Officials are trying to trace people who had close contact with two Chinese nationals diagnosed with the new strain of coronavirus in the UK.
WIKI DAILY__Public Health England (PHE) has announced anyone who had close contact – defined as being within two metres of those infected for 15 minutes or more – will receive health advice.
In the process the Foreign Office also announced some non-essential embassy staff and their families are being withdrawn from mainland China while those required to continue “critical work” will remain.
The FCO has warned that, its ability to provide help and air lift support to Britons from within China may not reach expectations.
The new coronavirus has caused the deaths of over 200 people so far – all in China.
Cases of the virus in china has surpassed 10,000 – with more than 100 cases reported in 22 other countries.
Some 83 UK nationals and 27 others were flown into the UK on a chartered evacuation flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak of coronavirus began.
Before boarding the flight, passengers had to sign papers agreeing to a minimum of two weeks quarantine.
After spending a total of 14 days in quarantine – they will be tested for the coronavirus and if the result comes out negetive they would be released to go home and be with their families.
The UK evacuees are being housed in fully-furnished rooms, including kitchens, and provided with food and laundry facilities. Families are being kept together, with toys and baby equipment available.
All 83 evacuees will have full access to a team of medical staff who will closely monitor their condition.
“They’ll be looking for symptoms that could be associated with the coronavirus,” said a professor of virology at Nottingham University. Jonathan Ball,
