It has been confirmed that a positive case of coronavirus has been discovered in Essex.
The case was detected over the weekend and takes the total number of cases in the UK to 36.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, announced the news yesterday.
He said: “As of 9am, 12 further patients in England have tested positive for COVID-19. Three patients were close contacts of a known case, transmitted in the UK, identified as part of contact tracing.”
“One patient, resident in Essex, had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad; investigations are ongoing.”
“Of the remaining eight cases, six had recently travelled and are from London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire.”
“All are being investigated and contact tracing has begun.”
It’s believed the patient from Essex is being treated at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.
Globally, around 86,000 people have been infected, with cases in more than 50 countries.
More than 3,000 people have died – the vast majority in China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December.
On Friday, it was announced that the first British person who had contracted the virus had passed away.
To keep up with all the latest news across Essex, please like our Facebook Page or join our Essex Breaking News group.
