Unlikely UK will lock down cities to prevent coronavirus spread: Chief Medical Officer

LONDON (Reuters) – It seems unlikely Britain will lock down any cities to prevent the spread of coronavirus but the government will keep all options available, England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Tuesday.

Britain has had 39 confirmed cases so far and the government published its “battle plan” for tackling the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday, including possible school closures and home working.

“Locking down a city is most useful when it is starting in one place with a high transmission in that place and nowhere else,” Whitty said at a media conference alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“It seems unlikely we will be in that situation in the medium to long term future but it is important that all the options are available to people.”

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Kate Holton, Writing by Kylie MacLellan)