Welsh health chiefs revealed the patient, believed to be from Swansea, caught the virus in northern Italy, which is at the centre of Europe's crisis that has engulfed Britain and the rest of the continent in fear.
Both new cases in England were infected in Iran and were rushed to the Royal Free Hospital in London for urgent NHS treatment. Officials refused to reveal their age, gender or where they were diagnosed.
Nineteen patients have now been confirmed in the UK, after England confirmed two travellers had tested positive yesterday and Northern Ireland last night announced its first case. Scotland has yet to be struck down.
One of the English cases yesterday is thought to be a 43-year-old mother in Buxton who caught the virus at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel in Tenerife, where hundreds of British holidaymakers have been quarantined.
The other is thought to be a man in Surrey who was infected in Italy and flew to Britain from Milan, raising fears the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading outside of the 11 towns locked down in the north of the country.
It comes as emergency plans are being drawn up by British health officials to contain the coronavirus. Schools could be closed for at least two months and major sporting events, gigs and music festivals cancelled.
The crisis, which is escalating outside of China, has rocked world financial markets – £200billion has been wiped off of London's FTSE100, taking it to the lowest level seen since the devastating 2008 financial crash.
Major companies including British Airways, easyJet and Rolls-Royce have issued profit warnings, while other large firms have said factory shutdowns in China are disrupting supply chains.
More than 83,000 people worldwide have been struck down with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The death toll stands at almost 2,900 – up from just 200 at the end of January.
MailOnline
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