Coronavirus: Hampshire cases of Covid-19 rise again as outbreak declared pandemic

Public Health England announced that as of 9am on Wednesday there had been 13 cases of Covid-19 in the county.

It is an increase of three from the same time on Tuesday, when it was revealed that 10 people had tested positive for the disease in Hampshire.

The total number of cases of coronavirus in the south east has risen from 51 to 60 in the last 24 hours.

While the UK total reached 456 today, PHE announced. It was an increase of 83 from Tuesday, making it the biggest daily rise so far.

The number of people who have died after testing positive for the virus remains at six.

While two other British citizens – one in Japan and one in Indonesia – have also died from the disease.

A total of 27,476 people have been tested for the disease in the UK so far with 27,020 testing negative.

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed on Wednesday that the organisation has characterised coronavirus as a pandemic.

He said: ‘Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

‘Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO's assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn't change what WHO is doing, and it doesn't change what countries should do.’

He added: ‘We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time. WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases.

‘We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.’