Wakayama Prefecture said Tuesday three more people have been confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus, raising the total number of known cases in the western Japan prefecture to 12.

One of the three is an inpatient in his 60s at Saiseikai Arida Hospital in the Wakayama town of Yuasa, western Japan. Several people with links to the hospital have tested positive for the virus.

The other two are a son of an infected doctor at the hospital, as well as a nurse in his 30s who worked as a member of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team on the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship off Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.

On Saturday, the Wakayama prefectural government said that three more people related to a local hospital have been confirmed infected with the new coronavirus.

In-hospital infection is "possible," Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka said.

One is a doctor in his 50s working at Saiseikai Arida Hospital in the Wakayama town of Yuasa, western Japan. Among those related to the hospital, a surgeon in his 50s was confirmed infected with the virus originating in China's Wuhan on Thursday.

The other two are the wife in her 50s of the doctor whose infection has just been confirmed and an inpatient at the hospital in his 60s.

All three are hospitalized. None of them are in serious condition.

According to prefectural government officials, the doctor whose infection has just been confirmed began to show symptoms, such as fever and coughing, Feb. 4.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia Monday and tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus Friday. He worked at the hospital on five occasions between Feb. 4 and Monday.

His wife developed a slight fever Feb. 7 and was confirmed infected Friday.

The man in his 60s visited the hospital for his surgical illness on Jan. 28 and 31. On the final day of January, he met the surgeon.

On Feb. 8, he was admitted into the hospital's surgical ward. He displayed symptoms including coughing and lassitude around that time. After being diagnosed with pneumonia Monday, he tested positive Saturday.

According to Osaka prefectural government and other sources, the surgeon also worked once a week at a Saiseikai hospital in Sennan in the neighboring Osaka Prefecture.

He worked at the hospital Feb. 6, though he had a slight fever.

Osaka Prefecture conducted a test on a hospital staff member who had contact with the surgeon and was suffering coughing. The staffer tested negative.

The surgeon also had contact with 11 other people at the hospital, including patients. But none of them have shown symptoms.

At the Wakayama Prefecture hospital, a patient in his 70s was confirmed infected after the discovery of the surgeon's case. Following Saturday's announcement, the total number of infections among people related to the hospital rose to five.

JIJI Press