First coronavirus case confirmed in Sri Lanka as frightened students return from China

Sri Lanka has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, a senior Sri Lankan health official said on Monday. A Chinese female tourist in her 40s who had arrived on Jan. 19 and fell ill on Jan. 25 was confirmed as having the coronavirus following a test on Monday, a Sri Lankan official from the health ministry said.

The patient was being treated at the National Infectious Diseases hospital in Colombo. Sri Lanka has begun evacuating their citizens - especially its students from China. 65 Sri Lankans arrived on scheduled flights on Monday from cities that were not yes locked down by the powerful Chinese state and more were expected to arrive in the coming days.

Meanwhile the government has asked Chinese authorities to allow a special aircraft to land in order to evacuate more than three dozen students who are still in Wuhan.