The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced it will transfer or release all of its missionaries out of two Chinese cities amid concerns over a new virus that originated in the country.
The Deseret News reported Tuesday that there are 125 missionaries combined in Hong Kong and Macau.
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The Tuesday announcement came before Hong Kong reported its first death Wednesday because of the virus. Health officials say the outbreak has killed 490 people in China and infected more than 24,500 people globally.
A church spokesman says the church is taking precautions to protect the 67,000 missionaries serving worldwide.