UK Coronavirus Cases Climb 46 to 319

Posted on March 9, 2020

The outbreak of coronavirus is growing in the UK. 46 new cases were announced on Monday bringing the total in the United Kingdom to 46.

BBC News reports that Downing Street currently sees the situation as being in a containment phase with no plans to immediately introduce social distancing measures such as canceling sporting events. However, these types of methods are reportedly being discussed "behind close doors."

As we have written before there have to be serious efforts to slow the spread of virus or it will quickly get out of control. The virus makes up to 20% off the population very sick (generally the elderly and those already unwell) so it can quickly overwhelm the local healthcare capacities of local governments. Italy recently introduced a massive quarantine in an effort to slowdown the virus.

The Guardian reports that the UK's count includes 23 cases in Scotland - an increase of 5 new cases since Sunday. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, recently told the press, "There is an increasing inevitability that we will face a significant outbreak of coronavirus across the UK."

The UK's Covid-19 site says there have been 319 positive cases out of 24,960 people tested. The UK has tested many more people than the U.S. even though has less cases.


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