FURNESS General Hospital (FGH) is to install coronavirus isolation pods.

NHS England has confirmed that FGH and Westmorland General Hospital will install priority assessment pods across their emergency departments. The isolation pods are for patients suspected to have contracted coronavirus.

Emergency Departments, Urgent Treatment Centres, Minor Injury Units and Walk-In-Centres across the country are to get the priority pods - a contingency measure announced by the health service this week.

The pods have been introduced to prevent suspected carriers spreading the virus further upon entering emergency departments. It means that A&E departments can direct people thought to be showing symptoms of the coronavirus away from other vulnerable patients.

Pods will be located in an isolated area of the hospital that will be suitable for frequent decontamination.

The room must contain an allocated phone with instructions for members of the public to call NHS 111, at which time an assessment will be made by an enhanced NHS 111 service advising the patients on the next steps they should take.

The isolation pods were expected to have been introduced across England by today. However, that has not yet been confirmed by the NHS.

So far, almost 600 people in China have died from the virus and over 24,300 people have been confirmed to have contracted it.

The virus has now spread to 25 nations. A third case was confirmed in the UK earlier this week.

People who are concerned they may have the virus are still advised to isolate themselves and call 111.