The European Union will hold an emergency meeting of health officials this morning on the risk of the new strain of coronavirus as more countries impose a travel ban from the UK.
Some 15 European countries, including Ireland, have suspended air, rail and sea links to the UK, with Belgium and France both closing the Eurostar service through the Channel Tunnel.
This morning's meeting of the integrated political crisis response group of EU health experts has been called by the German Presidency of the EU and it followed a video conference last night of senior political advisors.
With more and more countries imposing a ban on travel from the UK, the EU is keen to coordinate measures for handling the new coronavirus strain if and when it takes