NHS 'well-prepared' for coronavirus, says Hancock, as China intensifies safety measures

On Wednesday night, China suspended all flights, including international services, out of Wuhan city; the epicentre of the virus outbreak. Its population is more than 10 million.

Wuhan’s hospitals are reported to have been overwhelmed. One resident said the atmosphere felt like "the end of the world". Health authorities have made wearing a mask compulsory.

Another city close to Wuhan, Huanggang, is now also on lock-down as officials try to contain the spread of the virus.

Other cities are also taking action. Ezhou just south of Huanggang, which has more than one million inhabitants, announced it had shut its train stations while Beijing, the Chinese capital, which has a population of 22m people, said it had cancelled all major Chinese New Year celebrations.

The emergency measures come as millions of Chinese people travel across the country for the forthcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

Mr Hancock told MPs that so far there had been 571 cases of coronavirus and 17 deaths confirmed by the Chinese Government.

"This is a rapidly developing situation and the number of deaths and the number of cases is likely to be higher than those that have been confirmed so far, and I expect them to rise further," he explained.

The Secretary of State told how cases of the virus had also been reported in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the US. It is believed to have originated at an animal market in Wuhan.

Mr Hancock said "most people" affected had experienced cold and flu symptoms, though some cases had proved fatal.

"We have been closely monitoring the situation in Wuhan and have put in place proportionate, precautionary measures," he declared.

"Since yesterday, Public Health England officials have been carrying out enhanced monitoring of direct flights from Wuhan city and all passengers on direct flights from China will receive information on what to do if they fall ill."

He said Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, was in contact with international experts and his counterparts to monitor the situation.

“The Chief Medical Officer has revised the risk to the UK population from very low to low and has concluded that, while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well-prepared and well-equipped to deal with them.

"The UK is one of the first countries to develop a world-leading test for coronavirus. The NHS is ready to respond appropriately to any cases that emerge, clinicians in both primary and secondary care have already received advice covering initial detection and investigation of possible cases, infection control and diagnostics,” said Mr Hancock.

He added: "The public can be assured that the whole of the UK is always well-prepared for these type of outbreaks and we will remain vigilant and keep our response under constant review in light of emerging scientific evidence."

Experts from the World Health Organisation[WHO] are meeting again today in Geneva to decide whether to declare a global public health emergency over the virus.

Chinese state media said train stations and airports in Wuhan had been closed while ferries and long-distance buses had been stopped.

Gauden Galea, the WHO's representative in China, said: "To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science. It has not been tried before as a public health measure. We cannot at this stage say it will or it will not work."

The People's Daily newspaper in China also reported Hong Kong has had its first confirmed case of the illness.

In the UK, there are three direct flights a week from Wuhan to Heathrow, landing at around 6pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Under measures announced yesterday by the Government, the planes will be taken to an isolated area of Terminal 4 after landing.

Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice for China, with a spokesman saying: "In light of the latest medical information, including reports of some person-to-person transmission, and the Chinese authorities' own advice, we are now advising against all but essential travel to Wuhan.

"The safety and security of British nationals is always our primary concern and we advise British nationals travelling to China to remain vigilant and check our travel advice on gov.uk."

Professor Neil Ferguson, Director of the Medical Research Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, said the estimated number of people infected with coronavirus in Wuhan was around 4,000 with a range between 1,000 and 9,700.

Asked whether it is possible the virus has already reached the UK, he said he could not rule it out.

Explaining why there was global concern about the virus, Dr Josie Golding of the Wellcome Trust said it was because so little was known about it and vital information was "missing", like how easily it could be transmitted and where it was coming from.