Coronavirus: Search for travellers who flew to UK from Wuhan before outbreak continues

The travellers had left Wuhan after the virus emerged, but efforts to track them down and assess them began last week.

A man wears a face mask in Chinatown, London
Image: A man wears a face mask in Chinatown, London
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British officials are still trying to track down 239 people who flew from the Chinese city of Wuhan to the UK before travel restrictions were imposed in the coronavirus crisis.

The travellers had left Wuhan after the virus emerged, but efforts to track them down and assess them began last week as the crisis intensified.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have since suspended UK-China flights and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency.

Women wear face masks in London
Image: Women wear face masks in London
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A total of 94 UK nationals and family members have been evacuated to Britain from Wuhan - the city in Hubei province at the epicentre of the breakout - on two flights which arrived on Friday and Saturday.

The UK evacuees are currently undergoing 14 days in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.

On Monday, the British embassy in Beijing announced the last flights from China to the UK for British nationals would be leaving this week.

It said flights would be run by "partner countries" and any British nationals and their immediate families, including those with non-UK passports, must make themselves known if they wish to travel.

More on Coronavirus

The number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in China has risen to 425, with the total number of cases now standing at 20,438, Chinese officials said on Tuesday.

The latest figures are up from 361 deaths and 17,205 confirmed cases on Monday.

The Department of Health said on Monday that 326 UK tests for coronavirus have concluded, with a total of two coming back positive.

The two infected people - a University of York student and one of their relatives - continue to be treated for coronavirus in the specialist infectious diseases unit at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary.

The first confirmed fatality from coronavirus was in the Philippines - a 44-year-old Chinese man who appeared to have been infected before arriving in the country, according to the WHO.

Hong Kong also reported its first death linked to the virus on Monday, that of a 39-year-old man who had travelled to the territory from Wuhan.

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Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has since approved a temporary ban on all travellers, except Filipinos, from China and its autonomous regions.

The US, Japan, Singapore and Australia have imposed similar restrictions despite criticism from China and an assessment from the WHO claiming they are unnecessarily damaging trade and travel.

Wuhan is building a hospital for people suffering with the virus
Image: Wuhan is building a hospital for people suffering with the virus
Mask-wearing passengers are seen leaving Beijing railway station
Image: Mask-wearing passengers are seen leaving Beijing railway station

The Chinese government has accused the US of causing "panic" in its response instead of helping.

UK officials have said there are no plans to introduce such a travel ban on foreign nationals who had recently been in China from entering the country.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the virus would be around for several months yet.

In a statement to the Commons on Monday, he said: "Currently the number of cases is doubling every five days and it's likely that the virus will be with us for at least some months to come.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint."