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Health officials in Turkey's central province of Konya have cleared a Chinese tourist placed into quarantine over fears she had coronavirus, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Saturday.

A 46-year-old woman had checked into a Konya hospital, where she fainted after arriving with symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Hospital staff placed her into quarantine.

Health officials investigating the case have diagnosed her with vertigo, Anadolu said.

On Wednesday, Turkish airport authorities started using thermal cameras to scan passengers arriving from China as part of measures taken against the coronavirus outbreak.

Hong Kong declared on Saturday a state of emergency in response to growing concern over the spread of the never-before-seen coronavirus that first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The pneumonia-like disease has thus far claimed 40 lives and infected over 1,300 in China and abroad, according to China's National Health Commission.