A paramedic from Hertfordshire has tested positive for coronavirus and is thought to have treated people before falling ill.

Health officials are now urgently trying to find anyone who may have made contact with the East England Ambulance service medic.

The service’s Chief Operating Officer Marcus Bailey said: ‘Our first priority is protecting the public and staff. We are currently contacting everyone who has been in contact with the paramedic and they will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after they had contact with the confirmed case. The risk to patients and staff is very low.’

An NHS spokesman said: ‘There are well-established procedures that are being followed in a case such as this and the NHS and Public Health England are taking all necessary steps to manage the situation.’

It is not known how many patients the infected paramedic could have treated before coming down with the symptoms associated with Covid-19.

Symptoms are very similar to the flu or common cold, but advice has been given on how to spot the difference for those with concerns.

As of yesterday morning 18 people had tested positive for the coronavirus strain named Covid-19 in Hertfordshire.

Yesterday the national total jumped up by 83 with a total of 456 being diagnosed with the airborne disease.

The UK Government is coming under increasing pressure to introduce harsher measures to contain the spread including shutting down schools.

The UK coronavirus death toll rose to eight yesterday as the as the outbreak was officially declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

Across the world 126,000 people have been infected by the bug and around 4,600 have been killed.

More to follow.

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