12 more people in the UK test positive for coronavirus

Public Health England has announced that a further 12 people have coronavirus in the UK.

The number of people who have the disease in the country now stands at 35.

Four of those who tested positive in the past 24 hours contracted the disease in the UK, unlike the majority of those previously infected.

A statement from Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: "As of 9am this morning 12 further patients in England have tested positive for COVID-19.


"Three patients were close contacts of a known case, transmitted in the UK, identified as part of contact tracing.

"One patient, resident in Essex, had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad; investigations are ongoing.

"Of the remaining eight cases, six had recently travelled from Italy and two from Iran.

"The patients who have recently travelled are from London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire. All are being investigated and contact tracing has begun."

He added: "The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 33. Following previously reported confirmed cases in Northern Ireland and Wales, the total number of UK cases is 35."

The updated total comes in the days after the diagnosis of the first patient to get coronavirus in the UK without having travelled abroad recently. // <\/s'+'cript>'); // --> //]]> From ICE