Twelve new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been confirmed in England, the UK's chief medical officer says.
It is the biggest jump in cases the UK has seen in one day.
Three patients caught the virus in the UK - they are known to be contacts of someone who already had it, and were found through contact-tracing.
One of the patients, from Essex, has not been abroad and it is not clear where they contracted COVID-19.
UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:
As of 9am 1 March 2020, a total of 11,750 people have been tested:
11,715 negative.
35 positive.
For latest information visit:
➡️ https://t.co/37eu0kQ0Cd pic.twitter.com/OiZTCJjS3o— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 1, 2020
Six of the patients had recently travelled to Italy, and two had been to Iran.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 35, including one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Earlier the British Health Minister Matt Hancock said that in the event of a widespread outbreak in the UK, all options to contain the virus would be on the table - including banning large events and locking down cities.
The UK government is also considering whether to encourage more home working and discourage unnecessary travel.
It comes as Ireland confirmed its first case of the virus on Saturday.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) said it is "working rapidly" to identify any contacts the man who contracted the virus may have had.
He had recently returned from northern Italy.
Any person concerned that they may have symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately isolate themselves from others and contact their GP by phone.
It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of the virus to show.
More information on the coronavirus can be found here
Main image: A woman wearing a face mask on a bus in London, England | Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
