First coronavirus death outside China confirmed in Philippines
The first fatality outside of China from the deadly coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed after a 44-year-old man died on Saturday.
The man in question was from Wuhan, the city where the virus originated, and was one of two confirmed cases in the Philippines.
The Philippines department of health said that the man had developed severe pneumonia after being admitted to hospital in Manila last week.
The death came as Chinese authorities said that the death toll from the virus had hit 304 yesterday, with over 14,000 infections confirmed.
The man, who has not been named, was the companion of a 38-year-old woman who was the Philippines’ first case of the coronavirus.
The country’s health secretary Francisco Duque said that although the patient had showed signs of improvement, in the last 24 hours his condition deteriorated.
He added: “We are currently working with the Chinese embassy to ensure the dignified management of the remains according to national and international standards to contain the disease.”
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The announcement came as the Philippines joined countries like the US and Australia in banning the arrival of foreigners from China.
The number of cases of the coronavirus has now surpassed that of 2003’s Sars epidemic, which killed 774 people.
However, the lower death toll thus far suggests that the virus is less deadly than its predecessor.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab today revealed that more British nationals were heading back to the UK from China on Sunday, via a French flight.
Raab told Sky News: “It’s correct that there is a further French flight that is expected back in Europe today and that will carry some UK nationals.”
A flight carrying 87 British nationals landed back in the UK on Friday, with passengers taken to Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral upon arrival.
The passengers will be kept in quarantine for two weeks.