China facing ‘big test’ with coronavirus: Xi

CHINA’S leader said Sunday the new coronavirus epidemic is the communist country’s largest-ever public health emergency, but other nations were also increasingly under pressure from the deadly outbreak’s relentless global march.

Italy and Iran began introducing the sort of containment measures previously seen only in China, which has put tens of millions of people under lockdown in Hubei province, the outbreak’s epicentre.

Italy reported a third death while cases spiked and the country’s Venice carnival closed early.

Iran’s confirmed death toll rose to eight, prompting travel bans from neighbouring countries.

The virus has so far killed more than 2,400 people, with about 80,000 infected globally, though China remains by far the worst hit.

President Xi Jinping said the epidemic was the

“largest public health emergency” since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.

“This is a crisis for us and it is a big test,” he said during remarks carried by state television.

In a rare admission, at a meeting to coordinate the fight against the virus, Xi added that China must learn from “obvious shortcomings exposed” during its response.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Beijing for its handling of the epidemic, but China has been criticized at home for silencing early warnings from a whistleblower doctor who later died from the virus.

South Korea said it was raising its alert to the highest level, after the number of infections nearly tripled over the weekend to 602.

The country now has the most infections outside of China, apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan.

South Korea reported three deaths on Sunday, taking the countrywide fatality toll to five. The Yonhap news agency later reported a sixth death.

Around half of South Korea’s cases have been linked to the Shincheonji

Church of Jesus sect in the southern city of Daegu, where thousands of members have been quarantined or asked to stay at home.

Italy’s cases spiked to 152 on Sunday, including three deaths.

Virus panic crept onto catwalks, leading to the cancellation of some runway shows at Milan Fashion Week. Others were held behind closed doors and livestreamed.