Audio By Carbonatix
A Chinese tourist has died in France after contracting the new coronavirus - the first fatality from the disease outside Asia.
The victim was an 80-year-old man from China's Hubei province, according to French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn.
He arrived in France on 16 January and was placed in quarantine in a hospital in Paris on 25 January, she said.
Only three deaths had previously been reported outside mainland China - in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.
However, more than 1,500 people have died from the virus within China, mostly in Hubei where it first emerged.
A further 2,641 people have been newly confirmed as infected, bringing China's total to 66,492.
In late January, France became the first European country to confirm cases of the virus. It has had 11 confirmed cases of the disease, officially called Covid-19. Six people remain in hospital.
The deceased man had been in a critical condition in the Bichat hospital in northern Paris, the health minister said. He died of lung infection due to the coronavirus.
The man's daughter is among those infected, but she is recovering, Ms Buzyn said.
Five of the cases in France are British nationals who caught the virus at a chalet in the ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie.
Outside mainland China, there have been more than 500 cases in 24 countries.
Earlier, the US said it was sending a plane to Japan to evacuate Americans stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is being held in quarantine in a Japanese port.
Out of 3,700 people on board, 218 have tested positive for the virus. Australia also said it was considering removing its citizens from the ship.
In other developments:
- Beijing has ordered everyone returning to the city to go into quarantine for 14 days or risk punishment
- Egypt's health ministry on Friday confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in Africa. The ministry described the person as a foreigner but did not disclose their nationality
- Six health workers were confirmed to have died in China. Local authorities have struggled to provide protective equipment such as respiratory masks, goggles and protective suits to hospitals in Hubei
Earlier, the US said it was sending a plane to Japan to evacuate Americans stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is being held in quarantine in a Japanese port.
Out of 3,700 people on board, 218 have tested positive for the virus. Australia also said it was considering removing its citizens from the ship.
In other developments:
- Beijing has ordered everyone returning to the city to go into quarantine for 14 days or risk punishment
- Egypt's health ministry on Friday confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in Africa. The ministry described the person as a foreigner but did not disclose their nationality
- Six health workers were confirmed to have died in China. Local authorities have struggled to provide protective equipment such as respiratory masks, goggles and protective suits to hospitals in HubeiDISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to MLS Cup glory
7 minutes -
Soldiers on Benin’s national television claim to have seized power
25 minutes -
Premier Tennis Club organizes Tema Farmers’ Day Tournament
32 minutes -
Liberia, South Africa ex-First Ladies attend Lordina Foundation’s 5th health screening for retired ministers
36 minutes -
KGL Foundation partners Premier Tennis club to celebrate Farmers’ Day
41 minutes -
Adrobaa crowned winners as Milo U13 Championship makes grand return
2 hours -
NAIMOS seizes excavators and shuts down illegal Riverbank mining in Eastern Region
3 hours -
NAIMOS dismantles illegal foreign mining network along the Bia River
3 hours -
Zelensky signals progress in talks with US on peace plan
5 hours -
Policemen assaulted in Jirapa; AK-47 rifles stolen
6 hours -
Bibiani tragedy: Toddler killed by moving Toyota Pickup
6 hours -
Don’t scrap OSP – Anti-corruption CSO demands review
8 hours -
GIS, EU vow closer security cooperation to boost northern border control
8 hours -
IGP leads major show of force with new armoured fleet
10 hours -
Two female prison officers killed in ghastly crash
10 hours
