UK has fourth confirmed case of coronavirus

Chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said on Sunday a fourth case of the coronavirus has been confirmed.

On Saturday five Britons were tested positive for coronavirus at a ski resort in eastern France, the French health minister confirmed.

The patient was infected with the virus in France and is being treated at a specialist NHS centre at The Royal Free Hospital.

Prof Whitty said the latest infection was linked to France, “The new case is a known contact of a previously confirmed UK case, and the virus was passed on in France.

“Experts at Public Health England continue to work hard tracing patient contacts from the UK cases. They successfully identified this individual and ensured the appropriate support was provided.

“The patient has been transferred to a specialist NHS centre at The Royal Free Hospital, and we are now using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus.”

On Sunday the death toll has now surpassed 800 in mainland China and there are more than 37,000 confirmed cases in the country.

Official data has confirmed the virus has now spread to 27 countries across the world.