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MANILA - Health Secretary Francisco Duque said 2 of the foreigners who had traveled to the Philippines and eventually tested positive of the new coronavirus abroad likely caught the disease in another country.

The first case is a 38-year-old Taiwanese man who was in the Philippines from Feb. 28 to March 5. He experienced symptoms of the disease on March 2 and tested positive on March 5, after returning to Taiwan, said Duque.

"The onset of the symptoms on March 2 points to possible infection before the patient traveled to the Philippines," Duque said Friday.

The "incubation period" for COVID-19 -- the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms -- range from 1 to 14 days, most commonly around 5 days, according to the World Health Organization.

A second foreigner -- a 44-year-old Japanese man -- tested positive for the disease when he returned to his home country after his Feb. 21 to 28 stay in Metro Manila, said Duque.

However, the Japanese visited Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand -- which all have confirmed coronavirus cases -- before going to the Philippines, he noted.

"The extensive travel history of the patient suggests possible contraction of the disease in another country," said the Health chief.

An Australian woman who was in the Philippines from Feb. 13 to March 2 tested positive for COVID-19 on March 3, said Duque. The Philippines is still verifying other information on the patient, he said.

Globally, the virus has killed over 3,300 people and infected nearly 100,000 in some 85 nations.

The Philippines on Friday confirmed its fourth and fifth case of the novel coronavirus, including one that could be a potential case of local transmission.