British hotel remained open after Chinese tourists taken ill
Health officials try to trace anyone who had contact with infected tourists as Britons fly in from Wuhan
A HOTEL in York is at the centre of Britain’s coronavirus scare, after its guests were confirmed as the first two known cases of the virus in the UK.
The pair, now being treated at a specialist NHS unit in Newcastle, were taken away by paramedics wearing hazmat suits, after falling ill at the Staycity Hotel. They were two members of the same family, understood to be tourists who came from China on holiday to the UK in recent days.
Health officials were attempting to track down anyone who came into contact with them during their three-day stay at the 220-bed hotel.
Last night, there were questions about why the hotel had been allowed to remain open for business.
The firm said it had been advised by Public Health England (PHE) that there was “minimal ongoing risk of infection” to guests or staff, and said the apartment – currently sealed off – would undergo a thorough clean.
Officials were trying to contact almost 500 people who flew in from Wuhan in recent weeks, to try to persuade them to “self-isolate”.
The arrival of the deadly virus in the UK was confirmed just before 83 Britons on an evacuation flight from China arrived at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, and were loaded on to coaches to take them to the Wirral. Last night, they were in quarantine in staff accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital and will remain there for two weeks.
While those attending to the group wore hazmat protection suits, the drivers wore no protective gear or masks. Officials said risk assessments had deemed that they did not need protection, because they did not have close contact with the group, defined as being within 2m (6.5ft) for at least 15 minutes. Rows of seats behind the driver were left empty.
The group in the Wirral are housed in fully furnished rooms, with access to food, laundry facilities and medical staff who are monitoring their condition. Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital. Some hospital visitors said they were unhappy that the group were being housed on the site and feared patients would be put at risk. Around 40 NHS staff members were moved to hotels in order to make room for the 83 evacuees. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the measures taken by PHE to prevent the possible spread of disease were inadequate.
He said it was “worrying” officials had revealed so little about those infected, and said they had a duty to ensure those at risk knew about it.
Prof Sharon Peacock, the director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England (PHE), said anyone who believed they had been in contact with the two people in York should “self-isolate” for 14 days, and call their GP or dial 111 if they developed symptoms.
PHE could not explain how people could do this without knowing who the pair were.
Prof Peacock said PHE currently do not have “any idea” how many people may have been in contact with the infected patients.
Officials said the design of the apartment-style accommodation in York meant there was “minimal interaction between guests”, so closing the hotel block was not necessary. The assurances came despite warnings from the
World Health Organisation (WHO) that the virus, which is mainly spread through coughs and sneezes, can also survive for short periods on surfaces.
Guests at the block said staff had not told them the pair had been taken away to be tested for coronavirus.
Andy Neale, who was visiting York from Manchester with his girlfriend, said: “I’m fuming about not being told.
“I am a bit shocked because this morning one of the members of staff said it was nothing when I presented them with a news article. We asked again this afternoon at around 3:30pm and they said they were waiting to hear from the NHS and said ‘don’t worry’. I am quite angry about it.”
Yesterday, Prof Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread.”
The flight from Wuhan to the UK was far emptier than expected, with many passengers who intended to fly saying they were given authorisation too late to make it to the airport.
Ministers said the Government would send another plane to Wuhan to rescue British citizens if needed.
Families had been told that relatives with Chinese passports would be unable to join them after Beijing officials denied them permission to leave. That decision was reversed hours before the plane was due to depart, but some did not have time to reach the airport.
The Foreign Office said it was working with EU countries to add British passengers to any rescue flights they may charter back from Wuhan.
Health officials said no one seeking to board the flight was found to have any symptoms. On Thursday, the UK raised its threat levels from low to moderate after the WHO declared a global health emergency.
So far, 9,776 cases have been confirmed globally in 25 countries and 213 people in China have died.
Prof Whitty said that anyone in Britain who had returned from China in the past fortnight with coughs and colds should “self-isolate” for two weeks. He warned that the epidemic in China was “spreading out of control”.
Until now, only those who have returned from Wuhan had been urged to take measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
Prof Whitty stressed that the UK’S threat level had been raised due to the fast spread of disease in China. He said: “The risk comes from the epidemic in China spreading out of control. The numbers are going up very fast.”
A French flight carrying around 200 people also landed near Marseille yesterday morning. One passenger was taken to hospital with coronavirus symptoms after landing, while the others were being quarantined in a holiday camp for two weeks.
Australia’s government came under fire over plans to quarantine hundreds of citizens on Christmas Island – a territory more than 900 miles (1,500km) from the country’s coast and controversially used to detain asylum seekers and migrants. Of roughly 600 citizens who registered for help to leave Wuhan, only 150 have so far expressed interest in the Christmas Island plan.
Italy declared a national emergency after reporting two cases, while Russia and Sweden identified their first cases yesterday. Thailand became the fifth country to confirm domestic humanto-human transmission after a taxi driver was infected.
The US last night barred entry for foreign nationals who have travelled to China in the past two weeks. Americans who have spent time in Hubei province will be quarantined.
Singapore closed its border with China yesterday, while Pakistan and Russia suspended flights.