- Two of the new patients – an elderly couple, aged 72 and 73 – are from Wuhan, the mainland Chinese city where the outbreak began
- More than 100 people are still in isolation in Hong Kong, while two city residents have been confirmed as being infected in mainland China
A 48-hour respite from new coronavirus infections came to an end for Hong Kong on Wednesday, after three more patients tested positive for the potentially deadly illness, bringing the local total to 11.
According to the Department of Health, two of the new patients " an elderly couple, aged 72 and 73 " tested positive at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. Both are from Wuhan, the city in mainland China's Hubei province where the outbreak began.
The third case was reported later from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po, according to another source. It was not immediately apparent where the patient was from.
Announcing the news of the infected Wuhan couple, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said: "We have to wait for the results of one more test to confirm the cases."
The pair entered Hong Kong on January 22 on a Cathay Dragon flight, and were sent to hospital on the night of January 28, after spending time at a hotel.
"The woman had a fever when she was admitted to hospital, higher than 38 degrees Celsius," Chuang said, adding the man had his lungs scanned.
Meanwhile in Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong, authorities said two people from the city were infected with the coronavirus, along with three foreigners. There are more than 270 confirmed cases in the well-connected and economically important province, a number topped only by Hubei and Zhejiang.
Both Hongkongers had travelled to or lived in Hubei before, according to Chen Zhusheng, deputy head of the provincial health commission.
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One of them, who had been working in Wuhan for a long time, arrived in Foshan, Guangdong, on Jan 22. They felt unwell on 24, went to hospital and was put in isolation.
The other travelled to Hubei and arrived in Zhanjiang, another city in the province, on Jan 26. Their case was confirmed on 29.
Before Wednesday's new diagnoses in Hong Kong, the number of confirmed infections had stood at eight for two days.
Of the earlier confirmed cases, seven were deemed stable and one was in a serious condition.
On Wednesday, the Hospital Authority said there were 103 patients under isolation in public hospitals in Hong Kong, suspected of having been infected or having had close contact with a confirmed case.
Almost all patients under isolation were in a stable condition, it said.
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