Israel reports first case of coronavirus

Israel Health Ministry on Friday reported the first case of the novel coronavirus, involving a woman who returned to the country a day before from cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off the coast of Japan.

Israel Health Ministry on Friday reported the first case of the novel coronavirus, involving a woman who returned to the country a day before from cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off the coast of Japan. "The passenger contracted the virus while in Japan, and only after returning to Israel was found to have the virus, yet is not currently exhibiting any symptoms of the disease," said Gili Regev Yochai, Director of the Infection Prevention Unit in the Health Ministry, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

The newly-infected passenger is the girlfriend of one of the infected passengers currently undergoing quarantine in Japan. A total of 11 people had returned to Israel from Diamond Princess -- a luxury ship quarantined off the coast of Japan on February 5 after it emerged that a former passenger had tested positive for the virus.

Coronavirus first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since then killed more than 2200 people in that country alone, while cases have been reported in several countries across the world, including India.