China reports 17 new cases in viral pneumonia outbreak

Pedestrians wear protective masks as they walk through a shopping district in Tokyo Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Japan's government said Thursday a man treated for pneumonia after returning from China has tested positive for the new coronavirus identified as a possible cause of an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

READ: China Reports 4 More Cases In Viral Pneumonia Outbreak

Seventeen more people in central China have been diagnosed with a new form of viral pneumonia that has killed two patients and placed other countries on alert.

In total, 62 cases of the novel coronavirus have been identified in the city of Wuhan, where the virus appears to have originated. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reported the new cases Sunday. Nineteen of those individuals have been discharged from the hospital, while two men in their 60s one with severe preexisting conditions have died from the illness.

At least a half-dozen countries in Asia have started screening incoming airline passengers from central China. The list includes Thailand and Japan, which have together reported three cases of the disease in people who had come from Wuhan.

READ: Mara The Elephant To Leave Argentina For Brazil Sanctuary