Top doctor to be grilled by MPs amid warning coronavirus epidemic 'likely' after spike in UK cases

England’s top doctor is set to be grilled by MPs after the UK was hit by its biggest day-on-day spike in coronavirus cases.

It comes after officials warned that a UK epidemic looked “likely,” with the number of confirmed patients rising to 87.

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty is due to appear before the Health and Social Care Committee on Thursday.

MPs will quiz Prof Whitty on how well prepared the UK is to deal with the impact of a possible global pandemic.

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty (left), Boris Johnson and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific officer
Jeremy Selwyn

Among the 36 cases confirmed on Wednesday alone were two recent patients of King's College Hospital in South London.

Elsewhere, Italy is closing all schools and universities as it continues its fight against the most serious coronavirus outbreak in Europe.

Some 107 people have now been killed by the deadly illness in the country, which has also banned fans from attending all professional sport fixtures.

Globally, there are now more than 93,000 cases, with more than 3,000 deaths.

Londoners wear Coronavirus masks - In pictures

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Government scientific experts predict the UK's coronavirus outbreak could last for around four to six months.

Three of the new cases recorded in England were passed on in the UK, raising fears that community transmission may now be taking hold.

The Department of Health has been updating the UK figures daily, with one Northern Ireland case among the 85 recorded at 2pm on Wednesday.

Nurse during a demonstration of the Coronavirus pod and COVID-19 virus testing procedures
PA

However, Northern Ireland later confirmed two more cases, taking the UK total to 87.

Earlier, Prof Whitty told the BBC there could be a need to do "extreme things" to protect the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

He added: "At this point in time we think it is likely, not definite, that we will move into onward transmission and an epidemic here in the UK."

But he stressed that for most people, "this will be a mild or moderate disease, anything from a sniffle to having to go to bed for a few days, rather like with mild flu".

Prof Whitty suggested that shutting down cities in the UK would not be effective now.

He said: "Closing cities is really only appropriate if you have a significant epidemic in one particular place and almost nothing anywhere else.

"It made sense for China to respond in the way it did, but it would be very unlikely here ... This is now in multiple places in Europe and around the world."

As cases in the UK climb, the Department of Health said it would no "longer be tweeting information on the location of each new case".

It said: "Instead, this information will be released centrally in a consolidated format online, once a week.

“We are working on this now and plan to share on Friday."

Meanwhile Boris Johnson said plans would soon be revealed on how the Government intends to delay the advance of coronavirus in Parliament and other large gatherings.

It comes as The Times reported a senior parliamentary source said the Commons and Lords could shut for up to five months to prevent MPs spreading the illness.

Britons who have returned from the Costa Adeje Hotel in Tenerife since Monday have been advised to self-isolate after a case of coronavirus was diagnosed at the hotel on March 2.

Coronavirus: Costa Adeje Hotel lockdown in Tenerife

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The London Book Fair at Olympia from March 10 to 12 was cancelled after major publishers pulled out amid coronavirus fears.

Four new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland, taking the total number of cases to six.

The two male and two female patients, from the western part of the country, were all "associated with travel" from the same affected area in northern Italy.

A letter to NHS trusts has also been published telling them to ramp up their plans for tackling Covid-19, including seeing patients via video link.

It sets out that a level 4 NHS incident has been declared - the highest level - meaning extra steps are needed.

A new Government publicity campaign seeks to drive home the message that regular hand-washing is the single most important action individuals can take in the fight against Covid-19.

The new adverts say hand-washing should be for 20 seconds, using soap and water or hand sanitiser.

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