Baker McKenzie has re-opened its London office after an individual at the firm tested negative for coronavirus.

Last week, the firm sent home over 1,000 of its staff members and lawyers in the city, including 119 partners, after an individual at firm started feeling unwell upon their return from Northern Italy.

The firm has now confirmed that the individual has tested negative for coronavirus, and the firm has today reopened its 100 New Bridge Street office.

A spokesperson at the firm said in a statement: "We're delighted to confirm that our employee has tested negative for the COVID-19 virus and our London office has re-opened today. Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our people and our clients, and we took these preemptive measures out of an abundance of caution."

Baker McKenzie was the first law firm to take such a step in London, only a few days after a raft of international law firms closed their Milan offices as a precautionary measure due to the COVID-19 outbreak threatening the region.

On Friday, Latham & Watkins cancelled its global partners' meeting taking place in New York in response to virus fears.

Canary Wharf-headquartered oil giant Chevron also closed off its London office due to a suspected coronavirus outbreak last week.

The virus has now spread to 58 countries, infecting over 87,000 people and causing the deaths of around 3,000 people globally, according to the World Health Organization.