Man from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh being tested for coronavirus

A man from Heriot-Watt University is being tested for the coronavirus and kept in “precautionary” isolation.

Bosses haven’t revealed whether the individual is staff or a pupil but say the “risk is low.”

Ann Marie Dalton-Pillay, Secretary of the University, said: “A member of our University community at our Edinburgh Campus is in precautionary self-isolation while they await the results of a test for coronavirus.”

“The health and wellbeing of our students, staff and visitors is of paramount importance and I would like to offer reassurance that nothing has been confirmed at this time.

“The University remains open as usual and we will notify our students and staff of the outcome of the test once it is known.

“We are offering support and guidance to everyone in our Global Heriot-Watt community and continue to monitor the situation here in Scotland closely with Health Protection Scotland who are managing the situation.”

This comes as the Scottish Government confirmed the number of people tested for the illness north of the border has risen by 42.

However, it’s also been confirmed every single person who’s been checked so far has tested negative for the virus.

Meanwhile, more than 80 people quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral were allowed to leave on Thursday following 14 days in isolation.

The group were the first to be flown out of Wuhan city in China - the epicentre of the outbreak - by the Foreign Office and back to the UK.

The number of deaths from coronavirus in China has jumped to more than 1,350, with more than 60,000 recorded infections, as senior figures in Hubei province were dismissed amid criticism over the handling of the outbreak.

Hear all the latest news from across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk on Forth 1. Listen on FM, via the Rayo app, on DAB or on your smart speaker.