Current Travel Health News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the second infection with 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States has been detected in Illinois.

The first confirmed case was detected in the state of Washington.

On 22 January, the members of the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in China did not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but the Committee members agreed on the urgency of the situation and suggested that the Committee should be reconvened in a matter of days to examine the situation further.

Regarding the latest situation in the Mainland and overseas, information of the latest notifications received by The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) will be updated to the CHP website: https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/statistics_of_the_cases_novel_coronavirus_infection_en.pdf daily at 9am and 6pm.

A spokesman for the CHP said, "The CHP will continue to maintain its liaison with the National Health Commission, the World Health Organization and the relevant health authorities, and closely monitor the situation for risk assessment."

The spokesman advised the public to avoid unnecessary travel to Wuhan of Hubei Province. If it is unavoidable to travel to Wuhan, put on a surgical mask and continue to do so until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.

For more information on Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent or latest update on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102465.html

The Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) reported today the confirmation of an imported case of novel coronavirus infection in the city-state. The individual is a 66 year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family Monday.

MOH has also been notified of a suspect case, whose preliminary test for the novel coronavirus is positive. She is a 53 year old female Chinese national from Wuhan. The result of the confirmatory test is pending.

For more information on Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent or latest update on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102465.html

Nigeria health officials reported reported an additional 81 confirmed Lassa fever cases during the week ending Jan. 19, bringing the case tally for 2020 to 163 to date.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 22) provides the latest information on the pneumonia cases of novel coronavirus infection detected in the Mainland, Macao and the United States.

According to the notification from the NHC today, 149 additional pneumonia cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported in various places across the Mainland as of midnight on January 21. The distribution is as follows:

Areas	Case(s)
Hubei Province	105
Hunan Province	1
Henan Province	1
Jiangxi Province	2
Shandong Province	1
Sichuan Province	2
Zhejiang Province	5
Chongqing	5
Tianjin	2
Yunnan Province	1
Guangdong Province	12
Beijing	5
Shanghai	7

In the same period, three additional deaths were reported (all were from Hubei Province). As of yesterday, the total number of novel coronavirus infections reported to the NHC was 440 cases. Among them, 102 patients are in serious condition and nine died (all were from Hubei Province).

Separately, the CHP has also been closely monitoring the first confirmed case of infection of novel coronavirus in Macao as imported from Wuhan. According to information from the Health Bureau of Macao, the case involved a 52-year-old woman from Wuhan, who was tested positive for novel coronavirus upon laboratory testing. In addition, the United States also recorded the first confirmed case of infection of novel coronavirus as imported from Wuhan. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the patient resides in Washington, who sought medical care at a medical facility in the State of Washington after returning from Wuhan on January 15. The patient was later tested positive for novel coronavirus.

The spokesman for the CHP advised the public to avoid unnecessary travel to Wuhan of Hubei Province. If it is unavoidable to travel to Wuhan, put on a surgical mask and continue to do so until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.

For more information on Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent or latest update on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102465.html

Federal health officials reported today of the first confirmed case of imported case of novel coronavirus infection in the United States in the state of Washington. The patient, age 35, recently returned from Wuhan, China. In addition, CDC announced today that they will be adding entry health screening at two more airports – Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago (ORD).

For more information on Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent or latest update on cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102465.html

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported another new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome case in a healthcare worker from Abha. Yesterday the MOH said a 38-year-old female healthcare worker in the same city had also been infected. The WHO said in its latest monthly update that 2,499 cases have been lab-confirmed since the virus emerged in people in 2012, including 861 fatalities. The vast majority of the cases have been in Saudi Arabia.

For more information on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/26511.html

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) of Taiwan announced the first confirmed imported case of severe special infectious pneumonia. The patient is an over-50-year-old female who resides in southern Taiwan and works in Wuhan, China. CECC announced raising its travel notice level for Wuhan to Level 3: Warning, reminding the public to avoid all non-essential travels to Wuhan.

The Wuhan Municipal Commission of Health in Mainland China reported an additional 60 novel coronavirus (2019-NoCv) cases and two deaths. Officials now put the case in Wuhan to 258, including six deaths. Health officials with the Guangdong Provincial Health Committee reported three additional pneumonia cases confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus (2019-NoCv), bringing the total in the province to 17. City health officials of Shanghai reported four additional confirmed cases, bringing the total in the city to six.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first confirmed novel coronavirus case, involving a man who got sick after returning to Washington state from Wuhan. On January 17, 2020, CDC began implementing public health entry screening at San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), and Los Angeles (LAX) airports. This week CDC will add entry health screening at two more airports – Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago (ORD).