Malaysian, Korean coronavirus cases linked to Singapore business gathering

An international business conference that took place in a posh hotel in Singapore has been linked to the rise in Coronavirus cases in Korea and Malaysia, as per international press reports. Malaysia on Tuesday confirmed its first case of Coronavirus and has linked the case to the international gathering that took place in Singapore in mid-January. A 41-year-old Malaysian man attended the conference with international delegations that included delegates from China. 

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According to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a 38-year-old man in South Korea has also been infected by the virus as he came into contact with the Malaysian man in the conference. Media reports claim that the South Korean man had a meal with the Malaysian man, as well as several others during the international business gathering.

The Singapore Health Ministry on February 4 confirmed that the meeting involving the Malaysian man took place in Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Ministry further added that it was working to identify people who attended the conference or were in close contact with individuals there.

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Coronavirus outbreak

The outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus has claimed more than 490 lives in China alone, international press reported. Media reports suggest that as of Wednesday the confirmed cases have reached up to 20,000. As per US CDC, confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other countries. The disease is believed to have originated at a seafood market in Hubei's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, where animals were being traded illegally. 

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China is handling the situation quite effectively as just recently the country built a hospital in a record time of just eight days to house the patients affected by the disease. International press earlier reported that Chinese authorities have imposed a strict quarantine in 12 cities across the country, 11 of which are in the Hubei province. Beijing is also building another hospital in the Wuhan with a capacity of an estimated 1,600 beds. 

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(With Agency Inputs)