Two people from the same family have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, the chief medical officer for England has announced.
It is understood the patients were staying in a hotel in York before being taken overnight to a specialist centre in Newcastle.
A flight carrying 83 Britons and 27 foreign nationals from Wuhan in China has landed in the UK.
They are being taken to a hospital in Wirral and quarantined for 14 days.
The new coronavirus has caused the deaths of 213 people so far – all in China.
Cases of the virus have reached nearly 10,000 in China – and more than 100 cases have been reported in 22 other countries.
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Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said the NHS was “extremely well-prepared for managing infections” and it was quickly trying to identify any contacts the patients had to prevent further spread.
He said the two people could not be identified because of patient confidentiality.
“We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately,” he added.
