UK embassy in Beijing says it is working on option for British nationals to leave China

Britain’s embassy in Beijing has said it is “working to make available an option” for British nationals to leave the Chinese province at the centre of the coronavirus as the UK’s response was contrasted with that of other countries with active evacuation plans.

As other countries prepared to airlift their citizens from the worst affected region of China, the prime minister insisted plans were being worked on to help UK citizens in Wuhan, the city from where the outbreak is believed to have originated, adding that “we are doing everything” to screen people arriving from affected regions.

The announcement by the embassy in Beijing on Monday also came as the former foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, backed the idea of airlifts for British citizens in China and Public Health England said the first case of the virus was likely to come from somebody already in the UK.

“Our view is that, although airports are important, the most likely place that we might find a case is somebody in the country already, and it’s absolutely critical that the public health service and the NHS are ready to diagnose that and are able to designate the person to the right facilities,” said Prof Yvonne Doyle, the medical director and director of health protection for PHE.

“That’s the most likely scenario we are dealing with,” she added in an interview with Sky News.

Efforts are continuing to trace the 2,000 people who have entered the UK from China on international flights. Some 73 people have now been tested for coronavirus in the UK and all tests have come back negative, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

In an interview at the King’s College London Mathematics School after launching a post-Brexit visa plan, Boris Johnson said: “We are looking at everything we can to give reassurance to those people in Wuhan and you will be hearing a bit more in due course but I don’t want to pre-empt the decisions we are going to make,” he replied.

“Obviously, we are doing everything we can to ensure that people who do come to this country are properly screened and checked if they have come from an area that is known to have the infection. So far there is still no case of somebody with coronavirus here the UK but clearly there are a lot of cases in China and it is spreading.”

The home secretary, Priti Patel, and the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, have said ministers are considering an evacuation plan, but both have stopped short of committing to one.

By comparison, the French government has said its citizens who want to leave Wuhan, will be taken on a direct flight to France in the middle of this week, then held in quarantine for 14 days.

Japan has chartered evacuation flights to take out 560 Japanese citizens who are confirmed in Hubei and the US consulate in Wuhan is arranging a charter flight on Tuesday to evacuate its personnel and some other Americans.

Quick guide What are coronavirus symptoms and should I go to a doctor? Show Hide What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes? According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment. About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. In the UK, the National health Service (NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough? Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities. 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.

Asked if he supported flying Britons back from Wuhan, and elsewhere, Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think I would be very sympathetic and I’m sure the Foreign Office would be too.”

He added: “This is a very difficult time of year for the NHS – it is the most difficult time. But, again, my experience is that the NHS does know how to cope with these kinds of emergencies.”

“The thing that will be difficult is the knock-on impact on other NHS services,” he said.

“It would be very, very challenging for the NHS in terms of the regular workload but I have absolutely no doubt that, when it comes to doing what is necessary to isolate the virus and keep the public safe, our doctors and nurses will do exactly what they need to do.”

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.

UK in China, the official Twitter account of Britain’s embassy in Beijing, tweeted: “We are working to make available an option for British nationals to leave Hubei province.”

Providing details of a 24-hour helpline British nationals could use if they required assistance, it added it was continuing to monitor developments closely and was in close touch with Chinese authorities.