Fewer new corona virus infections in China but cases surge elsewhere

China reported another fall in new coronavirus infections outside its epicentre on Sunday, but world health officials warned it was too early to make predictions about the outbreak as new cases and fears of contagion increased elsewhere.

The World Health Organisation said it was channelling efforts into helping to prepare vulnerable countries, including 13 in Africa with links to China, for a virus that has killed more than 2,400 people.

China confirmed 648 new infections — higher than a day earlier — but only 18 were outside Hubei province, the lowest number outside the epicentre since authorities started publishing data a month ago.

But new infections outside China continued to worry authorities, with South Korea on Sunday reporting a fourth death due to the virus and 123 new cases, bringing its total to 556, having doubled from Friday to Saturday.

Cases in Italy, Europe’s worst hit country, more than quadrupled to 79 on Saturday, with two deaths.

Japan confirmed 27 new cases on Saturday, while 10 new cases in Iran took the total to 29 there, and six deaths — all since Tuesday.

The WHO said it was most concerned about new infections that had no clear link to China.

The disease has spread to 28 countries and territories outside China, killing more than a dozen people, according to a Reuters tally. It has been fatal in 2% of reported cases, with a risk of death higher for older patients, and relatively few cases among children, according to the WHO.

The potential economic impact of the outbreak overshadowed a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Riyadh, at which the International Monetary Fund chief said disruption from coronavirus would likely lower China’s 2020 growth to 5.6%, down 0.4 percentage points from its January outlook, and shave 0.1 percentage points from global growth.

More than half the new cases in South Korea were linked to a church in Daegu, after a woman who attended services there tested positive for the virus.

Japan’s health minister apologised on Saturday after a woman who was allowed to leave the coronavirus-struck Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive. More than 600 cases have been reported aboard the vessel.

In Italy, schools and universities were closed and three Serie A soccer matches postponed in virus-hit Lombardy and Veneto.

Iran’s neighbours have taken measures to keep the virus at bay, including suspending flights to Iran and barring its nationals from entry. —

More than half the new cases in South Korea were linked to a church in Daegu