UK coronavirus cases soar by 208 and has now reached 798 in 24 hours

The Department of Health has announced of 9am 13 March 2020, a total of 32,771 people have been tested: 31,973 negative.

In the UK the number of confirmed cases in one day has soared by 208 to a total of 798 positive cases, 10 people have died.

The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has questioned Boris Johnson’s strategy in tackling the coronavirus and said it is “concerning.”

Hunt who is the chair of the House of Commons Health select committee questioned the decision not to cancel mass gatherings after Johnson said on Thursday that many more families would “lose loved ones before their time.”

The UK government’s chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance said at a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday, “it is most likely five to ten thousand people are already infected in the UK with coronavirus.”

Sir Patrick said that we are following a similar trajectory to that of Italy, in terms of numbers and the peak could be 10 to 14 weeks away.

The prime minister said this disease is more dangerous than the common flu and “more families are going to lose loved ones before their time,” he added this is the “worst public health crisis in a generation.”