Boris Johnson is to chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later, after the number of UK coronavirus cases jumped to 36.
Senior ministers and health advisers will be told that the virus will present a "significant challenge".
But the prime minister will say the government and NHS are well-prepared and will "stop at nothing" to fight it.
The official government plan on how to tackle the spread of the virus will be finalised and signed off at the talks.
More UK cases are expected to be announced, after 13 new patients were diagnosed on Sunday