Johor police chief Kamarudin Md Din told Berita Harian that the couple were arrested at 9.20pm.

“They were sent to the hospital to be quarantined,” he was quoted as saying.

A police report had been lodged by a doctor after the Chinese couple refused to obey a directive for their two-year-old to be quarantined.

It is understood that the couple didn’t want their child to be quarantined as they did not want to miss their flight back to China.

In his report, the doctor said the couple had insisted that their child only be prescribed with fever and cough medication.

Last night, the health ministry confirmed the fourth case in Malaysia of the new SARS-like virus.

All four victims are from China and are reported to be in stable condition.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped to 56 yesterday, with more than 1,400 people infected worldwide – the vast majority in China.