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Zara Phillips will not self-isolate after Italy trip

<span>Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP</span>
Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP

The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips and her husband, former England rugby player Mike Tindall, will not be self-isolating despite returning from a skiing trip in northern Italy, where a coronavirus outbreak has been spreading.

Phillips and Tindall have come back from a trip to Bormio, a town in the Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy.

The couple’s management said the pair were following government guidelines and medical advice, although they currently did not have any symptoms of the infection and so would not be going into self-isolation.

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Earlier this week a school in Nantwich, Cheshire, closed over fears that pupils who had been on a ski trip to the same resort, were displaying flu-like symptoms.

The British government updated its guidance on Tuesday morning, with the health secretary, Matt Hancock, saying that those returning from anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini would need to stay indoors if they had symptoms, however mild.

New guidance also said those returning from any quarantined towns would have to immediately go into self-isolation even if they had developed no symptoms of the virus.

The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine.

The UN agency advises people to:

  • Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

  • Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

  • Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

  • Avoid direct, unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets in affected areas

  • Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods.

Despite a surge in sales of face masks in the aftermath of the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak, experts are divided over whether they can prevent transmission and infection. There is some evidence to suggest that masks can help prevent hand-to-mouth transmissions, given the large number of times people touch their faces. The consensus appears to be that wearing a mask can limit – but not eliminate – the risks, provided they are used correctly.

Justin McCurry

The Italian authorities implemented measures on 22 February, and the latest reported coronavirus death toll there had risen to 12, with the number of confirmed cases at 374.

Eleven towns have been in lockdown and sporting events have been played to empty stadiums. The Venice Carnival was also cancelled early due to concerns about the infection spreading.

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Despite telling Britons returning from northern Italy to self-isolate if they develop coronavirus symptoms, the FCO has not advised against travel to the country.

On Wednesday, Hancock said there had been 13 cases of the virus in the UK. Eight of those people had been discharged, he added, noting that the government expected more cases to arise.

He said the government would be rolling out a publicity campaign soon and coordinating with its international partners to ensure it is ready for all eventualities.