Countries gear up response to new coronavirus

COUNTRIES in Asia and elsewhere have begun body temperature checks at airports, railway stations and along highways in hopes of catching people carrying a new coronavirus that is believed to have spread from Wuhan in central China and sickened more than 200 people in that country. The recent confirmation that the disease can spread between humans has heightened fears as millions of Chinese travel during the annual Lunar New Year holiday.

The measures are part of a widening effort aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, another coronoavirus that started in China and killed nearly 800 people, paralyzed transport and damaged Asian economies.

• JAPAN One case has been detected in Japan, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged officials to step up quarantine checks at airports and other entry points, with many visitors from China expected to arrive during the Lunar New Year holiday. The number of Chinese tourists has risen steadily in recent years, with more than 9 million visiting last year.

• AUSTRALIA Brendan Murphy, Australia’s chief medical officer, said flights from Wuhan are being met by biosecurity staff and by state health officials in New South Wales who are distributing pamphlets in English and Chinese to all passengers describing the symptoms of the disease and asking them to identify themselves if they have any. Australian health officials said a man was placed in isolation in Brisbane after developing a respiratory illness after traveling to Wuhan but has now recovered.

• UNITED STATES The US has begun screening passengers on flights from Wuhan arriving at John F Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International airport – the three major ports of entry to the US. Initial screenings are expected to involve around 5 000 passengers, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It says it has developed a test to diagnose the new coronavirus which it plans to share with domestic and international partners.

• HONG KONG The semi-autonomous Chinese city is one of the most popular destinations for mainland Chinese. Along with stepped-up surveillance, additional cleaning and disinfection measures have been ordered for planes and trains from Wuhan as well as for train stations and the airport. A lack of information and low levels of vigilance were blamed for Hong

Kong becoming the second-hardest hit area by SARS after mainland China. Officials are determined not to see a replay. Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung yesterday said authorities are ready for a worst-case scenario and are on extremely high alert.

• MAINLAND CHINA China’s often secretive Communist government was blamed for making SARS far worse by initially hiding information and blocking the work of the World Health Organization. This time, leader Xi Jinping has led calls for tough measures. At the airport in Wuhan, the temperatures of departing passengers were being checked.