Hong Kong reports first death from coronavirus, 39-year-old had travelled to Wuhan

HONG KONG - A man in Hong Kong has died of the coronavirus originating in China's Wuhan city, the first death recorded in Hong Kong.

The 39-year-old man had taken the high-speed train from Hong Kong to Wuhan on Jan  21 and from Changshanan to Hong Kong on Jan  23, the Hospital Authority said on Tuesday (Feb 4).

The Centre for Health Protection said earlier that he had not visited any healthcare facilities, wet markets or seafood markets, and had no exposure to wild animals during the incubation period.

The man, who had an underlying illness, developed muscle pain last week and came down with a fever. He later sought treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was put in isolation ward.

He lived in Whampoa Garden and was the 13th confirmed case in Hong Kong. The city has 15 cases of the coronavirus so far.

The government said on Monday that it would close more border checkpoints, as more than 2,500 medical workers went on strike to demand a complete ban on travellers from mainland China to limit the spread of the virus.

The medical workers said they were worried that hospitals would be overwhelmed by a surge of coronavirus cases.

For the latest updates on the Wuhan virus, visit here.