Northampton university students to work remotely if coronavirus advice changes

The county university is not changing the way it teaches its students - unless Government advice should change.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is chairing an emergency Cobra committee meeting today.

The Daily Mail is reporting that No10 has also 'dismissed suggestions they will emulate Ireland', which announced this morning that it will close all schools and colleges.

A spokesman for the university told the Chronicle & Echo that it is following the same advice and has no plans to shut just yet.

He said: "The university is monitoring the situation very closely and acting in line with Public Health England (PHE) guidance.

"We have a page on our website containing advice and guidelines for staff, students and visitors, which is reviewed on a daily basis, and updated where necessary.

"At present, we have not changed the way we deliver our teaching, and staff and students have not been advised to stay away from campus.

"However, plans are being put in place to facilitate remote working and studying, should the guidance from PHE and the Government change."

The number of people in Northamptonshire who have tested positive for coronavirus has risen to six in total, as of yesterday (Wednesday, March 11).

The first Northamptonshire case was confirmed by the Department of Health on March 3, after a county resident had recently travelled back from Italy - the most-affected country in Europe.

The second Northamptonshire positive test was confirmed two days later. The second person who tested positive was a member of the same immediate family as the first person, as was the fifth, which was confirmed on Tuesday.

So far, we know 456 people in the UK have coronavirus and 83 people and six people have died nationally.

Tesco Extra in Clannell Road, Northampton, is one of many supermarkets across the UK, which has been raided this week of essentials including tinned tomatoes, pasta, rice, chickpeas, sweetcorn, hand gel, soap, toilet roll and baked beans.