7 Feb 2020

Coronavirus spread continues, New Zealander found infected on cruise ship

From Morning Report, 7:25 am on 7 February 2020

There have been a number of developments overnight in the spread of the Novel Coronavirus.

In China, the doctor who was one of the first to warn about the Novel Coronavirus only to be silenced by the police has reportedly died.

Li Wenliang was working as an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital when he sent out a warning to fellow doctors in late December.

Police then visited him to tell him to stop, as authorities tried to keep the news under wraps.

Also in China, authorities say a newborn baby has tested positive for the the virus. The baby's mother tested positive before she gave birth on February.

In Japan authorities are treating a New Zealander infected with the virus.

The patient - who is the first New Zealand citizen to test positive for the illness - was taken off the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama and is currently in a local hospital.

Twenty passengers including the yet un-named New Zealander who were on the cruise ship have now been diagnosed with the virus.

Around 3700 people remain quarantined on the ship and will remain on the boat for at least 14 days.

Another cruise ship with 3,600 passengers and crew has been quarantined in Hong Kong with three cases on board.