Coronavirus spreads to more countries: All the latest updates
The United Kingdom has confirmed its first two cases of the new coronavirus, a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency.
At least 213 have died in China, as more countries announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.
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Beijing said there are nearly 10,000 people confirmed to have the infection, which has spread from Wuhan’s Hubei province to every one of China’s 31 provinces.
Another 102,000 people were also reportedly under medical observation with possible symptoms of the respiratory ailment.
Updates for January 31 have concluded. For February 1st updates click here:
Friday, January 31
State Department organising more flights from Wuhan
The US State Department is working with US and Chinese agencies to organise additional flights for US citizens to return to the United States from Wuhan, a State Department official said.
The State Department official said “as space is available, seating will be offered to US citizens on a reimbursable basis, to leave from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to the United States. All travelers will be screened for symptoms at the airport prior to departure”.
Iraq’s Basra airport to deny entry to travellers from China
Iraq’s Basra International Airport will deny entry to passengers of any nationality travelling to Iraq from China, the state news agency reported.
Cyprus treats first suspected case of coronavirus
Cyprus said it was treating its first suspected case of coronavirus after a man arrived from China showing signs of the illness.
A statement by the Mediterranean island’s Ministry of Health said: “A Chinese citizen residing in Cyprus who had visited China in the past few days presented symptoms similar to that of the coronavirus.”
Authorities in the European Union member state said all protocols were followed for dealing with coronavirus and the man was hospitalised in the capital Nicosia.
“The possibility of influenza A was ruled out after conducting the relevant examinations,” the ministry said.
The ministry said it would “further investigate” the incident over the following days while the patient is kept in hospital for treatment.
US announces 14-day quarantine on 195 virus evacuees
The US issued a rare federal quarantine order of 14 days for 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan.
It came after one of the individuals tried to leave the California military base where the repatriated citizens landed on a chartered flight on Wednesday, and is the first directive of its kind in over 50 years.
“This legal order is part of an aggressive public health response, the goal of which is to prevent as much as possible community spread of this novel virus in the United States,” said Nancy Messonnier, a senior official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Our goal today, tomorrow and always continues to be the safety of the American public,” she added. “We would rather be remembered for overreacting than underreacting.”
El Salvador and Costa Rica take ‘prudent’ measures
El Salvador has announced blanket restrictions on people who have recently been in China.
Costa Rican officials said they will monitor transit points such as airports, but for now, will allow Chinese travellers to enter the country.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador describes the move as “prudent”.
Two more employees of German car supplier get coronavirus
German car parts supplier Webasto said that two more of its employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, making a total of seven who have contracted it.
One of the employees is German in Germany, while the other is Chinese in Shanghai. Both are in hospital undergoing treatment, Webasto said.
China orders 200 million masks from Turkey
China has put in orders for a total of 200 million protective face masks from Turkish medical firms over the past 10 days.
Fatih Arpaci, a stakeholder in a medical firm based in Turkey’s western province, told Anadolu Agency that as a “surprising” turnout of events, Chinese firms ordered a total of 200 million face masks in one go.
“It is surprising to us as China is one of the biggest face mask producers in the world. Turkey produces a total of 150 million face masks in one year. But they wanted 200 million face masks,” he said.
“Demands keep coming not only from China, but also from other countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Germany. We work 24 hours a day to meet this demand. We also work on Sundays,” Arpaci said.
Guatemala restricts entry from China
Guatemala’s government is imposing blanket travel restrictions on people who have recently been in China, President Alejandro Giammattei said.
Anybody who had been in China in the previous 15 days would be prevented from entering the South American country’s ports, airports and land crossings, Giammattei said.
“The purpose is to shield Guatemala from coronavirus,” Giammattei, a trained doctor, told reporters after visiting a public hospital.
Giammattei said that crews on ships arriving in Guatemalan ports that have been in China during the previous 15 days would not be allowed to enter. Any crew member that did enter would immediately be quarantined, he said.
Pasteur Institute eyes coronavirus vaccine in 2021
France’s Pasteur Institute Foundation said it had set up a taskforce aimed at developing a vaccine against the coronavirus in 20 months.
Christophe D’Enfert, a scientific director with the Pasteur Institute, told reporters in Paris the vaccine could be made available in 20 months if “all goes well”.
“At the end of August, we could enter clinical trials and, provided all goes well, obtain a vaccine candidate within 20 months.”
Pakistan offers to send field hospital to China
Pakistan has offered to send a field hospital to China as well as a group of doctors to help with a new virus outbreak.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Qureshi made the offer in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
On his part, Wang assured Qureshi that the Pakistani students in China were being treated “like our own”, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry’s statement.
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Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Tightens Controls as Death Toll Passes 250
Here’s what you need to know:
- U.S. temporarily bars foreigners who’ve recently been to China.
- More than 250 people have died, with nearly 12,000 infections confirmed.
- A Chinese doctor who called the virus ‘controllable’ regrets his words.
- A view of the epicenter from a New York Times reporter.
- Travel constraints could disrupt operations at the United Nations.
- California health officials cast a wary eye.
The Trump administration is imposing temporary travel restrictions that bar entry into the United States by any foreign national who has traveled to China in the past 14 days, officials said on Friday.
The restrictions, a reaction to the coronavirus that has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization, will be put into place at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The United States on Friday also declared the coronavirus, which has sickened nearly 12,000 people and has spread to the United States and 21 other countries, a public heath emergency.
Friday’s action exempts immediate family members of American citizens and permanent residents.
In addition, officials said, any United States citizen returning home who has been in the Hubei province of China within the past 14 days — believed to be the virus’s incubation period — will be quarantined for up to 14 days. Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is in Hubei.
Those who have been to other parts of China within the past 14 days will be subject to “proactive entry screening” and up to 14 days of monitoring and self-quarantine.
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Cases of Wuhan coronavirus continue to rise rapidly as US bans travel from China.
ong Kong (CNN)The number of confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus is nearing 12,000, as the epidemic continues to spread worldwide, sparking travel bans and outbreaks of ugly anti-Chinese xenophobia.
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