The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today raised its travel alert for the coronavirus outbreak to a level 3, recommending people avoid all nonessential travel to Wuhan, China.
China's Hebei provincial health authority said a patient infected with the new coronavirus has died, marking the first confirmed death outside Hubei province where the outbreak began.
The Health Commission of Hebei Province said in a statement today that the patient, 80, died on Wednesday but was not confirmed to have been infected with the virus until Thursday.
The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 18.
China
As of Thursday, more than 570 people have been infected across China, most of them in Wuhan.
Hong Kong and British scientists have estimated that between 1,300 and 1,700 people in the city may have been infected.
Macau
The gambling hub, hugely popular with mainland China tourists, has confirmed two cases.
The first was a 52-year-old businesswoman from Wuhan who arrived in Macau by high-speed rail on Sunday, via the neighbouring city of Zhuhai.
Hong Kong
As of Thursday, two people have tested positive in Hong Kong. Both had visited Wuhan in recent days and are being treated on isolation wards in hospital.
Japan
On Jan 16, Japan's health ministry confirmed its first case - a man who had visited Wuhan and was hospitalised on Jan 10, four days after his return to Japan.
Saudi Arabia
An Indian nurse working at a hospital in southwestern Saudi Arabia has been infected by the coronavirus amid an outbreak that has killed 17 people in China, India’s minister of state for external affairs said on Thursday.
Singapore
Singapore on Thursday (Jan 23) confirmed its first case a 66-year-old man from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on Monday.
South Korea
South Korea reported its first case on Jan 20 a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan.
Taiwan
On Jan 22, the self-ruled island of Taiwan, authorities confirmed a first case - a Taiwanese woman in her fifties, living in Wuhan, who returned to the island on Monday with symptoms including fever, coughing and a sore throat.
Thailand
Thailand has detected two cases a 74-year-old Chinese woman, who is being treated at hospital after presenting with symptoms at Thailand's biggest airport Suvarnabhumi on Jan 13.
On Jan 8, a Chinese traveller was diagnosed with mild pneumonia that was later confirmed to have been caused by the coronavirus.
United States
On Jan 21, the United States announced its first case - a man in his 30s living near Seattle.
Officials say he is in a good condition and approached authorities himself after reading about the virus in news reports.
Vietnam
Two cases have been confirmed so far in Vietnam - a Chinese man living in Ho Chi Minh City, who was infected by his father who travelled to Vietnam on Jan 13 from the Chinese city of Wuhan.
More and more Japanese companies are banning their employees from traveling to the Chinese city of Wuhan due to the spread of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus.
Some Japanese department stores have allowed their workers to wear face masks as visitors from China are expected to increase during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. ■