Coronavirus: UK case total hits 280 as Wales counts two new infections
A further two patients in Wales have tested positive for coronavirus it was confirmed this morning, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 280.
The new diagnoses brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to six, Public Health Wales said.
The Prime Minister will hold an emergency Cobra meeting today to discuss tougher measures to contain the virus.
As of yesterday morning official Department for Health data showed that 273 people in the UK that had tested positive for Covid-19, a jump of 64 cases on the previous day. The latest data from Johns Hopkins University showed that the total has reached 280 today.
It was confirmed last night that a third person has died from the illness in the UK.
The patient was over 60 years old, had “significant underlying health conditions” and had recently travelled from an affected area.
Chief medical office Chris Whittey said the process to identify the patient’s contacts was underway.
University Hospital Southampton also said it has closed its surgical high dependency unit to new admissions after an employee that worked a night shift on Friday has tested positive for the disease.
Meanwhile, the government has advised against all but essential travel to several areas of northern Italy, where large parts of the country are on lockdown.
The number of deaths in Italy rose by 133 overnight to 366, with the total number of infections rising to 7,375.
Last week the UK’s emergency scientific group agreed that the virus is likely to spread significantly across the country, and the government will today discuss whether to move on to the “delay phase” of its plans.
The government alsso said it had established a team to stop “interferance and disinformation” around the spread of the virus. It also said it plans to hold a conference call with supermarkets to discuse their response to the outbreak, as consumers stockpiled essential items.