The UK confirms 2 cases of Coronavirus

The UK has announced that two people were tested positive for the coronavirus in the UK.

The chief medical officer for England Prof. Chris Whitty made the announcement and stated that “the National Health Service was extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections”.

The BBC reported that those infected were both members of the same family and were now receiving specialist NHS care.

At least 213 people in China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases confirmed nationally. There have been 98 cases of the virus, declared as a global emergency by the WHO last night, identified in at least 18 countries.

Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England said: "We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread.

"We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately," he added.

The UK is also taking back 83 Britons from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak.