Three more people were diagnosed with swine flu today, bringing to eight the total number to have tested positive for the virus in Britain, health officials said.
Two of the new cases are from the London area and one is from northeast England. All have mild symptoms and are responding well to treatment at home. All three had recently come back from Mexico, where the virus originated.
Those who have come into contact with them have been offered antiviral drugs, officials said.
"The preparations we have in place and are continuing to make will help to ensure we respond well in the event of a pandemic," a Department of Health spokesman said.
The new cases were revealed as the Scottish couple who were the first people in Britain to be diagnosed with swine flu were sent home from hospital.
Iain and Dawn Askham were admitted to hospital in Airdrie, near Glasgow, on Monday after contracting the disease while on honeymoon in Mexico, where the virus was first detected.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told the Scottish parliament they were allowed home this afternoon.
Mr Salmond said 27 cases were under investigation in Scotland and that one of these, in Glasgow, probably had the disease. However 41 others had been given the all clear.
Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said he was "concerned but not alarmed" over the outbreak.
"We have a very strong plan in place (which) has been a top priority for the government for some years now," he told the BBC. "We would have liked more time to prepare ... lots of people will become ill but we hope we will be able to deal with the problem in an orderly and organised way.
"What we will see is many, many more cases and inevitably some serious cases, but on the whole most people will make a good recovery from flu," Dr Donaldson added.
Meanwhile, the British government began a high-profile public health campaign as the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the international alert level to 5, indicating that a pandemic is imminent.
The Department of Health's "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it!" advertisements urge people to use tissues when they sneeze, dispose of them and then wash their hands. From next Tuesday, households across the UK will receive an information leaflet on swine flu, echoing the campaign message.
Reuters