TWO women who were travelling in Asia were tested for the coronavirus in Southend.

The women had gone travelling in Singapore, Malaysia and other areas of the continent when they returned home last week.

The women returned to the country on January 30, and began to show symptoms of the virus on Thursday last week.

They called the NHS's 111 service with their fears on Friday, who then informed Southend Hospital they would be attending to be tested.

The woman in her 50s, who asked not to be named, said: "We had got back and were showing the symptoms.

"We'd telephoned the NHS and went down to Southend on Friday to be tested.

"They had to test us in the car park outside. We were walking around with staff in hazmat suits to be tested.

"There was no isolation facilities at the hospital."

"It was really unnerving and people were staring at us, but we both got cleared.

"We've now isolated ourselves at our own homes, my friend is at hers and I'm still home now."

The women received the results directly from Public Health England on Tuesday that the tests were negative, but due to the countries they had travelled in were advised to isolate themselves for 14 days from the day they arrived back to the UK.

This means they will be free to come out of isolation on Friday.

The negative tests of the two women are not linked to unconfirmed rumours spreading online of a suspected coronavirus case taking place at the hospital today.

"It's been a horrible week, my family have been isolated from me, I'm on my own. I'm very much looking forward to it being over."