Covid-19: UK should expect more coronavirus cases, says Matt Hancock as Brazil and Greece confirm positive tests
The health secretary today told the UK to expect more coronavirus cases as the number of Covid-19 infections spiked in South Korea, while Brazil and Greece confirmed their first cases.
In a statement to the House of Commons Matt Hancock said that while only 13 people have tested positive for Covid-19, the UK should expect further cases. As of today, 7,132 people in the UK have been tested for the virus.
The outbreak of the coronavirus is worsening as Brazil and Greece confirmed its first cases today.
Brazilian health authorities announced that a man had been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Sao Paolo, meaning it has now spread to every continent besides Antarctica.
Greece is the most recent European country to confirm a case after France announced its first fatality from the coronavirus.
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The case in Greece is a woman who had recently travelled to northern Italy, which is the worst-affected area in Europe at the moment.
Italy has confirmed more than 300 cases, mostly in northern regions, and 11 fatalities.
The British government has set out a four part plan to respond to the coronavirus outbreak – “contain, delay, research and mitigate” – to minimise the risk to the public. The health secretary said that the government had also stepped up monitoring at airports.
Hancock said that a number of British tourists have been quarantined in Tenerife and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in contact with them.
The tourists will reportedly have to stay in isolation for two weeks after a hotel guest tested positive for the virus.
The FTSE 100 fell below 7,000 points in a 13-month low after a spike in cases in South Korea. The number of cases has risen to 1,261 which is the highest outside of China.