St Mary’s Independent School in Southampton, shut its doors on Monday afternoon, after students who recently travelled to China developed symptoms similar to the coronavirus.

They were tested at Southampton General Hospital and sent home to self-isolate.

It comes as the number of UK patients who have tested positive for coronavirus has jumped from four to eight.

St Mary's Independent School in Bitterne Park, Southampton. Picture: Google Maps

In a statement to parents, headteacher Claire Charlemagne said: ‘As a school, our first priority is to keep our children and community safe.

‘We have therefore taken the decision to close the school immediately in order to undertake a thorough deep clean, and to allow any potential traces of the virus to be removed.

In a statement to parents, headteacher Claire Charlemagne said: ‘As a school, our first priority is to keep our children and community safe.

‘We have therefore taken the decision to close the school immediately in order to undertake a thorough deep clean, and to allow any potential traces of the virus to be removed.

‘We will be closed today, tomorrow and Wednesday.’

So far, the Department of Health has concluded 1,114 cases.

Health secretary Matt Hancock announced new measures on Monday to stop anyone leaving isolation before a 14-day quarantine has been completed.

Mr Hancock said: 'I will do everything in my power to keep people in this country safe. We are taking every possible step to control the outbreak of coronavirus.

‘NHS staff and others will now be supported with additional legal powers to keep people safe across the country.

‘The transmission of coronavirus would constitute a serious threat - so I am taking action to protect the public and isolate those at risk of spreading the virus.’

This story first featured on our sister site Portsmouth News.

Coronavirus: UK school closed as students develop virus symptoms