Knutsford man Matt Raw in quarantine after flight from China

Matt Raw described conditions arrived for a two-week precautionary stay in the former students' accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital on Friday night and described conditions as 'like staying at at a hotel."

Speaking to Channel Five News, the locksmith said: "If you imagine the best hotel that you have every stayed in and the best service that you can ever possibly imagine, these guys here at the NHS just wipe the floor with the lot of them.

"Pretty much anything that we have asked for; TVs, hair dryers, they go out and they will obtain them for us within a flash.

"We have everything that we need and there is a fridge here, we have got our kitchen, bedrooms, beds, showers, baths, clothes, food, literally all the other little things that you could possibly want.

"We are doing okay for now." 

The convoy of six coaches arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital at 7.15pm on Friday.

The vehicles were led by a police escort to the rear of the hospital and on to a side road leading to the accommodation block.

A medic wearing a white specialist suit was sitting next to the coach driver of each vehicle.

The passengers' arrival comes as health officials are urgently trying to chase those who came into contact with two people diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK.

The evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak carrying 83 Britons and 27 non-UK nationals landed at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire at around 1.30pm on Friday.

They are being given fully-furnished rooms, food, laundry facilities and have access to a team of medical staff who will closely monitor their condition.

The evacuation flight came as the first two cases of coronavirus in the UK were confirmed by Public Health England (PHE).

Two family members who are the first cases of coronavirus in the UK stayed at the StayCity Hotel in York after returning from China.

PHE confirmed that the two people taken ill – who are members of the same family – had been staying at the Staycity apartment-hotel in York when they became unwell.

The firm has said the apartment involved has been thoroughly disinfected and PHE has been providing support.

The two people diagnosed with the virus are being treated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID).

Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: “Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with the confirmed cases.

“Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases.”

Prof Peacock previously said that while staff are working to trace people who have been in contact with the pair, they do not currently have “any idea” of how high that number might be.

The PHE definition of close contact is being within two metres of the infected person for 15 minutes.

On Thursday, the UK's four chief medical officers raised the risk level of the illness from low to moderate and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international public health emergency.

News that 83 Britons would be staying at Arrowe Park was confirmed by Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral University Hospital, in a message to staff on Thursday night.

It read: "You will be aware of the current situation in Wuhan City, China and the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"While there are no confirmed cases in the UK, I am writing to you to inform you of some next steps.

"Around 100 British citizens will be travelling to the UK from China tomorrow.

"As a precaution they will remain in isolation for 14 days following their arrival in the UK.

"We will be welcoming and housing them in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hosptial.

"Before arrival they will be screened for symptoms.

If anyone becomes unwell after arrival they will be treated following appropriate protocols."

While they are being monitored they will have access to medical staff, and it is understood they will have the internet and be able to make contact with family.

So far 170 people have died from the virus in China and there is over 7,700 confirmed cases so far.

As of January 29, a total of 130 UK tests have concluded, of which 130 were confirmed negative and 0 positive. British Airways has extended the cancellation of all its flights to and from mainland China up to and including February 29 due to the coronavirus.

The airline said: "We are contacting customers on cancelled flights so we can discuss their travel options, including re-booking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel.

"Customers can also find the latest information and options on BA.com.

"Safety is at the heart of everything we do and we will keep the situation under review."

The UK was working "urgently" with Chinese authorities on Thursday to ensure citizens in Wuhan can return on a flight "as soon as possible", Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are doing everything we can to get British people in Wuhan safely back to the UK.

"A number of countries' flights have been unable to take off as planned including the British repatriation from Wuhan.

"We are working urgently with the Chinese authorities to ensure that the flight can take off as soon as possible."

Responding to an urgent question in the House of Lords on the outbreak, Health Minister Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford said the action taken by the UK Government was "very proportionate, but also robust".

She told peers that of the 131 tests so far carried out in the UK, all had been negative with no confirmed cases.

Lady Blackwood said: "I do believe we should be confident in the actions we have taken.

"They are measured, they are proportionate, but they are based on the highest level of scientific and clinical advice from our Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England. We will, of course, keep it under continued review."