FOUR more people in England have tested positive for coronavirus just hours after the government declared it posed a "serious and imminent" threat to public health.
Today, the government confirmed it had secured new powers to forcibly quarantine suspected coronavirus victims in its efforts to reduce the spread of contamination.
In the North-East, one of the UK's four high consequence infectious disease units (HCID) at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, are treating the UK's two first confirmed cases.
This morning, the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty confirmed that four more patients in England had tested positive for the virus bringing the UKs total number of cases to eight.
'The virus was passed on in France'
Prof Whitty said: "Four further patients in England have tested positive for novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to eight.
"The new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case, and the virus was passed on in France.
"Experts at Public Health England continue to work hard tracing patient contacts from the UK cases. They successfully identified these individuals and ensured the appropriate support was provided.
"The patients have been transferred to specialist NHS centres at Guy's and St Thomas' and The Royal Free hospitals, and we are now using robust infection control measures to prevent further spread of the virus.
"The NHS is extremely well prepared to manage these cases and treat them, and we are working quickly to identify any further contacts these patients have had."
The announcement came as the Department of Health said people with coronavirus would now be forcibly quarantined and would not be free to leave, while those who pose an immediate threat to public heatlh could be forcibly sent into isolation.
'The NHS is prepared to deal with coronavirus'
On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Our infection control procedures are world leading and the NHS is well prepared to deal with novel coronavirus.
"We are strengthening our regulations so we can keep individuals in supported isolation for their own safety and if public health professionals consider they may be at risk of spreading the virus to other members of the public.
"This measure will rightly make it easier for health professionals to help keep people safe across the country."
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