UK health minister contracts coronavirus

Nadine Dorries, United Kingdom’s health minister, has become the first British MP to test positive for coronavirus.

In a statement, 62-year-old Dorres, who is the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said she had taken all the advised precautions after finding out she contracted the virus and has been self-isolating at home.

“I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus,” she said.

“As soon as I was informed I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home.

“Public Health England has started detailed contact tracing and the department and my parliamentary office are closely following their advice.”

According to the department of health, Dorres said the symptoms started showing on Thursday, the day she attended a Downing Street event hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

She, however, said she was worried about her 84-year-old mother who was staying with her and began to cough on Tuesday.

All health ministers and those who have been in contact with her are to undergo testing for coronavirus.

The UK now has a total of 382 confirmed cases with six deaths recorded so far.

Dame Hill, National Health Service chief scientific officer, said the service is preparing to expand the number of people it can test daily as it has already carried out more than 25,000 tests across the country.

“About 1500 people are being tested daily but it would be increased to 10,000. Confirmation of any positive test results will also be accelerated within 24 hours,” she said.

“Every hospital across the country, and the healthcare professionals who run them, are now actively planning to respond flexibly to manage new demand.”

The foreign office has warned Britons against all travelling to Italy, which is experiencing the worst outbreak outside China.

It also advised anyone arriving in the UK from “locked down areas” to self-isolate for 14 days.

The British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair have all cancelled their flights to and from Italy until April.

On Tuesday, the English Premier League game between Manchester City and Arsenal, expected to take place on Wednesday night at the Etihad, was postponed following the announcement that Evangelos Marinakis, Olympiacos owner, has contracted the disease.