There are fears that hundreds of people may have unwittingly come into contact with people with coronavirus after the number of cases in the UK rose to 36 over the weekend.

The number of cases has trebled in four days and officials are now trying to track down the sources of outbreaks in Essex, Surrey and West Sussex. Five people who have been infected with Covid-19 have not recently left the UK, sparking fears that an epidemic is imminent.

One of the main concerns is that some people may only have displayed mild symptoms so do not realise they are infected and may have spread the disease. Scotland declared its first case yesterday and this morning Boris Johnson is set to tell an emergency Cobra meeting that coronavirus presents a ‘significant challenge’ for the country.

The Prime Minister will chair the meeting about the disease for the first time on Monday as he finalises the steps ministers will take should the outbreak worsen. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was now ‘inevitable’ that the deadly virus would ‘become endemic’ in the UK as it was announced on Sunday that 13 more cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed.

Professor Jonathan Ball of the University of Nottingham said: ‘This is a virus that frequently causes symptoms very similar to mild flu or a common cold, and it’s easily transmitted from person to person. This means it can easily go under the radar.

‘It has a high likelihood of becoming one of the many respiratory viruses that circulate around the globe, peaking in winter months infecting those who are susceptible.’

The Cobra meeting will be attended by senior ministers as well as chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, as they ratify the Government’s proposed countermeasures. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is also expected to take part.

The PM is set to tell those at the crunch meeting: ‘The number of coronavirus cases around the world is rising every day – and the UK is no exception. There now seems little doubt that it will present a significant challenge for our country.

‘But we are well prepared, and the Government and the NHS will stop at nothing to fight this virus. This battle plan lays out in detail the measures we could use – if and when they are needed.’

Mr Johnson had been dubbed a ‘part-time’ prime minister by critics for failing to take charge of a Cobra meeting before this week.

The Conservative Party leader has delegated to his ministers to lead the sessions since they were first put into action in January.

But Mr Johnson took a more active role in dealing with the situation on Sunday when he visited a Public Health England lab in Colindale, north London, where tests are being carried out on suspected coronavirus samples.

The PM then headed to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead to meet with staff who are treating patients with the virus.

Work will start on Monday in the ‘war room’ in the Cabinet Office, which will bring together experts to respond to public fears.

Emergency powers set to be unveiled this week to help combat the virus include suspending rules about the maximum numbers of children that a single teacher can be responsible for.

The temporary measures will also allow for emergency medical registrations to create a ‘Dad’s Army’ of retired doctors to back up an already under-strain NHS.

In a sign of how far the Government fears coronavirus could escalate, Secretary of State Mr Hancock refused to rule out putting British cities on lockdown, in an echo of how China looked to first contain the virus to its Wuhan epicentre.

Mr Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: ‘There is clearly a huge economic and social downside to (shutting down cities).

‘But we don’t take anything off the table at this stage because you have to make sure you have all the tools available if that is what is necessary.’

The Liberal Democrats have called for post-Brexit trade talks with the European Union, which are due to start on Monday, to be postponed to allow ministers to focus on stopping coronavirus.

The pro-Brussels party also called for the transition period to be extended beyond December as a result of the growing global concern.

Acting leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘During this gathering storm, the national interest surely suggests that the PM should seek an extension of the Brexit transition period and pause the trade talks.

‘Then the NHS and local communities can get the funds and the focus they deserve, and the UK can talk to our European neighbours about how we can cooperate against the coronavirus which does not recognise national borders.’

A Mail on Sunday report suggested that Parliament could shut its gates if the situation worsens, with the Government considering banning all major public events.

And the Guardian reported that the local elections, scheduled for May 7, could be postponed as a result of mounting fears of a widespread outbreak.

But Downing Street sources pointed to comments made by the Health Secretary where he said the advice for the public would remain the same until scientists looked to convince ministers otherwise.

Mr Hancock told the BBC the public should continue to ‘go about their ordinary business’ for the time being.

What is the coronavirus and where did it start?

Coronaviruses are a family of diseases which include the common cold and the virus which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which originated in China in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people around the world.

The virus causing concern now is a new strain which has made the jump from animals to people, named Covid-19.

It causes fever and a cough and can make it hard for people to breathe, causing viral pneumonia in severe cases.

Over 2,700 people worldwide have now died after contracting the illness.

How does it affect the lungs?

What are the symptoms of the virus?

The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems.

As it is a viral illness, antibiotics will not help and there is no known cure or vaccine.

To avoid the illness, take usual hygiene precautions, such as using a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, and making sure to wash your hands.

Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching things like poles on public transport and avoid close contact with people suffering an acute respiratory infection.

You should also avoid unprotected contact with wild or farm animals.

So far, 13 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK.

Hundreds have been tested for it here, with most of the tests coming back negative.

How many people in the UK have it?

Is Coronavirus in the UK?

Where is Wuhan in China, where coronavirus started?

The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China, where it is believed to have made the jump from animals to people at a seafood market.

Wuhan is the capital of China’s Hubei province, a landlocked province in central China.

It is built along the Yangtze river, and is around 500 miles west of Shanghai and 690 miles north of Hong Kong.

It is the largest and most populous city in central China, although estimates over its population vary.

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