BANGKOK, Feb. 26 (Bangkok Post) - Thailand has confirmed three more novel coronavirus cases, taking the country’s total to 40, and authorities say the country will step up efforts to contain the disease.

One of the new cases has a history of travel to Hokkaido in Japan but didn’t report symptoms until three days after they developed, Permanent Health Secretary Sukhum Karnchanapimai said in a briefing Wednesday. The management of B.Care Medical Center in Bangkok said the man was admitted to the hospital with a cough and fever but denied travelling overseas.

At the same time, there’s no widespread community transmission of the disease in Thailand yet, Dr Sukhum said.

The outbreak of the disease known as Covid-19 has hurt Thailand’s tourism-reliant economy and sparked a slump in the country’s stock market and its currency.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at the same briefing that Covid-19 has been classified as a dangerous communicable disease. Under the change, anybody with suspect symptoms after visiting a high-risk country must report to the authorities within three hours.

In an earlier Facebook post, Mr Anutin said Thailand has detected more suspected cases and groups at risk of contracting the disease, as well as infections from travellers returning home after visiting high-risk countries.

“Those who are planning to travel abroad in this period, if it’s possible to avoid that, please avoid it,” Mr Anutin said. “We are entering a full war with Covid-19.”

Returning travellers must report where they went to disease control officers stationed at airports, he said in the Facebook post , adding people shouldn’t conceal symptoms as that could cause the virus to spread.