CORONAVIRUS REGION’S FIRST CASE CONFIRMED
MAN WHO TESTED POSITIVE BELIEVED TO HAVE FLOWN HOME FROM ITALY BEFORE SELF-ISOLATING
A MAN who contracted coronavirus in Italy flew back from Milan to Manchester before self-isolating, the Manchester Evening News understands.
The male patient is believed to be from Bury and tested positive for the virus after returning to the UK.
He has been transferred to a specialist hospital in London.
Health officials wouldn’t confirm when he returned, when he was tested or which airport he flew into, but now all his close contacts are being tested for the virus.
Bury council’s director for public health Lesley Jones said the man ‘did the right thing’ by self-isolating on his return to the UK.
She has reassured residents in Bury that the risk to the public remains low.
She said: “The individual returned to Bury from Italy and immediately self-isolated.
“He was quickly tested and was confirmed (to have the virus).
“He has been taken to a special centre. He did the right thing by self-isolating.
“Public Health England have made contact with the contacts in Bury and are following that through. It will be standard practice for close contacts to be tested.” She added: “In the future any decisions will be based on the spread of the virus. We are obviously planning for if the situation changes – we would be expected to plan for a reasonable worst case scenario.
“If it becomes more widespread we would move into the mitigation phase.
“That would come from Public Health England and those decisions would be fed into decisions about school closures, travel advice, large scale gatherings. But we are not there yet.”
A spokesman for Bury council earlier said they are working closely with health authorities to ensure that the people of Bury are protected, and kept well informed. A total of 12 patients, including the man from Bury, tested positive for coronavirus yesterday – bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 36.
Cabinet member for children’s services at Bury council, Tamoor Tariq, confirmed that as of yesterday afternoon, all schools in Bury will remain open.
He reassured parents that a ‘robust’ system is in place to respond to any cases of the virus, should they need to.
Coun Tariq said in a statement: “Following coronavirus developments in Bury, we’ve been working with our schools this week.
“We have received a number of queries from schools this week. The local health protection nurses have sent out the Public Health England guidance to all local schools this week.
“The guidance contains information about the virus, advice for travellers and specific advice for schools. Schools were advised to send the information out and to all parents. “Our health protection nurses have been offering support and reassurance as required.
“Locally, we have robust systems in place to respond to cases notified by PHE, should they need to.” Lesley Jones added: “I’d like to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains low and Bury council is working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Bury are protected.
“Good hygiene is the best prevention and there are some simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly – and if you cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. If you have recently been to one of the affected countries and are feeling unwell, you should phone the NHS’s 111 helpline for further advice straight away – please don’t go to your doctor.”
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We would be expected to plan for a reasonable worst case scenario Director of public health for Bury council, Lesley Jones
TWELVE new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in England and the first in Scotland as the number of people infected with the virus across the UK climbed to 36.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted it was “inevitable” the deadly virus would continue to spread, and did not rule out following China’s lead in shutting down cities if the Covid-19 outbreak escalates.
Three of the latest cases are family members of a man from Surrey who tested positive on Friday, becoming the first person to contract the virus within the UK.
All four are adults, including one more from Surrey and two from West Sussex, and are not GPs or health workers.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said another new patient, from Essex, had not recently travelled to an infected area. He said investigations were ongoing as to whether the patient had contracted it “directly or indirectly” from someone who had recently travelled abroad.
Meanwhile, a Tayside resident who recently travelled from Italy has become the first person in Scotland to be diagnosed with the virus, the Scottish Government said.
All of the cases are being investigated and officials have begun tracing anyone who had close contact with them.
Three cases were confirmed in West Yorkshire, including two Leeds residents – who became infected in Iran – while one is from Bradford who had been in Italy.
Two of the new patients are from Hertfordshire, one is from London and the other is from Gloucestershire and linked to a member of staff at school in the Cotswolds, who was identified on Saturday.
Mr Hancock outlined a new “battle plan” by the Government yesterday and would not rule out isolating entire cities, as Chinese authorities did with Wuhan, where the virus originated.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “There is clearly a huge economic and social downside to that. But we don’t take anything off the table at this stage.”
Yesterday, the Department of Health and Social Care announced every department will have a ministerial lead on the virus, and a cross-Whitehall “war room” is being set up to roll out an enhanced public information campaign.
Emergency powers designed to restrict Covid-19 if it becomes endemic, due to be announced this week, would only be “temporary”, said Mr Hancock.
He confirmed that “population distancing measures”, such as banning public gatherings and cancelling football matches, could be considered by the Government, while closing schools may be “necessary”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited a Public Health England centre in Colindale, north London, yesterday.
The Foreign Office confirmed that nonessential staff, as well as dependants, are to be pulled out of the British Embassy in Tehran. Iran has seen a surge in infections.