UK declares coronavirus 'serious and imminent threat' to public health

The number of people infected by the coronavirus in the UK has doubled to eight - after four more patients tested positive for the virus, BBC News reports. 

It comes as the government issued new powers in England to keep people in quarantine to stop the virus spreading.

In order to do this the Department of Health has described the coronavirus as a "serious and imminent threat" to public health.

The overall risk level to the UK remains "moderate".

There have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China. The total number of deaths in China is now 908 - but the number of newly-infected people per day has stabilised.