Two healthcare workers in the UK diagnosed with coronavirus

An appeal was launched today in the UK to find patients and friends of two healthcare workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

There are now eight people in total who have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK. Five out of eight cases were caught from the same Brighton-based businessman who contracted the virus at a business conference in Singapore. It’s reported that after returning from Singapore, said businessman stayed in a Chalet in the French Alps where at least 11 other people contracted the virus from him.

A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice in Brighton. 

County Oak Medical Centre was forced to close after a staff member tested positive. Medical workers in protective gear and masks arrived at the scene to deep-clean the premises to ensure there is no risk of contamination.

Yvonne Doyle, Public Health Medical Director, said, “As a result of our contact tracing we now know the new cases announced today are all closely linked to one another.

“Our priority has been to speak to those who have close and sustained contact with confirmed cases, so we can advise them on what they can do to limit the spread of the virus.

“Two of these new cases are healthcare workers and as soon as they were identified, we advised them to self-isolate to keep patient contact to a minimum.

“We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage, we believe this to be a relatively small number.

“We would like to thank all those who have followed public health advice and have taken the necessary steps to reduce the risk to the general public.”

Both healthcare workers have been told to self-isolate while Public Health England urgently tries to locate those who have been in close contact with either of the healthcare workers.

Coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes.

Meanwhile, coaches carrying coronavirus evacuees arrived at Kent’s Hill Park Hotel shortly after 10 am on Sunday where they will be quarantined for 14 days.

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