Three more COVID-19 cases confirmed in England

England has confirmed three more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in Britain to 23, Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty said Saturday.

Two of the patients had recently returned from Italy and the other was back from Asia, Whitty said.

"All three are being investigated and contact tracing has begun," he said.

The cases are from Gloucestershire in southwestern England, Hertfordshire in southern England, and Berkshire in southeastern England respectively, British media reported.

The latest cases came as British health officials were tracing anyone who has been in contact with the patient in Surrey diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, who became the first to catch the virus within Britain.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee on Monday in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has warned that the coronavirus outbreak could lead to a downgrade of the Britain's economic growth prospects.

(CGTN)