FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany on Friday confirmed a seventh case of coronavirus, identifying the victim as a man who works at a company in Bavaria where five other workers had earlier tested positive.
Earlier on Friday, authorities identified the sixth victim as the child of a male employee at the same company, car parts supplier Webasto.
“Thus, there are currently a total of seven known coronavirus cases in Bavaria,” the Bavarian Health Ministry said in a statement.
Details would be announced on Saturday, the statement said.
Originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the flu-like virus first identified earlier in January has resulted in 213 deaths in China. More than 9,800 people have been infected in China and more than 130 cases reported in at least 25 other countries and regions.
Webasto [WEBA.UL] said earlier on Friday that two more of its employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Webasto began disclosing the illnesses of the other workers this week in what was one of the first cases of person-to-person transmission outside China.
One of the newly-diagnosed employees was German and in Germany, while the other is Chinese and in Shanghai. Both were being treated in hospital, Webasto said.
All seven, five Germans and two Chinese, had taken part in various long meetings at Webasto headquarters in Stockdorf, Bavaria, the firm said. The Bavarian ministry later said the number of cases in Germany had risen to seven – including the child.
“A round of testing for employees took place there on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,” the ministry said of the company. “Of 128 results now available, 127 were negative.”
On Monday, the company first announced that a Chinese employee from Shanghai had tested positive for the virus upon return to China following a visit to company headquarters. Other illnesses in Germany were disclosed during the course of the week.
Webasto’s headquarters will remain closed through Monday.
Webasto, which has 11 locations in China, including in Wuhan has banned corporate travel to and from China.
Reporting by Tom Sims and Paul Carrel; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Grant McCool
Source: Reuters.com
