All travellers entering Vietnam from China must fill out health declaration forms at Vietnam's border gates from Saturday as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (Photo: VNA)

More than 1,300 people have been infected globally with a virus traced to a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife. The number of confirmed cases in China stands at 1,287, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

The virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taiwan, Nepal, Malaysia, France, the United States. and Australia. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new coronavirus an “emergency in China” this week but stopped short of declaring it of international concern.

No new case had been detected in Vietnam by Friday. Authorities in the central city of Da Nang has confirmed that none  of the 218 tourists from China’s Wuhan who arrived in Da Nang on Wednesday has developed a pneumonia symptom. The Chinese visitors are scheduled to leave Vietnam on Monday. 

“All visitors must go through body temperature scanners and no sign of the novel virus has been detected. We are closely monitoring the situation,” said Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism.

Two Chinese citizens in Vietnam were tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday and quarantined at Cho Ray hospital in HCM city. These are the first cases of individuals infected with the virus Vietnam has confirmed since the disease spread from Wuhan city last December.