It comes as two people were also confirmed to have coronavirus on Tuesday at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace in La Caleta, Tenerife. The hotel has announced it is closing till the middle of March to “guarantee the safety of guests and staff”. At least 1,000 guests were reportedly given letters and told to stay in their rooms, which said: “Dear guest, we regret to inform you that, for medical reasons the hotel has been closed.
“Until the health authorities decide, you must remain in your room. ”
Guests will remain there until the results of a second test on the doctor are determined and, depending on that outcome, “appropriate health measures will be taken”, a Spanish
government spokeswoman said.
The hotel went into lockdown after an Italian doctor on holiday on the island tested positive for the virus on Monday.
His wife tested positive on Tuesday, the regional government said.
Two more Italians who had travelled to Tenerife with the couple were diagnosed with the infection, local authorites said in the early hours of Wednesday.
The couple had been moved to a hospital isolation ward, and other hotel guests and staff would be tested for the virus, a process that will take some days, health authorities said.
The hotel has hundreds of rooms, several restaurants and swimming pools, and is located 50 metres (55 yards) from the beach.
More than 700 guests spanning 25 nationalities, as well as staff members, are stuck in the hotel, Canaries regional government leader Angel Victor Torres said.
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He added that guests had been allowed to have breakfast in the restaurant.
Medical staff took the guests’ temperature with digital thermometers and provided them with masks but did not perform any other tests, Mr Betts said.
Tens of thousands are expected this week in the Canary Islands for carnival festivities.
Spain’s health ministry advises against travelling to newly designated at-risk zones, including China, northern Italy and Iran, but has held off on more drastic measures such as a travel
ban.
As of February 25, at least 6,795 people have been tested in the UK with 13 positive cases.
The Department of Health also added Iran, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and parts of northern Italy to the list of places where travellers need to follow clinical advice.
China has reported 78,064 cases and 2,715 deaths, while South Korea has the second highest number of cases with 1,261 and 11 deaths.
Early on Wednesday the US military said one of its soldiers based in South Korea has also tested positive for Covid-19.
Additional reporting by Rita Sobot and Maria Ortega.