First human transmission of Chinese virus reported in Germany

Germany has reported its first human transmission of coronavirus in Europe, which means that the man who contracted the deadly virus had not been to Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the infection.

The German man tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. It's believed to be the first human transmission case in Europe.

The man, who is now recovering in an isolation ward in a Bavarian hospital, contracted the virus from a work colleague at a car parts supplier in Stockdorf in Bavaria. 

The man, 33, attended a training session at his workplace, at Webasto, an electric car technology and auto supply company, where a Chinese colleague was delivering a presentation. The colleague eventually returned to China and sought medical attention in the past week, where it was confirmed that she had caught the virus.

The Webasto company said in a statement that it had halted all business travel to and from China "for at least the next two weeks."

Officials in Germany are checking 40 people that the German man and his colleague had been in contact with in recent days.

In the UK, from the 73 tests that have been carried out, all were confirmed negative and 0 positive. 

Other countries, like Japan, reported human transmissions as well. 

Infections in China exceeded 4,500 as Hong Kong and other areas are preventing travelling and halting itineraries. The number of known cases of the new virus increased by nearly 60% overnight as China's healthcare system faces overwhelming pressure to keep up.