The first two people have tested positive for coronavirus in England, the chief medical officer for England has announced.

Two members of the same family have become the first two confirmed cases in the UK, with the Department of Health initially declining to say where in England the patients were from.

But it has now been confirmed the pair are in a high consequence infectious disease unit in Newcastle, after having reportedly spent time staying in a hotel in Yorkshire.

This comes as more than 80 Britons on an evacuation flight from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, were due to land in the UK.

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The two patients are both members of the same family and are receiving specialist NHS care.

No more details are being released about their identity or where they are being treated.

Whilst it isn’t known where the patients are from, it is understood that they are not in the Wirral area where a special facility has been set up to quarantine those returning from Wuhan.

In a statement, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: "The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.

"The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread."

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"We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately.

"We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities."

The World Health Organisation yesterday declared coronavirus an international public health emergency due to fears the virus could spread to countries with weaker health systems.

At least 213 people in the China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases nationally.

There have been 98 cases of the virus in another 18 countries.

There are four Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centres (HCIDs) in England which are specially equipped to receive people with illnesses such as coronavirus.

These are Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

It comes as ministers said the Government will send another plane to coronavirus-hit Wuhan to rescue British citizens if needed.

Some people wanting to leave the city said they were unable to board the flight as they did not receive information in time from the Foreign Office.

The British passengers on the evacuation flight - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - had to sign a contract agreeing to isolation before they could board the flight, and underwent temperature checks.

On arrival, they will be taken by bus to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for a quarantine period of 14 days, where they will be housed in an NHS staff accommodation block with access to the internet.

Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital.