UK's health minister confirmed Tuesday that she has contracted the novel coronavirus / Covid-19 #covid-19

LONDON, March 11 -- The UK's health minister confirmed Tuesday that she has contracted the novel coronavirus, reported Anadolu Agency.

"I can confirm I have tested positive for the coronavirus. As soon as I was informed, I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home," Nadine Dorries said in a statement.

Dorries, 62, has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care since 2019.

"Really sorry to hear Nadine has tested positive for coronavirus. She has done the right thing by self-isolating at home. We all wish her well as she recovers," Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock said on Twitter.

Dorries was at a recent reception attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was together with hundreds of parliamentarians in parliament last week.

The number of cases of the coronavirus in the UK has risen to 373, while the country has confirmed its sixth death.

The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, was first detected last December in Wuhan, China.

The global death toll from the virus is now over 4,260, with more than 118,100 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The virus has since spread to six continents and more than 100 countries.

--BERNAMA