UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Britain has risen to 51.
"As of 9.00 a.m. today, there were 51 confirmed cases in the UK and it is becoming more likely we will see widespread transmission here in this country," Hancock told parliament.
Earlier, the government published its "battle plan" for tackling the spread of coronavirus, which includes possible school closures and telecommuting.
COVID-19 has infected over 90,000 people and killed more than 3,100 globally. Meanwhile, nearly 48,000 patients have recovered.
China leads the global infection tally despite seeing a slowdown in the pace of reported cases. More than 60 countries have confirmed infections globally, with South Korea, Italy and Iran emerging as virus hotbeds last month.