Thailand confirms first human-to-human coronavirus transmission, total cases rise to 19

BANGKOK: Thailand has seen its first case of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus inside the country, a health official said on Friday (Jan 31), as it raised its total number of cases to 19, the second-highest after China.The first patient to contract the virus inside Thailand is a Thai taxi driver, said Tanarak Pipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control."(He) ...does not have the record of travelling to China, and it is likely that he was infected (by) a sick traveller from China," Tanarak said.

Wuhan coronavirus: Singapore to widen travel restrictions to all new visitors who recently travelled to mainland China

READ: Evacuations from Wuhan: What are the risks?

Authorities have conducted virus scans on 13 people, including three family members, who the taxi driver came into contact with. They said that initially none of them had tested positive for the virus."The overall risk of infection in Thailand is still low, but people should take precautions to protect themselves," Tanarak said.

Thailand's previous cases have all been either Chinese tourists or Thais who had visited China, where the virus originated.

The taxi driver is one of five other coronavirus cases confirmed in Thailand on Friday. The other four patients are Chinese nationals.

Seven of Thailand's 19 cases have recovered and gone home while 12 are still being treated at hospitals.

All but two of the cases are Chinese tourists visiting the country, the health authority said.

Thailand is sending a plane to Wuhan to bring back about 161 citizens on Saturday, a government minister said.