Germany assures citizens of safety as Coronavirus spreads

The first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in Germany, a spokesman for the Bavarian Health Ministry announced late Monday.

Health authorities say the man who contracted the virus is from the state of Bavaria. It is the first known instance outside of China of the disease-transmitting between unrelated persons.

The man who contracted the virus is from Starnberg, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Munich, and is in a “medically good state,” according to the health authority.

The ministry released a statement saying he was under surveillance in an isolation ward and that the risk of infection for the people of Bavaria is currently considered to be “low.”

“People who have been in contact (with the patient) have been informed in detail about possible symptoms, hygiene measures, and transmission channels,” the statement added.

It also confirmed there would be a press conference regarding the issue on Tuesday morning.

The Bavarian case is the first known example outside of China of the infection spreading between people who are not closely related.

Health authorities said that the German man caught the infection from a Chinese person who had visited his company.

Approximately 50 cases have been recorded outside of China. Nearly all of the patients had recently returned from China. In a handful of international cases, the virus was passed between family members.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Twitter on Tuesday that Germany is in good shape to deal with the infection’s arrival.

“It was expected that the virus would come to Germany,” he wrote. “The case in Bavaria shows that we’re well prepared.”

Until Monday evening, only suspected cases had turned up in Germany. Some German states had responded by increasing security controls at airports.

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Spahn said the government has plans ready for how airports and hospitals should act in case of a pandemic.

The new virus, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and can cause a pneumonia-like acute respiratory infection, has so far killed at least 106 people and infected more than 4,500 others in China, while cases of the illness have also been reported across the globe.

Countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the US, France, and Australia have all confirmed patients who have contracted the disease.