It comes as the government issued new powers in England to keep people in quarantine to stop the virus spreading.
In order to do this the Department of Health has described the coronavirus as a “serious and imminent threat” to public health.
The overall risk level to the UK remains “moderate”.
There have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China. The total number of deaths in China is now 908.
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The new cases are all linked to a British man who caught the virus at a conference in Singapore and travelled to a ski resort in France. He was diagnosed in Brighton, and is being treated at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
He is also linked to the fourth UK patient , who was exposed to the virus in France, while five British nationals tested positive in Francefollowing his trip to the ski resort.
Chief medical officer for England Prof Chris Whitty said the new cases have been transferred to specialist NHS centres at Guys’ and St Thomas’ and the Royal Free hospitals in London.
A University of York student and their relative, still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle, have not been connected to the cluster of UK cases.
Credit: BBC News
