Coronavirus: Philippines records third case, Malaysia confirms two more infections, taking tally to 12

Manila issued a sweeping travel ban on Sunday to prevent the deadly virus from spreading, affecting hundreds of Filipino domestic workers

Meanwhile, Malaysia has cracked down on ‘fake news’ about outbreak, charging a journalist over Facebook posts that could cause ‘fear or alarm’

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A man wearing a protective mask walks through Manila's international airport. Photo: AP

Published: 3:35pm, 5 Feb 2020Updated: 12:53am, 19 Mar 2020

Philippine health authorities on Wednesday announced the country’s third case of coronavirus in a 60-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak.

She reported to a hospital in Bohol with a fever on January 22 after arriving in the country at Cebu from China via Hong Kong, Philippine Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo was quoted as saying by domestic media outlet ABS-CBN.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, two citizens flown home from Wuhan have tested positive for the coronavirus, the country’s health ministry confirmed on Wednesday, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the country to 12. The outbreak remains a sensitive topic, and a journalist was on Wednesday charged over Facebook posts that could cause “fear or alarm”.

On Sunday, the Philippines reported the first coronavirus death outside China: a 44-year-old male Chinese national who died on Saturday. He was the companion of a 38-year-old Chinese woman, who arrived in the Philippines from Wuhan on January 21 after travelling through Hong Kong. She no longer has symptoms of the virus, officials earlier said.

As many as 133 patients are being tested for coronavirus in the Philippines, 16 of whom have been discharged but are still being monitored.

Manila issued a sweeping travel ban on Sunday to prevent the deadly virus from spreading, affecting hundreds of Filipino domestic workers who have been barred from flying back to their places of employment.

People wearing protective face masks stand on a pavement in Manila. Photo: Bloomberg

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