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| Coronavirus: Britons returning from northern Italy told to self-isolate | Coronavirus: Britons returning from northern Italy told to self-isolate |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Children returning from holidays in northern Italy have been sent home from school after new government advice on the coronavirus. | Children returning from holidays in northern Italy have been sent home from school after new government advice on the coronavirus. |
| Two schools in England have shut completely for a "deep clean" after pupils came back from skiing trips. | Two schools in England have shut completely for a "deep clean" after pupils came back from skiing trips. |
| The government has said any Britons who have been to 11 quarantined towns in Italy must self-isolate. | The government has said any Britons who have been to 11 quarantined towns in Italy must self-isolate. |
| And anyone who has been north of Pisa is asked to stay at home for 14 days if they develop flu-like symptoms. | And anyone who has been north of Pisa is asked to stay at home for 14 days if they develop flu-like symptoms. |
| Italy has put 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto into lockdown - areas which attract tourists for its ski resorts. | Italy has put 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto into lockdown - areas which attract tourists for its ski resorts. |
| Police are manning checkpoints around the towns in quarantine, after 229 people have tested positive for the virus and seven died. | Police are manning checkpoints around the towns in quarantine, after 229 people have tested positive for the virus and seven died. |
| Some travellers suggested UK authorities were too slow to respond to the outbreak in Italy, where the number of confirmed cases spiked over four days. | Some travellers suggested UK authorities were too slow to respond to the outbreak in Italy, where the number of confirmed cases spiked over four days. |
| Several schools in England and Northern Ireland have advised staff and students to stay home after they returned from skiing trips in northern Italy. | Several schools in England and Northern Ireland have advised staff and students to stay home after they returned from skiing trips in northern Italy. |
| Two schools have shut completely for a week while they carry out a "deep clean", after students and teachers returned from skiing trips over February half term. | Two schools have shut completely for a week while they carry out a "deep clean", after students and teachers returned from skiing trips over February half term. |
| Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough said "a small number of pupils and staff began showing mild flu-like symptoms". | Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough said "a small number of pupils and staff began showing mild flu-like symptoms". |
| Students would be sent work to do at home, the school added. | |
| And Cransley School, a private school in Cheshire, also closed after 29 pupils and five members of staff returned from Bormio, a Lombardy ski resort. | And Cransley School, a private school in Cheshire, also closed after 29 pupils and five members of staff returned from Bormio, a Lombardy ski resort. |
| In an email to parents, headmaster Richard Pollock said the decision was going further than the advice from Public Health England "to completely minimise" the potential spread of infection. | In an email to parents, headmaster Richard Pollock said the decision was going further than the advice from Public Health England "to completely minimise" the potential spread of infection. |
| 'Still visiting landmarks' | 'Still visiting landmarks' |
| Guru Singh said he and his partner developed flu-like symptoms after returning from Milan and Venice on Friday. | Guru Singh said he and his partner developed flu-like symptoms after returning from Milan and Venice on Friday. |
| Having contacted the NHS, they are now being tested at a hospital in north-west London. | Having contacted the NHS, they are now being tested at a hospital in north-west London. |
| "I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, a bit scared," he told the BBC. "They said we fit the criteria to get tested." | "I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, a bit scared," he told the BBC. "They said we fit the criteria to get tested." |
| Stephen Paskins, who is due to fly back to Bristol from Venice on Wednesday, told the BBC there were fewer tourists in the city, more police and more people wearing face masks. | Stephen Paskins, who is due to fly back to Bristol from Venice on Wednesday, told the BBC there were fewer tourists in the city, more police and more people wearing face masks. |
| "The only way to get about is via public transport so keeping away from people is impossible. Everyone is still visiting the landmarks even though you can't enter," he said. | "The only way to get about is via public transport so keeping away from people is impossible. Everyone is still visiting the landmarks even though you can't enter," he said. |
| Meanwhile, a hotel in Tenerife has been locked down with hundreds of guests inside after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for the coronavirus. | Meanwhile, a hotel in Tenerife has been locked down with hundreds of guests inside after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for the coronavirus. |
| Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the travel advice for Italy, which attracts about three million British visitors each year, has not changed and there were no plans to stop flights from the country. | Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the travel advice for Italy, which attracts about three million British visitors each year, has not changed and there were no plans to stop flights from the country. |
| "If you look at Italy, they stopped all flights from China and they're now the worst affected country in Europe," he said. | "If you look at Italy, they stopped all flights from China and they're now the worst affected country in Europe," he said. |
| British Airways is allowing customers with flights to northern Italy until 2 March - including to Milan or Venice - to rebook for a later date or another destination. | British Airways is allowing customers with flights to northern Italy until 2 March - including to Milan or Venice - to rebook for a later date or another destination. |
| Major events in northern Italy have been cancelled, cut short or rescheduled, including the Venice Carnival and Bologna book fair. | Major events in northern Italy have been cancelled, cut short or rescheduled, including the Venice Carnival and Bologna book fair. |
| But insurers told the BBC that they would only pay compensation when the Foreign Office advised against all travel or all but essential travel to the area. | But insurers told the BBC that they would only pay compensation when the Foreign Office advised against all travel or all but essential travel to the area. |
| The quarantined towns in Italy are Bertonico, Casalpusterlengo, Castelgerundo, Castiglione d'Adda, Codogno, Fombio, Maleo, San Fiorano, Somaglia, Terranova dei Passerini - all in Lodi province in Lombardy - and Vo' Euganeo in Padova province, Veneto. | The quarantined towns in Italy are Bertonico, Casalpusterlengo, Castelgerundo, Castiglione d'Adda, Codogno, Fombio, Maleo, San Fiorano, Somaglia, Terranova dei Passerini - all in Lodi province in Lombardy - and Vo' Euganeo in Padova province, Veneto. |
| The updated advice means people returning from these Italian towns, or Iran, parts of South Korea and Hubei province in China - where the outbreak began - are being asked to call NHS 111, stay indoors and avoid contact with others, even if they do not have symptoms. | The updated advice means people returning from these Italian towns, or Iran, parts of South Korea and Hubei province in China - where the outbreak began - are being asked to call NHS 111, stay indoors and avoid contact with others, even if they do not have symptoms. |
| Mr Hancock said he was not aware of any British citizens currently in the Italian quarantine area, but he said anyone there should contact the embassy in Rome. | Mr Hancock said he was not aware of any British citizens currently in the Italian quarantine area, but he said anyone there should contact the embassy in Rome. |
| What do I need to know about coronavirus? | What do I need to know about coronavirus? |
| The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. | The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. |
| Frequent handwashing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection. | Frequent handwashing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection. |
| Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease. | Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease. |
| Anyone experiencing symptoms, after travelling from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days, is advised to stay indoors and call the NHS 111 phone service, even if symptoms are mild. | Anyone experiencing symptoms, after travelling from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days, is advised to stay indoors and call the NHS 111 phone service, even if symptoms are mild. |
| If you have returned from the following specific areas since February 19, you should call NHS 111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, even if you do not have symptoms: Iran, lockdown areas in Northern Italy, special care zones in South Korea, and Hubei province. | If you have returned from the following specific areas since February 19, you should call NHS 111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, even if you do not have symptoms: Iran, lockdown areas in Northern Italy, special care zones in South Korea, and Hubei province. |
| If you have returned from the following areas since February 19 and develop symptoms - even mild ones - stay indoors, avoid contact with others and call NHS 111: northern Italy (above but not including Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. | If you have returned from the following areas since February 19 and develop symptoms - even mild ones - stay indoors, avoid contact with others and call NHS 111: northern Italy (above but not including Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. |
| The main focus for the government is on rapidly identifying people with the disease and taking them to specialist hospitals for treatment in isolation. | The main focus for the government is on rapidly identifying people with the disease and taking them to specialist hospitals for treatment in isolation. |
| They are then tracing anybody who has come into close contact with the patient to make sure they know the signs of the disease and what to do. | They are then tracing anybody who has come into close contact with the patient to make sure they know the signs of the disease and what to do. |
| After the World Health Organization warned that countries should do more to prepare for a possible pandemic, the health secretary said that the UK had already done "a huge amount of work". | After the World Health Organization warned that countries should do more to prepare for a possible pandemic, the health secretary said that the UK had already done "a huge amount of work". |
| "Once it gets to that point there isn't a way to stop it coming into the UK in a big way," Mr Hancock said. | "Once it gets to that point there isn't a way to stop it coming into the UK in a big way," Mr Hancock said. |
| "It is not yet clear that it will become a pandemic - the number of cases in China has been slowing over the last couple of weeks and we are relatively confident that information is correct." | "It is not yet clear that it will become a pandemic - the number of cases in China has been slowing over the last couple of weeks and we are relatively confident that information is correct." |
| In other developments worldwide: | In other developments worldwide: |
| Mr Hancock said if other countries where the number of cases are growing "get their response right", there was still the possibility that the outbreak will remain small in the UK. | |
| "We still expect more cases but at the moment there are 13 cases in the UK," he added. | |
| How has coronavirus affected your trip in Italy? Have you recently returned from one of Italy's quarantined towns? If so, get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | How has coronavirus affected your trip in Italy? Have you recently returned from one of Italy's quarantined towns? If so, get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |