.

"During the flight, one of the passengers started to feel slightly unwell, and self-isolated immediately. Upon landing, that passenger remains isolated, and was taken to another NHS hospital for tests.

"We expect test results in the coming days, and will keep you updated.

"None of the other 10 patients have shown any symptoms, but as a precautionary measure the 10 new guests were allocated rooms in a separate area of the facility, isolated from those already here.

"As we have previously said, staff supporting those in the accommodation block are following strict clinical guidance and protocols to ensure everyone remains safe."

More than 300 people infected with the new strain of the disease have been confirmed dead, and cities of millions of people have been completely locked down in China.

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In the UK two cases have been confirmed among members of the same family, who are being treated in a Newcastle hospital.

The Department of Health said it could not comment on the email this morning.

UPDATED: A statement from Wirral Council, issued after the ECHO broke the story, said: "We were expecting a further 11 people, repatriated from Wuhan in China, to arrive and join current guests in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital last night.

"During the flight, one of the passengers started to feel slightly unwell, and self-isolated immediately.

"Upon landing, that passenger remained isolated, and was taken to another NHS hospital for tests.

"None of the other new arrivals have shown any symptoms, but as a precautionary measure they were allocated rooms in a separate area of the facility, isolated from those already there.

"Staff supporting those in the accommodation are following strict clinical guidance and protocols to ensure they are safe."