A second case of coronavirus has now been confirmed in Cornwall.

The announcement was made by Cornwall Council in the last few minutes.

Steve Brown, Cornwall Council’s Deputy Director of Public Health, said: "I can confirm that a second confirmed case of COVID-19 has been recorded in Cornwall. “The case is a resident directly linked to the initial diagnosis in Cornwall, who had also travelled to Northern Italy.

“I’d like to reassure people again that the risk to the general public remains low and Cornwall Council is working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Cornwall are protected.

“If you have not been contacted by Public Health England as a close contact of the confirmed cases you do not need to take any action at this time.”

Cornwall Council said it would not be commenting further on individual cases due to patient confidentiality. 

Today's update from the Department of Health and Social Care states that as of 7am today 21,460 people have been tested for the virus in the UK, of which 21,254 were confirmed negative and 206 were confirmed as positive.

Two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.

The council said that, along with Public Health England and the NHS, it was well prepared to deal with coronavirus, with its priority being to safeguard local communities. This sometimes involved taking preventative measures to help reduce the risk of further cases.

More information about the virus, including how to report a suspected case, was included in the council's statement on the original case: Coronavirus case confirmed in Cornwall