No virus deaths in China for first time in weeks

CHINA HAS recorded no deaths from coronavirus in 24 hours for the first time in weeks.

The country where the global pandemic began has suffered 3,331 deaths and 81,740 cases of Covid-19. Numbers of daily new deaths have been hovering in the single digits for weeks, hitting just one on several occasions.

It began publishing daily figures in January. Authorities said in their daily update yesterday that there were 32 new cases, all of which were from people who had returned to China from overseas.

Another 12 suspected cases – also all imported – were being kept under observation, along with an additional 30 asymptomatic cases.

China now has 1,242 confirmed cases in treatment and 1,033 asymptomatic cases under isolation and monitoring.

The country continues to take strong measures in a bid to keep the virus at bay.

China and Russia have closed their land border and river port near Vladivostok following the discovery of 59 confirmed cases among Chinese citizens returning home via the crossing.

All Chinese citizens who arrive in the border region aboard Russian domestic flights will be have to undergo a 14-day quarantine, according to the website of the Chinese consulate in Vladivostok.

Only those holding special passes will then be permitted to travel on the Russian side of the border area, the notice said.

In addition, all guesthouses and nursing homes on the Russian side of the border area will also be closed to outsiders through June 1, the website said.

“Here, the consulate general

strongly recommends and reminds relevant Chinese citizens to fully take into consideration the above situation” and not seek to return to China through the border crossing, the notice said.

Hong Kong will continue to be closed to foreigners, extending the initial two-week entry restrictions on non-residents indefinitely.

Non-residents coming from overseas will be denied entry, and those coming from mainland China, Macao and Taiwan will be barred from entering if they have been overseas in the past 14 days.

More than 160 current and former global leaders are urging the world’s 20 major industrialised nations to approve £6.bn in funding to hasten the search for a vaccine, cure and treatment.

The letter also called for £28.5bn to support countries with weaker health systems, and £120bn for developing countries.