Three members of staff at Staffordshire Police have chosen to self-isolate over fears of coronavirus after coming into contact with a woman who has fallen ill whilst in custody.
The non-UK national was arrested on Tuesday in Burton and taken to a custody facility in Stoke-on-Trent.
She has undergone testing and while results are expected later this week, two police constables and a PCSO have been sent home as a precaution in accordance with NHS guidelines.
A source told StokeOnTrentLive that the custody facility was on lockdown for about an hour before reopening, and that the prisoner was a Chinese woman.
A statement from Staffordshire Police, said: "Three members of Staffordshire Police are staying at home as a precautionary measure after reports that a woman who had been detained in custody was unwell.
"The woman, who is a non-UK national, was arrested in Burton and taken to Northern Area Custody in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday (Feb 19).
"Tests have taken place but health officials believe it is ‘highly unlikely’ the woman has Covid-19 (coronavirus).
"The results of the tests will be known later this week and in the meantime the two police constables and a PCSO are staying at home as a precautionary measure in accordance with NHS guidelines."
As of Wednesday at 2pm, 5,216 tests for coronavirus in the UK have taken place, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Nine of these have been confirmed positive.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in China has risen to 2,004, with more than 75,000 people infected globally.
