The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has now spread to 87 countries, including the United Kingdom, which has now recorded its first UK coronavirus death in Berkshire. Now, government officials are suggesting the closure of parliament to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Emergency talks have taken place in Westminster on the possibility of closing parliament amid the outbreak. The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has aired his concern about the spread of the virus, not only for the employees in the building but also because the area is a tourist attraction.
Though the final decision is not yet decided, more information will be provided over the next couple of days. The parliament holds a total of 3,000 employees, and a large flock of tourists every day.
Apart from the possibility of temporarily shutting down the parliament, the government urged a halt to large gatherings, including concerts, football matches, and conventions. Though a formal announcement has not been released yet, it should be expected within a matter of days.
Surge in cases
The United Kingdom has reported an increase in its coronavirus cases, with the total number reaching 115. The 51 new cases were patients who had recently traveled to affected countries or has been infected by the others. Also, health officials are left baffled on how three new cases of the disease contracted the virus.
The health officials in the UK are moving towards the second phase of their response to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The delay phase involves ramping up of measures to slow the spread of the virus, according to Prof. Chris Witty, UK’s chief medical officer.
He added that it is more likely that some people may contract the virus in the country, who have no connection to cases from overseas. The government is now deciding what measures to put in place in the delay phase, but it has previously said it may soon ban significant events that draw crowds, shut down schools and universities, and urge employees to work at home temporarily. Further, the government may also discourage residents from using public transport.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected 97,8885 cases and killed 3,348 people. Mainland China accounts for the most number of confirmed cases, with 80,422 people infected. Meanwhile, Italy and Iran have the most number of deaths related to COVID-19 outside mainland China with 148 and 107 deaths, respectively.
Army on standby
The UK government revealed its plans to fight the spread of the virus, warning that about one on five British workers could end up off work sick at the same time during peak weeks of the outbreak.
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that in case the outbreak worsens and in the worst possible scenario, the army is ready to step in. Further, the police may be instructed to investigate only the most severe crimes and healthcare workers to treat only the sickest patients.
The contingency plan involves the country-wide response to the current outbreak. The measures are aimed at delaying the spread of the virus, and it comes in four stages – containing the outbreak, slowing down its spread, mitigating the impact of the disease, and conducting research to develop accurate diagnostics and treatment of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Weekly updates
The government has decided to provide updates to the public weekly, rather than every day. The government has been accused of withholding crucial information about the coronavirus spread after a 70 percent increase in confirmed cases prompted health officials to stop giving daily updates on the new infections and their locations.
Over the past weeks, the Department of Health publishes one update each day, providing details on the new patients and their location or where they came from. But with the number of cases rapidly increasing, the agency said that the updates would be given weekly.
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