Malaysian health authorities on Tuesday confirmed the first citizen to be infected with the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 10.

They said the 41-year-old Malaysian had travelled to Singapore for a meeting last month with colleagues from China - including one from Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. But he only showed symptoms on Jan. 29, nearly a week after he returned to Malaysia.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said lab results on Feb. 3 confirmed that the man, along with a 63-year-old man from Wuhan who had been under observation, had contracted the virus.