Coronavirus latest: Third York person is tested – but they are not infected

A third person from York has been tested for coronavirus – and the good news is they are clear of the infection.

The news comes as Public Health England announced that another person in England has tested positive for the virus. They are based in Brighton.

Director for public health at City of York Council Sharon Stoltz said:

• Following today’s announcement from the Chief Medical Officer I can confirm that there are three positive cases of coronavirus in the UK, including the two cases already reported who were taken ill in York.

  The test on the person from the Hull Road area in York recently reported in the media has been confirmed as negative for the virus.
  

Risk ‘remains low’

Ms Stolz said the early symptoms of coronavirus “are similar to those for winter flu or the common cold.

“I fully expect that the majority of tests completed will continue to be confirmed as negative. It is sensible to take precautions to protect NHS staff when responding to possible cases of the virus which is why you will have seen examples of paramedics wearing protective clothing.

“The risk to residents and visitors in York remains low and the City is still a safe place to live and work in and visit.”

She said people can take these “simple steps you can take to protect yourself, your family, friends and work colleagues from coronavirus”:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. If soap and water are not available use an alcohol-based hand rub available to buy in most supermarkets and community pharmacies
• ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’. Catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue ensuring the nose and mouth are fully covered to prevent any spray escaping. Dispose of the tissue as soon as possible in the bin and wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand rub to kill any germs
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Clean and disinfectant frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home and work environment.

More information is available on the government’s official coronavirus page.

University condemns racism

The latest update came as University of York – where one of the confirmed UK cases studied – issued a statement condemning reports “from students and staff of abuse and racism” since the outbreak.

It said: “Unfortunately, we have had some reports from students and staff of abuse and racism linked to the current coronavirus situation. These instances have occurred both in person and online and we want to condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.

“Any act of abuse or inflammatory hate speech, whether it occurs on campus, online or elsewhere will not be tolerated.”