Coronavirus: Thailand has 7 new cases, Malaysia 1; Japanese man dies in Wuhan
- Three Thais, including one returnee from Wuhan, and four Chinese nationals have tested positive in the new cases, Thailand’s health ministry says
- Meanwhile, a 67-year-old Chinese tourist is the 16th patient that has tested positive for the virus in Malaysia
“The seven new cases are all in hospital,” said Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director general of the Disease Control Department.
One of the Thai cases was part of the group of 138 evacuated from the coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan on Tuesday, Suwannachai told reporters.
The other two Thais had exposure to tourists, he said.
Among the four Chinese, three are members of the families of previously reported cases, while the other is a tourist from a “risky area” in China, said Suwannachai.
As of Saturday, one more patient was allowed to go home, bringing the count of discharges to 10, said Suwannachai, adding that 22 other patients remained in hospital.
The man in his 60s had been hospitalised since January 22 with severe pneumonia, a Japanese government source said.
The hospital in Wuhan city, the centre of the outbreak, had tested the man for the virus but it had notified Japanese officials that the results were inconclusive.
Citing privacy, the ministry declined to disclose the man’s name and other details.
“Protecting our people’s lives and health is the top priority,” Abe told reporters.
“I will do my best to prevent the spread and take necessary measures without hesitation.”
A 67-year-old Chinese tourist from Wuhan is the 16th patient that has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Wan Azizah said that the patient is the mother of a friend of the 14th patient to test positive for the virus in the country.
“The 67-year-old woman was confirmed to carry the virus on February 7 and is currently being warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Her condition is stable. This makes it the 16th positive case, with four of the cases being Malaysians, ” she said.
Currently, 12 out of 16 positive cases are China nationals while four are Malaysians.
So far, one patient – a four-year-old Chinese girl – has recovered from the coronavirus and has been allowed to return to China.
