Coronavirus hits UK as WHO names Nigeria top-risk nation

On Friday, United Kingdom health officials confirmed that two people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, in Britain’s first cases since the deadly outbreak emerged in China and spread globally.

The announcement came as 83 British citizens arrived back on a UK government-chartered flight from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the epidemic which has so far killed 213 people.

The plane carrying the Britons and 27 other foreign nationals landed at the Brize Norton military airbase in south central England shortly after 1:30pm (1330 GMT).

EU citizens on board will continue on to Spain while British families disembarking were set to be isolated for 14 days at a medical facility in the country’s northwest.

With a growing number of cases reported in at least 19 other countries, the World Health Organization on Thursday declared an international public health emergency.

Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, insisted the country was “extremely well-prepared” and that officials were working with the WHO and others “to ensure we are ready for all eventualities”.

“We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus,” he said in a statement.

In same light, the World Health Organisation has identified 13 high-risk African countries for coronavirus.

They are Algeria, Angola, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

A statement from WHO said the identified African nations have direct links or a high volume of travel to China.