Hundreds leave Wuhan as confirmed cases in China reach almost 6,000 and first cases reported in Middle East
Japan and the US have airlifted hundreds of their citizens from Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, as officials in China said the death toll from the disease had risen sharply overnight to 132, with nearly 1,500 new cases in the country, bringing the total number of people diagnosed to nearly 6,000.
A government-chartered plane carrying 206 Japanese nationals arrived in Tokyo from Wuhan on Wednesday morning. Two showed symptoms of pneumonia following scans, but a coronavirus diagnosis has not been confirmed, hospital representatives said. Two more have been admitted to hospital. Seven others with symptoms such as coughs and fever will undergo tests.
Related: Coronavirus live updates: US and Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China – latest news
What is the virus causing illness in Wuhan?
The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine.
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