Passengers with protective masks wait at the departure area, following confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in Manila, Philippines February 5, 2020. (Photo/Agencies)
The first novel coronavirus patient in the Philippines has been discharged from the hospital after testing negative for the virus, the country's Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said Monday.
"The first case has already tested negative twice, and has, in fact, been discharged on Saturday," Domingo told a news conference, noting that negative results from two consecutive tests are needed before a patient is discharged.
The patient, a 38-year-old Chinese woman from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on Jan. 21.
The patient was admitted to a government hospital on Jan. 25 after experiencing a mild cough, and her 44-year-old male travel companion, who tested positive for the virus, died on Feb. 1.
Currently, more than 300 people are under investigation for possible novel coronavirus infection in the Philippines, Domingo added.
There are three confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection in the country as of Monday noon, with the third case being a 60-year-old Chinese woman, who has already returned to China.
