(LEAD) S. Korea reports 2 more cases of novel coronavirus, total now at 18

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday confirmed two more cases of novel coronavirus infection, bringing the total to 18, with one of the latest cases involving a patient who had returned from Singapore.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the 17th patient is a 38-year-old South Korean man who recently visited Singapore for work and came into contact with a Malaysian who has since tested positive for the virus. He visited a clinic on Tuesday and was confirmed to have contracted the illness.

The 18th person is a 21-year-old Korean woman who is the daughter of the 16th patient and was in quarantine when she tested positive for the virus.

The public health agency said earlier that it has quarantined 129 people to test for the novel coronavirus and is checking 1,318 who came into contact with an infected person for signs of the illness.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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