Coronavirus victim treated at Staffordshire hospital
Two people are suffering with coronavirus in Staffordshire, it has been revealed.
Officials say a person at The Royal Stoke University Hospital is being treated for the infectious disease.
And Staffordshire County Council said a second case had been confirmed by health officials this afternoon.
A further case has also been revealed in Birmingham today.
The council county said: "Following the confirmation of two cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Staffordshire, people who may have been exposed are being contacted by health authorities.
"There remains no significant risk to the public."
The Royal Stoke Hospital, run by University Hospital North Midlands Trust, is one of a number of hospitals which has been drafted in to help treat sufferers.
A trust spokesman said: "We are currently treating a patient as part of the national response to coronavirus (COVID-19).
"The Royal Stoke University Hospital is one of a small number of hospitals supporting specialist centres in England that treat people with very infectious diseases.
"Patients are treated in isolation, so there is no risk to any other patients or visitors.
"All of our services remain open as usual, so if you have a hospital appointment please attend as planned."
Currently there are no reports of coronavirus at Stafford's County Hospital.
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A message sent to UHNM staff from Trust chief executive Tracy Bullock is currently doing the rounds on social media, in which she said it was "likely" the hospital would be treating more coronavirus patients in the days to come.
She said: "We have well-tested plans in place for this patient and other cases as they arrive. Patients are treated in isolation and there is no risk to other patients or visitors."
The UK has mainly moved into the “delay phase” of tackling coronavirus, England’s chief medical officer has said, as the country’s 90th case was confirmed.
Professor Chris Whitty, who is being grilled by MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee, said there was evidence of community transmission between people who had no connections to overseas cases or returning travellers.
He said: “We have moved from a situation where we are mainly in contain, with some delay built in, to we are now mainly delay,” he said, although elements of the contain process were remaining in place.
The delay phase means measures to tackle coronavirus are ramped up to delay its spread.
