The number of foreign nationals in China who have contracted a deadly new strain of coronavirus has risen to 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday, after South Korean Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip confirmed that three South Koreans in China have contracted the virus
BEIJING/SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2020) The number of foreign nationals in China who have contracted a deadly new strain of coronavirus has risen to 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday, after South Korean Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip confirmed that three South Koreans in China have contracted the virus.
"As of 08:00 on February 10 [00:00 GMT], the number of foreign citizens in China infected with pneumonia caused by a new type of coronavirus has reached 27 people. Two of them have died, three have recovered, while 22 continue to be treated," Geng stated.
The diplomat added that China has notified the respective countries of the deaths of their citizens in a timely fashion.
On Monday morning, Kim Gang-lip confirmed that three South Korean nationals belonging to the same family had contracted the novel strain of coronavirus in China's Shandong province. According to the deputy health minister, their condition is stable, and the South Korean Foreign Ministry is in contact with the family.
South Korean officials are currently in talks with their Chinese counterparts to schedule the third evacuation flight from the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of the virus. Two evacuation flights have already brought back 701 South Korean nationals.
China first detected the novel strain of coronavirus in Wuhan in late December. It has since spread within China and to more than 20 countries.
According to the latest official data, 27 people in South Korea have contracted the virus, with over 370 cases already confirmed outside of China. Over 900 people in China have died after having contracted the novel strain of coronavirus, which has infected over 40,000 people in China alone.
