person in the UK to test positive for coronavirus without having recently travelled abroad, fuelling concerns that the virus is circulating in Britain undetected.
Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said the patient “had no relevant travel” and an investigation was under way to determine whether the patient contracted the virus directly or indirectly from someone who had recently returned from overseas
The case suggests the country is edging closer to the point where containment becomes impossible because the virus is being spread by people who are either unaware they are infected, or are diagnosed too late to prevent onward transmission.
The Essex patient was among 13 new cases reported on Sunday, bringing the total UK infections to 36. It is the largest single-day increase of new cases in the UK so far. One of the new cases is the first to be reported in Scotland, while two cases in total had previously been reported in Northern Ireland and Wales.
The patient in Scotland, who is a resident of the Tayside area and had recently travelled from Italy, has been admitted to hospital and is receiving treatment in isolation.