Confirmed COVID-19 cases in UK rise to 206

A total of 206 patients have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Britain, according to the latest figures released Saturday by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in Britain, and the majority of confirmed infections of COVID-19 are in England, according to the department.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to chair a second meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee on Monday in response to a growing number of cases in Europe.

Johnson on Friday announced a new funding package of 46 million pounds (around 60 million U.S. dollars) for urgent work to find a coronavirus vaccine and develop a rapid test for the disease.

The government has set out an action plan to tackle the spread of the virus. The plan has four strands: containing the virus, delaying its spread, researching its origins and cure, and finally mitigating the impact should the virus becomes more widespread.

Britain remains in the "containment" phase and a decision about the next phase of delaying the COVID-19 outbreak would depend on how fast the number of cases rose, Jennie Harries, England's deputy chief medical officer told the BBC Saturday.