Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson says the city is well placed and prepared to deal with any potential local outbreak of coronavirus.
The potentially deadly virus, also referred to as Covid-19, is making its way around the world after starting in China - with several European countries now reporting their first cases.
On Sunday, the ECHO revealed that four patients who arrived to be quarantined at Arrowe Park in Wirral from a Japanese cruise ship had tested positive for the virus.
Of those four patients, one was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, while the others were transferred to two other specialist NHS infection centres.
Yesterday the ECHO also reported how two Cheshire schools had closed, amid coronavirus fears and a GP surgery in Huyton.
Pupils were also sent home from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, in West Derby , for pupils to be tested after returning from an Italy school trip.
With fears growing about the spread of the virus, Mayor Anderson has explained why Liverpool is well placed to deal with any potential local outbreak.
He said: "We have to be prepared for any eventuality and there are currently meetings taking place to prepare out plans and our contingencies.
"As a city we are very good at collaborating between the council, the NHS, the police and other key organisations."
The Royal Liverpool Hospital is one of just five hospitals around the country that contains a specialist infectious diseases unit where staff are specially trained to deal with viruses like this.
Mayor Anderson said: ""We are also fortunate to have such highly skilled and specialist staff working in a dedicated unit at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and at the School of Tropical Medicine.
"We are working closely with the NHS locally to plan for any events.
"Liverpool is well placed to deal with whatever is to come."
Schools and GP surgeries have closed and a group of Liverpool fans have been placed into isolation after an outbreak of the virus in Italy.
The precautions come after the Italian government placed 12 towns in the north of the country into lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
A number of Merseyside schools have also sent staff and pupils home after half term skiing trips to the European region.
Mayor Anderson said it was 'absolutely the right thing to do' for people to self-isolate or for institutions to close if they have any reasonable fears about the spread of the virus.
He said: "I don't think we can be over-cautious, we need to follow the advice of Public Health England and people need to take responsibility."
