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| Northern Ireland diagnoses first coronavirus case | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Northern Ireland has diagnosed its first case of coronavirus, bringing the UK's total to 16. | |
| Authorities said the patient had travelled from northern Italy via Dublin and had showed a presumptive positive result, which would be confirmed by a lab in England. | |
| It comes after health officials confirmed two new cases of the virus in England earlier on Thursday. | It comes after health officials confirmed two new cases of the virus in England earlier on Thursday. |
| Those patients contracted the virus while they were in Italy and Tenerife. | |
| Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said: "We have been planning for the first positive case in Northern Ireland and have made clear that it was a question of when not if. | |
| "We have robust infection control measures in place which enable us to respond immediately. Our health service is used to managing infections and would assure the public that we are prepared." | |
| Also on Thursday, the World Health Organization warned the outbreak had reached a "decisive point" and had "pandemic potential". | |
| For a second day, more cases have been reported outside than inside China. | |
| The person who contracted the virus in Tenerife is from Derbyshire. A school in the county has closed because of the case. | |
| It is not clear which part of the UK the other person is from, but they contracted the virus in northern Italy. | |
| Italy now has more than 500 cases of coronavirus with authorities there reporting that 17 people have died. | |
| No 10 defends Tenerife response | |
| Meanwhile, it is understood about 50 Britons quarantined at a coronavirus-hit Tenerife hotel have been told they can leave. | |
| Some 168 Britons are among 700 guests told to isolate themselves at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel after at least four guests, including an Italian doctor, tested positive for coronavirus. | |
| The Canary Islands minister of health earlier announced 130 guests in total would be able to leave, as they arrived on Monday and did not come into contact with the four Italians who tested positive. | |
| However, it is not yet clear when that will happen or where they will go. | |
| Downing Street has defended the response to the situation at the hotel. | |
| The prime minister's official spokesman said: "The Foreign Office has been in contact with more than 100 British nationals who are staying in the hotel. | |
| "They are providing them with support, they are also in regular contact with local authorities and tour companies to share information." | |
| Prof Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said PHE had sent a health protection specialist to Tenerife to work with the Spanish authorities to better understand the public health measures that have been put in place in the hotel. |