TRAPPED IN HELL
Stranded Brit ‘barred from final UK coronavirus rescue flight because he was too hot after wearing two jackets’
A BRIT claims he's stranded in coronavirus-hit Wuhan because he was too hot after wearing two jackets for the final rescue flight home.
Josh Skarratts admits he was "stupid" for causing an artificial spike in his temperature - spooking authorities enough to prevent him from being evacuated from China.
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The Comedy Club owner was supposed to join about 200 passengers on the chartered flight which touched down at the RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, at 7.30am today.
But the Wuhan-based expat told : "I feel let down and quite a bit gutted to get so close to being on the plane and evacuated - but at the very last moment being rejected because of failing one temperature check."
Skarratts claimed that he had worn both a hoodie and a jacket to try and comply with hand luggage weight requirements, and to keep warm upon landing in the UK.
But when his temperature was taken from underneath his armpits, while he was in customs, the reading of 37.5C (99.5F) was deemed too high by officials in the Chinese city.
He said he had been looking forward to reuniting with friends and family in the UK, but "I'm still here, all because of two jackets".
Skarratts said another Briton was turned away for the same reason.
He told Sky News: "Now we are stranded in Wuhan having missed the last plane out of Wuhan and our last means of evacuation.
"It's quite a difficult pill to swallow when you know the exact reason why you weren't allowed on the plane could have been avoided."
However, he's "confident" the Foreign Office and the British Embassy will help him and his fellow Briton eventually leave Wuhan.
The Foreign Office said it was the second and final flight to be chartered by the Government and included British Government staff and military medics on board.
Coronavirus has now claimed more lives than the 2003 SARS outbreak as the global death toll climbed to more than 800 yesterday.
A fourth patient in the UK has today tested positive for coronavirus amid fears the deadly bug is spreading.
CORONAVIRUS IN THE UK
HEALTH officials have confirmed a number of cases of coronavirus in the UK in the past two weeks.
So exactly how many Brits have been infected?
How many cases are there in Britain?
Four.
The first two cases involved two Chinese nationals in York.
A few days later, a British man in Brighton also tested positive.
The fourth case was announced on February 9, with the unknown person treated in London.
How many Brits are involved?
There are eight confirmed cases involving Brits.
The man who tested positive in Brighton, as well as five cases in France.
A father in Majorca has also contracted the virus, while one case is in Japan.
Read our coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates
Passengers on the final rescue flight have been taken to the Kents Hill Park hotel and conference centre in Milton Keynes, Bucks, where they will be quarantined for 14 days.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "Alongside British nationals, there were other nationalities on board."
The NHS said those at the hotel will have access to Netflix, magazines, books, baby equipment, children's toys and games, mobile phones, and tablets for reading, games, and the internet.
Health bosses in Milton Keynes said fridges and microwaves are available in every room, along with food and drinks.
Staff from a number of different health and social care agencies are providing on-site support for those quarantined.
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All guests and staff are adhering to strict infection and prevention control protocols, including wearing masks and gloves.
Staff in close contact with guests, or performing clinical assessments, are wearing full personal protective equipment, health bosses said.
There is no risk to the wider public, they added.
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Brits arrive in UK after being evacuated from coronavirus hit Wuhan
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