The United Kingdom's government is closely watching the developments regarding the new coronavirus that originated in China, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News on Wednesday, adding that extra safety measures would be put in place in Heathrow Airport
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2020) The United Kingdom's government is closely watching the developments regarding the new coronavirus that originated in China, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky news on Wednesday, adding that extra safety measures would be put in place in Heathrow Airport.
"So, [we] keep a very very close eye [on coronavirus] and obviously do everything we possibly can to ensure that people are protected as far as that is possible ... There have been some announcements this morning about the flights that directly come from the affected region to Heathrow and some additional measures there. And actually, straight from here, it's one of my issues that are very much on my desk today," Shapps said.
Shapps added that a "separate area" would be prepared for people who arrive in Heathrow from the virus-affected region.
The mysterious type of pneumonia broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since been confirmed by China and the World Health Organization to be a new strain of coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, that can be transmitted from human to human. At least nine people have died and more than 440 have been infected so far.
The virus has also been registered in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and the United States.
