THERE were 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Devon and Cornwall by Sunday.

The Mid-Devon Advertiser can reveal the virus has finally raised its feared head in Teignbridge with a first case being positively identified in the Newton Abbot area.

A father in his 40s returning from a skiing holiday on the continent expected to transfer to an isolation centre away from Devon in a bid to limit the infection which has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide so far this year, mostly the elderly and frail.

But he was told he was not ‘ill enough’ to warrant the measure so he could self-isolate at home.

His partner, who works in Newton Abbot, confirmed on Wednesday that the virus had struck their household which includes two children.

The mum, who gave her name but did not want it published, revealed that her life was in turmoil as she faced the consequences of infection.

She told the Mid-Devon Advertiser: ‘I’m all right – and so are the children. Our life is in total lock-down.

‘We’ve moved out of our home and left my partner there for the moment.’

She added: ‘I feel really distressed by it all, worrying about passing any infection on to other people we’ve been in contact with since my partner returned home on the weekend.

‘We have stringently followed everything the Foreign Office has told us.’

Her partner, who works in finance, sought medical advice when making tracks for home.

He was told he was free to return after giving details about his sound health and exactly where he had been.

‘To be on the safe side, he rang 111 for confirmation – and he was told everything appeared to be OK.

But on Monday he had a cough.

He went to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter for testing and the results came back the following day to say he was positive for coronavirus.

Since then we have been in lock-down. He is at home alone – and I am living away with the children,’ said the mum.

None of the other holidaymakers with her partner were local.

They stayed at a resort nearly five hours away from any established infected area.

His partner and children are said to be ‘fine’.

She said: ‘Since he’s been home, he has not been out. It’s all a bit unreal.’

The mum’s employer said she was a valued member of staff who was struggling to come to terms with news of the infamous bug coming into her home.

‘She really is quite distressed by it all. But we know she has the strength to deal with this and will pull through.

‘Obviously, she is very anxious about her children, her partner and herself.

‘So far, she and the kids have not shown any signs of the illness. Our thoughts are with her and her family,’ said the employer.

News of Teignbridge’s first case came as the government relaxed work sick-pay conditions and unveiled ‘worst case scenario’ plans for dealing with the likely epidemic which first surfaced in China in December last year.

The first case was recorded in January and the first death just a month later.

In the UK, the number of cases testing positive was put at 85 on Wednesday afternoon, a jump of 34 over the previous day’s tally.

Public Health England was not revealing the areas affected in its latest bulletin.

Earlier in the week it emerged that two people in Torbay were diagnosed with the virus, and Churston Ferrers Grammar School was shut down for a ‘deep clean.’