Scots rugby clash called off as cases rise to 11
SCOTLAND’S Women’s Six Nations match with France in Glasgow today has been called off after a home player contracted coronavirus.
The player is being treated in “a health care facility but is otherwise well”, say Scottish Rugby, while seven members of the Scotland playing and management staff are in self-isolation.
Dr James Robson, Scottish Rugby’s chief medical officer said: “We are pleased our player is doing well and that all the correct medical procedures have been followed and continue to be followed.
“We are working with the Scottish Government in continuing to observe and follow NHS advice.”
It comes as an elderly man has become the second to die from coronavirus in the UK, as the number of cases worldwide heads close to 100,000, with 11 confirmed Scots cases.
The man, in his 80s, died in hospital in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, where he was being treated for other underlying conditions. The hospital said last night he had tested positive for the virus and died on Thursday.
Staff and other patients who had been in contact with him were isolated and the ward deep-cleaned.
The first death in the UK was on Thursday when a woman in her 70s died in hospital.
GOVERNMENTS have been urged to “pull out all the stops” to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The message from the World Health Organisation came as Scotland confirmed five new cases and the UK total rose to 164, with an elderly man in England becoming the second fatality from the virus in Britain.
The man, in his 80s, was reportedly being treated for underlying health conditions at Milton Keynes Hospital, Buckinghamshire, when he died.
Tests confirmed he was suffering from the Covid-19 infection.
Other patients on the ward were isolated while a deep clean was carried out and the staff who had nursed him have also gone into isolation.
Scotland Women’s Six Nations match with France in Glasgow today has been postponed after a home player contracted coronavirus. It was not known if she is one of the five new cases, or an additional one.
The player is being treated in
“a health care facility but is otherwise well”, say Scottish Rugby, while seven members of the Scotland playing and management staff are in self-isolation.
The Scotland men v France match at Murrayfield tomorrow is set to go ahead as planned.
Two British Airways baggage handlers based at Heathrow and a child at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, have also tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Scottish Government confirmed testing has detected two new cases in Fife, one in Grampian, one in Lothian and one in Forth Valley, bringing the total in Scotland to 11.
Scotland’s chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said the country remains in the containment phase, although First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned the number of people suffering from Covid-19 is likely to rise “very rapidly” in the coming days.
It came as WHO director general Tedros Adhanom said there were “encouraging signs” of a slowdown of the virus in South Korea, which has the second highest incidence after China.
The country, which has a population of 51.5 million, has recorded 6,284 cases and 42 deaths to date.
Mr Adhanom said: “The number of newly-reported cases [in South Korea] appears to be declining, and the cases that are being reported are being identified primarily from known clusters.
“Although a few countries are reporting large numbers of cases, 115 countries have not reported any cases; 21 countries have reported only one case; and five countries that had reported cases have not reported new cases in the past 14 days.”
He said: “This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor. As we have said before, even high-income countries should expect surprises. The solution is aggressive preparedness.
“We’re concerned some countries have either not taken this seriously enough, or have decided there’s nothing they can do.
“We are concerned that in some countries the level of political commitment and the actions that demonstrate that commitment do not match the level of the threat we all face.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time to give up. This is not a time for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged an extra £46 million in Government funding for research into coronavirus vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests during a visit yesterday to a Bedfordshire laboratory.
He warned a “substantial period of disruption” was likely as the outbreak escalates.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’S
Chief Scientific Adviser, said he does not think a working vaccine will be produced “in time or at scale for this outbreak”
Sir Patrick added: “That said, there have been remarkable changes in the ability to make vaccines, and discover vaccines, just in the last few years, and so things have progressed much more
Five countries have not reported new cases in the past 14 days
quickly than they would have done in the past.”
It came as Dr Kate Broderick, a Scottish scientist originally from Dunfermline who is leading a team of team of US researchers aiming to fasttrack a Covid-19 vaccin, said she was “very excited” by the results so far at her San Diego lab.
“Those results are going to be used as the foundation for taking this vaccine into human clinical testing which we hope to start in April,” she said.
Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE) issued advice suggesting people may need to stock up on supplies for loved ones in future if social-distancing measures are introduced and more people are told to stay at home.
It came as the BBC reported one supermarket executive, speaking anonymously, saying that sales of basics such as pasta and tinned goods had “gone through the roof”.
He added: “While I think people don’t need to panic buy and should just shop normally, I’m not sure the Government can guarantee all food supply in all instances.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock had earlier said there was “absolutely no need” for people “to go round buying more than they need”, saying the Government was in regular contact with the food industry to discuss risks to the supply chain.