Authorities in southern Germany confirm 1st case of new virus from China

The Health Ministry in the southern state of Bavaria has confirmed Germany’s first case of the new coronavirus which emerged in central China. Officials said late Monday that the man from Starnberg, south of Munich, is “in a clinically good condition.”

They said the man is being medically monitored and isolated, AP reports. Persons who were in close contact with the man are being informed about possible symptoms and hygiene measures. The ministry added that it considers the risk to the general population in Bavaria to be “low.”

Germany is the second European country to report a confirmed case of the virus. Authorities in France confirmed three cases in recent days, all were Chinese citizens who recently returned from travels there.

It was not immediately clear whether the Bavarian case involved recent travel to China. The new type of coronavirus has infected thousands of people in China.