Deadliest day for virus outbreak
Chinese President visits hospital in Chaoyang district of Beijing
BEIJING : In the deadliest day in China so far for the Coronavirus outbreak, 97 people have died by Sunday midnight, raising the toll to 908 as infections soared to 40,171, health officials said on Monday.
The World Health Organization said the spread of cases with no history of travel to China could be “the spark that becomes a bigger fire” as people across China trickled back to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there has been some concerning instances of the virus spreading abroad from people with no travel history to China.
This , he said, may indicate more widespread transmission in other countries. “In short, we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
WHO has sent another inspection team for in-depth exchanges between experts of the two sides on the epidemic situation, and prevention and control efforts, besides providing suggestions, a National Health Commission spokesperson said.
More than 300 cases have been reported globally in at least 25 countries. As of Monday, 27 foreigners in China were diagnosed with the virus, with two deaths, according to Chinese foreign ministry.
State media reported on Monday that China has allocated 71.85 billion yuan (about $10.3 bn) of fiscal funds to support the control of the outbreak.
China appreciated India’s support as New Delhi is set to send consignments of protective clothing, including masks.
“We thank and appreciate India’s support for China’s fight against the NCP. India’s acts of goodwill fully demonstrate its friendship with China. We stand ready to work with India and other members of the international community to jointly tackle, fight the epidemic and safeguard regional global public health security,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang.
President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance since the outbreak on Monday, inspecting the Beijing Ditan Hospital, a designated institution treating the coronavirus pneumonia.
The incubation period for people infected with the virus could reach up to 24 days, said an academic paper published by renowned Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan.
Previously, the longest incubation period was believed to be 14 days.
WUHAN AIMS TO TEST ALL SUSPECTED CASES
Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak, has not been able to confirm all existing suspected cases despite a rush to speed up testing, the city’s Communist Party Secretary said on Monday.
Ma Guoqiang said the Wuhan government would, however, aim to test all suspected cases by Tuesday. There have been growing complaints that many patients in the city of 11 million have not been tested or admitted for full-time treatment due to the pressure on medical resources.
Ma added that 1,499 patients in critical conditions who were not admitted for treatment before February 8 have now been hospitalised.
65 MORE CASES ON CRUISE SHIP IN JAPAN
Passenger tests aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan confirmed at least 65 more cases of coronavirus on Monday, as some passengers took to social media to warn against depression over their confinement.
The figure takes the tally on board to 135, showing a rapid rise in the outbreak on the ship docked in the port of Yokohama. Among the new 65 cases are 45 Japanese and 11 Americans.
BRITAIN DECLARES ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ Britain on Monday said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had doubled to eight as the government declared the virus a serious and imminent threat, giving it additional powers to isolate those suspected of being infected.
The new cases in England were all known contacts of a previously confirmed British patient in France, and were identified by public health officials working to trace possible cases.
Health minister Matt Hancock declared the virus “a serious and imminent threat to public health” to give doctors more powers to isolate people. Four more patients have tested positive, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to eight.
The new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed British case.