By J. Jala | 11:20 AM February 02, 2020
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed Sunday the second coronavirus -acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV-ARD) case, and first death (with other complications) in the country and outside China.
In a press conference, Duque said the 44-year-old Chinese male companion of the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the country, a 38-year-old Chinese woman, also tested positive for the virus and died yesterday, Saturday, February 1, 2020).
DOH is now conducting contact-tracing in Cebu and Dumaguete where the couple visited on Jan. 21-25.
Meanwhile, 24 patients under investigation tested negative for the novel coronavirus, while four others are awaiting results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.