OTLEY'S MP has gone into self-isolation due to a coronavirus scare.

Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds North West) says he has taken the step as a precaution after attending the UK Bus Summit in London on February 6 where another attendee later tested positive for Covid-19.

He is stressing that he is at 'very low risk' of having contracted the condition but has cancelled all his forthcoming appointments until Thursday, February 20 by when the two-week potential incubation period will have ended.

Announcing the news on Twitter, he said: "As has been reported I attended the UK bus summit on February 6 where there was an attendee who has tested positive for coronavirus.

"Whilst I have been informed that I am at very low risk, I have called 111 to be formally assessed.

"As a precaution, we have cancelled all engagements until next Thursday when the 14-day potential incubation period will end.

"If you think you may have been in contact with someone who has coronavirus, self-isolate and call 111 for an assessment."

There are concerns that the the patient who attended the conference could have infected some of the more than 200 other attendees.

Public Health England (PHE) has sent a letter to the delegates who went to the event which had a line-up of speakers that included buses minister Baroness Vere and former parliamentary under secretary of state for transport, Nusrat Ghani.

Dr Yimmy Chow, consultant in health protection at PHE, said: "One of our main priorities has been to identify any people who we think have been in close contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19 to provide public health advice, as they may be at slightly increased risk of catching the virus.

"While the degree of contact conference delegates may have had with the case is unlikely to have been significant, we have taken a precautionary approach and informed them of the situation."

The Transport Times e-mailed the delegates and enclosed the letter from PHE advising them to take no action if they were well but to stay indoors, avoid contact with others and call NHS 111 if they developed symptoms such as a fever or cough.

As of Friday, February 14 nine people in the UK had tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 2,964 people have been tested in the country, out of which 2,955 were confirmed negative.

Nearly 1,400 people have now died from the virus, almost all in China, with more than 63,000 recorded infections.