China reports 440 confirmed cases of new coronavirus pneumonia

FILE: SAFETY MEASURE. Staff members take passengers’ body temperature at Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, Jan. 21, 2020. The Chinese city of Wuhan has taken a string of measures to tighten the control and monitoring of outbound travelers in an effort to curb the spread of new coronavirus-related pneumonia. (Photo: Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu via PNA)

BEIJING — Chinese health authorities announced Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 13 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Tuesday.

The cases had resulted in nine deaths, all in central China’s Hubei Province, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, at a press conference.

Altogether 149 new confirmed cases were reported Tuesday, Li added.

Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of the Macao Special Administrative Region government also announced on Wednesday that the first case of novel coronavirus has been reported in a hospital in Macao.

A 52-year-old woman traveling from Wuhan of central China came to Centro Hospitalar Conde de Sao Januario Tuesday afternoon and was diagnosed with novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Overseas, one case has been confirmed in Japan, three in Thailand, and one in the Republic of Korea.

A total of 2,197 close contacts have been traced, figures from the commission show.

Among them, 1,394 are under medical observation while 765 others have been discharged.

The cases of infection have been on the rise recently, which is possibly due to improved diagnosis methods and advanced reagents for confirming the new coronavirus-related pneumonia, Li said.

Experts also said that respiratory transmission is the main path of contagion and the virus is likely to mutate, which will increase the risks of the pneumonia spreading.

Last Tuesday, Wuhan health authorities announced that the city has scheduled 800 beds in three designated hospitals and will have 1,200 more ready in the shortest time possible.

Peng Houpeng, deputy head of the municipal health commission, said five critical care zones have been set up in five local hospitals, with each one closely watched over by 30 medical workers around the clock.