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Two MPs have said they will self-isolate after attending a UK bus summit with a person diagnosed with the illness.
Labour’s Alex Sobel and Lilian Greenwood both said they would be cancelling all their engagements until next week.
Me Sobel, MP for Leeds North West, wrote on Twitter that he has called NHS 111 to be assessed and has cancelled public engagements until Wednesday.
He was at the Westminster summit on February 6 along with 250 delegates from the nationwide bus and transport industry.
Transport Times, the conference organiser, emailed attendees on Thursday afternoon, informing them that a person confirmed to be suffering from coronavirus illness – known as Covid-19 – had been at the event.
Mr Sobel tweeted: “I attended the UK bus summit on the 6th Feb, where there was an attendee who has tested positive for coronavirus.
“Whilst I have been informed that I am at very low risk, I have called 111 to be formally assessed.”
A spokesman for Mr Sobel said he was not unwell and had no symptoms, but had decided to self-isolate at home until next week as a precaution.
It came as Ms Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, also cancelled all of her public engagements until February 20, after attending the same event.
Ms Greenwood, who spoke at the summit, tweeted that she had received Public Health England’s letter, advising her to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people if she were to develop symptoms of cough or flu.
She wrote: “I’m feeling completely well but to be extra-cautious I’m cancelling my public engagements until 20th February. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
It is understood that the person who attended the event is not linked to the ninth patient with coronavirus in the UK.
Dr Yimmy Chow, consultant in health protection at Public Health England (PHE), said: “One of our main priorities has been to identify any people who we think have been in close contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19 to provide public health advice, as they may be at slightly increased risk of catching the virus.
“While the degree of contact conference delegates may have had with the case is unlikely to have been significant, we have taken a precautionary approach and informed them of the situation.”
