Coronavirus: Torbay GP surgeries closed to 'contain outbreak'

Chelston Hall Surgery and Barton Surgery, both in Torquay, will be closed until at least 16 March

Two GP surgeries in Devon have been closed in a bid to "contain the current outbreak of coronavirus".

Chelston Hall Surgery and Barton Surgery, both in Torquay, said they were following advice from Public Health England.

Both surgeries will be closed until at least 16 March, but no further details have been given.

On Monday two people - including a secondary school pupil - became the first known coronavirus cases in Devon.

A number of schools in Devon have been closed as a precaution, including St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary and Churston Grammar School, both in the Brixham area.

Up to a fifth of the workforce could be off sick during the peak of an epidemic in the UK, it has been warned.

The government is launching a major public health campaign urging people to wash their hands regularly as the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK continues to rise.

Staff will be in contact with patients with appointments booked at the surgeries

Lesley Blake, from Torquay, told the BBC she was feeling "angry" and "scared" at the thought of not being able to get medication from the doctors.

She said she went to get her repeat migraine prescription from Chelston Hall Surgery to find it "all locked up".

"I don't know how long I'm going to have to wait for this," she said.

"If I don't get them by Monday I've run out - and I'm frightened."

She said she was told by the pharmacist to ring 111, but warned to be patient as it would be "busy".

The surgeries and NHS England have yet to comment.

Lesley Blake could not get her repeat prescription because the surgery was closed