Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Apr 26, 2026

Coronavirus: Thirteen more cases confirmed in UK

Twelve more people in England and one in Scotland have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of UK cases to 36.

Scotland confirmed that its first patient was a Tayside resident who recently returned from Italy.

Three of the new cases in England were linked to a man from Surrey, who was the first to be infected within the UK.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK was still in the "containment" phase of the outbreak.

He said the government contingency plans, which will be published this week, included banning big events.

The Scottish government confirmed its first case on Sunday evening. It said the patient was receiving treatment in isolation in hospital.

Three of the new cases revealed on Sunday were close contacts of the man from Surrey, who was announced as testing positive on Friday.

They included another person from Surrey and two people from West Sussex who were all "part of an adult family cluster", Public Health England said.

Another new case from Essex had "no relevant travel" and it was unclear how they had contracted the virus.

The remaining eight had visited affected areas - six to Italy, and two to Iran. They were from London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire, and included:

One person from Bury, who had become infected in Italy.
Two Leeds residents, who had both been in Iran
One person from Bradford, who had travelled to Italy
Someone from Gloucestershire - infected in northern Italy - who is linked to another case from the area announced on Saturday
Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, said all of the newly identified cases were being investigated and health officials had begun tracing anyone who had close contact with them.

As of 09:00 GMT on Sunday, the Department of Health said a total of 11,750 people had been tested in the UK.

The latest positive tests come after three more cases were confirmed in England on Saturday.

One of those was a member of staff at St Mary's School in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, the primary school said on Sunday.

That follows another school - Willow Bank Infant School in Woodley, Berkshire - confirming that one of its staff had been infected.

The government has said no tactics will be "off the table" as part of its plan to contain the virus in the UK.

Mr Hancock told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show an emergency "battle plan", drawn up for the "worst case scenario", includes banning big events, closing schools and dissuading people from using public transport.

The health secretary said there were four phases to the plan:

Containment - caring for any infected people and identifying their close contacts
Delay - deciding what actions to take to slow down the spread
Mitigation - damage limitation if the virus spreads widely
Research - constant and ongoing work to inform the three other phases
Currently, the UK is in the "containment" phase - which health leaders say may still be sufficient.

But the next phase could see broader "social distancing" measures.

Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Hancock must give more detail of any emergency powers he wants to bring in so that MPs "can properly scrutinise" the plans.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has written to the health secretary to urge him to make sure people are paid if they have to self-isolate, otherwise there could be "devastating" effects.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee on Monday, visited Public Health England's centre in north London on Sunday to discuss attempts to limit the spread of the virus.

He said the virus was "likely to spread a bit more" but he was "very, very confident" the NHS would be able to cope with an outbreak.

More than 200 British holidaymakers locked down at a quarantined hotel in Tenerife have been told they will be allowed to fly home, if they test negative for the virus.

The travellers have been quarantined at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel since Tuesday after four Italians contracted the virus. Some have already been allowed to leave but others are awaiting test results.

The Foreign Office is in contact with operators and travel agents about their plans to return Britons to the UK.

Globally, around 86,000 people have been infected, with cases in more than 50 countries. About 3,000 people have died - the vast majority in China's Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December.

In other developments:

The Foreign Office has announced some British Embassy staff are being withdrawn from Iran because of the outbreak in the country. Iran reported 385 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 978 so far. The death toll rose to 54
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has tested negative for the virus. The Foreign Office said he self-isolated after feeling unwell this week - and has returned to work since the test result
A secondary school in Ireland is to close for 14 days because the country's first confirmed case had been in contact with its pupils and teachers
In Paris, the Louvre museum did not open on Sunday. The museum said on Twitter a meeting was being held on the public health situation and "the museum cannot open at the moment".
Australia and Thailand recorded their first fatalities from the virus on Sunday. A 78-year-old Australian man died after being infected on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Thailand said the 35-year-old man who died of the virus had also been suffering from dengue fever
The leader of a religious sect in South Korea - which is facing the worst outbreak outside China - could face a homicide investigation over some of the country's deaths. Lee Man-hee is accused of hiding the names of some members as officials tried to track patients before the virus spread

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
News Roundup
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
×