Chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty statement.
LONDON, England – As of 9:00 am [March 1] this morning 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 from Italy and two from Iran. The patients who have recently travelled are from London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire. All are being investigated and contact tracing has begun.
“The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 33. Following previously reported confirmed cases in Northern Ireland and Wales, the total number of UK cases is 35.”
