A HASLEMERE Health Centre patient diagnosed with coronavirus in England has become the first person to catch it in the UK.

The health centre was closed temporarily earlier today for a deep clean as ‘a precautionary measure’.

The source of contamination was not revealed.

But England’s chief medical officer has just announced the closure was because a patient who had not been abroad had contracted coronavirus..

This takes the total number of UK cases diagnosed with the virus to 20 and comes after a man, who was on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, became the first UK citizen to die from the virus.

Professor Chris Whitty said the patient has been transferred to a specialist NHS infection centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London.

He said the case is being investigated and contact tracing has begun as the original source was unclear and there was no immediately identifiable link to overseas travel.

Public Health England is working with Surrey County Council to contact people who had "close contact" with the Haslemere coronavirus case.

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