The president of the European Commission has risen the risk of catching coronavirus on Monday, from moderate to “high” after the virus has now spread across most of western Europe.
Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement after two people have contracted coronavirus in Porto, Portugal.
von der Leyen told journalist’s, “The ECDC [European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control] has announced today that the risk level has risen from moderate to high for people in the European Union. In other words, the virus continues to spread.”
On Sunday, the UK’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty confirmed that 12 more people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, bring the total to 35 cases.
Hours later Scotland announced their first case of the virus, which now stands at 36 cases across the UK.
One of the infected patients had “no relevant travel” and it is not clear at this stage how they contracted coronavirus.
Globally there are now 80,071 across 53 countries out of 195, and the death toll has now reached 3,044.