Coronavirus death toll crosses 100-mark
WHO raises risk assessment of novel coronavirus to ‘high’
BEIJING : At least 106 people have now died from the ongoing novel Coronavirus outbreak in China, with 24 new deaths reported from the central Chinese province of Hubei overnight.
The World Health Organization raised its risk assessment of the virus at global level from ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ in its daily report as 4,535 cases were confirmed in China with 43 cases reported outside China.
The national health commission (NHC) said 976 patients remained in critical condition, and 6,973 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the end of Monday.
“Monday saw that 1,771 new confirmed cases, 2,077 new suspected cases and 26 deaths - 24 in Hubei Province, one in Beijing and one in Hainan Province.
Also on Monday, 515 patients became seriously ill and nine people were discharged from hospital after recovery,” the official update said. A staggering 44,132 others across China are under medical observation.
More than 50 million people across China have been affected by partial or full lockdowns in Chinese cities as the country’s government steps up its response.
“The epidemic is a demon, and we cannot let this demon hide,” President Xi Jingping said in a meeting with the visiting head of the WHO.
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, is virtually quarantined with inbound and outbound traffic suspended in an effort to contain the virulent virus. More than 50 confirmed cases in 13 countries have been reported so far. EU citizens will be flown out of Wuhan on board two French planes this week, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The US embassy in Beijing said a chartered plane would take its consulate staff away on Wednesday. Japan sent a chartered plane to evacuate citizens from Wuhan.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Xi met in Beijing to discuss how to protect Chinese and foreigners in areas affected by the virus and “possible” evacuation alternatives, a WHO spokesman said.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – considered a world standard - raised its travel precautions for China on Monday to its highest of three levels: “Warning”.
“This means travellers are advised to “avoid non-essential travel” to the country.”
China itself is scrambling to contain the virus by putting in travel restrictions especially as hundreds of millions prepare to begin their return journey home at the end of the Lunar New Year holidays. Besides the temporary closures of public venues such as tourist sites, museums and cinemas and cancellations of gatherings, transport restrictions have been imposed in various areas as the country is still in its Spring Festival travel rush period.