(LEAD) S. Korea reports 3 more cases of novel coronavirus, total now at 15

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from para 3; CHANGES photo)

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Sunday reported three more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total here to 15, amid concerns over person-to-person transmission.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the 13th case involved a 28-year-old man who was one of the 368 Koreans that were brought back from the Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday.

The country's 14th case is a 40-year-old Chinese woman who is a family member of the Chinese man diagnosed with the new coronavirus strain here Saturday. The man worked as a tour guide in Japan and came in contact with a Japanese man who was also diagnosed with the infection. The Chinese man arrived in South Korea on Jan. 19, but he was symptom-free upon arrival.

The 15th case is a 43-year-old South Korean man who was in Wuhan, the epicenter of the current outbreak, and returned Jan. 20. Authorities said he is under observation.

Except for the 13th case, the 17 Koreans airlifted Friday and isolated for symptoms tested negative for the virus. They were sent to state-run facilities in the country for more observation.

The KCDC said it is tracking the movements of all new patients to determine where they were and whom they met, with information to be made public as soon as possible.

Seoul said that as of early Sunday, the new coronavirus has been reported in 26 countries and has affected over 14,500 people. It said the death toll stands at 304, with all fatalities occurring in China.

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