by BERNAMA / pic by BERNAMA

LONDON – The first reported case of the COVID-19 was confirmed Wednesday in the British capital London, reported Anadolu Agency, citing local media.

The victim is a woman thought to have flown to the UK from China, where she is suspected to have contracted the virus. She is being treated in a London hospital.

Earlier this week, the British government declared that the coronavirus was a “serious and imminent” threat to public health.

“One further patient in England has tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases in the UK to nine,” said Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty.

“This virus was passed on in China, and the patient has now been transferred to a specialist NHS centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in central London,” he added.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said that from an economic perspective, the virus has overtaken SARS.

The total number of deaths worldwide has passed 1,100, with the overall number of cases near 45,000. However, the pace of new infections seems to be slowing.