UK has 42 more cases of coronavirus totalling 206

The Department of Health said as of 7am on Saturday, 42 more people have been confirmed to have coronavirus across the UK bringing the national total to 206.

Most coronavirus cases are in England with 29 in London, 24 in the South East, 22 in the South West, 21 in North West, 13 in North East Yorkshire, 12 in the Midlands with 11 in the East of England. There are still 15 unknown locations.

The Department of Health said, some 21,460 people have been tested in the UK, of which 21,254 were tested negative.

Coronavirus currently has a mortality rate of 15% for people aged over 80, so far two people have died in the UK from coronavirus.

Under new government guidelines to tackle the rise of the coronavirus outbreak, elderly people will be told to stay at home.

Government sources have said the elderly need to be prepared for “social distancing” policies, which are to be announced next week in parliament.

The Department for Health warned that the elderly could be “cut off” from the world as advice will be to stay clear of crowded areas and stay at home.

A leading microbiologist has warned coronavirus could peak by Easter and millions could be infected between March and June.

Microbiologist Peter Piot has said the threat is not over hyped as cases appear to be doubling each week and has suggested there are most likely a few thousand in the UK who already have coronavirus.

Dr Piot told The Times newspaper the UK will see a peak of the epidemic around Easter, the microbiologist said, “if it goes down in April or May it could come back again in November.”