Hong Kong has reported its first death from the coronavirus, marking the second fatality from the deadly epidemic outside of mainland China.
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority on Tuesday confirmed the death of a 39-year-old man, who suffered from an underlying health condition. He had returned to the city on January 23 following a trip to Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak. His infection was confirmed on January 31.
The unnamed man did not visit any of Wuhan’s healthcare facilities, wet markets, nor had any exposure to wild animals during the virus’s incubation period, the hospital authority added. His family have been placed in quarantine and the man’s mother was confirmed as Hong Kong’s 15th case of infection. His mother had not recently travelled to mainland China.