UK lawmakers fear 100-year old Parliamentary palace 'ill-equipped' to deal with COVID-19

With the number of cases of Coronavirus on a rise in the UK, the lawmakers in the British parliament are worried if the spread of the virus can be contained inside the 100-year old building. According to reports, the members of the parliament are worried as they feel the building is not equipped to deal with the deadly virus. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined the plan to tackle the disease, but lawmakers worry that the risk inside the parliament was much greater.

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British lawmaker Chris Bryant told the press that the parliament toilet has no sanitizers or soap and one of the sinks in the men's toilet has not worked for a decade now. As per reports, some lawmakers have suggested the prime minister consider conference calls and electronic voting if the situation in the United Kingdom worsens. Some lawmakers have even urged to install more sanitizers in the corridors as lots of people walk through it touching the same door and shaking hands. 

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According to reports, there were currently 85 active cases of coronavirus in the United Kingdom as of March 4 of which 34 cases have been reported recently. So far, no loss of life from coronavirus have been reported from England, but the country remains on high risk until further notice. Italy has been the most affected country in Europe with over 3,000 active cases and 107 deaths. The level of risk of contracting coronavirus in Europe has been raised from 'moderate to high' amid escalation. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The new coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has claimed more than 3,200 lives across the globe and has infected over 95,000 people since December 2019. According to reports, at least 268 people have died outside mainland China, which makes it the worst disease outbreak in the 21st century. The virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, where animals were being traded illegally. Hubei province in China has been most affected by the contagious disease, which is also the epicentre of the virus. 

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Image Credit: AP