The new coronavirus appears to now be spreading much more rapidly outside China than within, and airports in hard-hit countries were ramping up screening of travellers.
– Mainland China reported 125 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 80,151. The death toll reached 2,943 as of end-Monday, up by 31 from the previous day.
– The global death toll exceeded 3,000, with the virus spreading to more than 60 countries. The virus broke out in Wuhan late last year and has since infected more than 89,000 people, mostly in China, according to a Reuters tally.
– Outside China, there are now more than 8,700 infected and over 125 deaths.
– Chinese authorities asked overseas Chinese to reconsider or minimize their travel plans as imported virus cases rise. Guangdong province and Shanghai said they would require travellers from virus-hit countries to be quarantined for two weeks.
– A report from Toronto said on Tuesday that Chinese social media platforms began censoring references to coronavirus and keywords critical of the government’s handling of the infection as early as December.
– Morocco, Andorra, Armenia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Indonesia and Ukraine confirmed their first cases.
– South Korea’s president declared war on the coronavirus on Tuesday, ordering additional hospital beds and more face masks to be made available as the number of cases rose by 974, taking total infections to 5,186, while total fatalities rose to 34.
– Australia will use a little-known biosecurity law to restrict the movements of people suspected of having the virus, its attorney-general said on Tuesday, as the country’s confirmed cases increased to 38.
ALSO READ: Air pollution ‘pandemic’ shortens lives by 3 years ― Study
– Six people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the virus, prompting health officials to plan new containment measures, ranging from possible school closings to temporary quarantine housing for mildly ill homeless patients.
– A man who lives in a New York suburb and works in Manhattan tested positive bringing the total confirmed cases in the state to two, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.
– Pakistan reported a new coronavirus case, bringing the total to five in the south Asian nation since last week, while neighbour India on Monday reported three more cases, including an Italian national.
– Germany’s confirmed cases rose to 188 on Tuesday from 157 on Monday afternoon, the Robert Koch Institute said.
– Iran, one of the worst-hit nations, reported infections rising to 2,336, with 77 deaths, including a senior official.
– Iran’s judiciary spokesman said on Tuesday that jailed British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is in good health after her husband said on Saturday he believed she had contracted the coronavirus in prison.
– Saudi Arabia restricted entry for Gulf citizens and residents on Tuesday, state news agency SPA reported.
– Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said on Tuesday passengers from 10 countries including India, Turkey and Egypt must produce certificates saying they are coronavirus free.
– The death toll in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 marks.
– French health authorities reported a fourth death on Tuesday, after 191 confirmed cases.
– Spain’s confirmed cases rose to around 150 on Tuesday from around 120 the day before, a health official said.
– The number of confirmed cases in Sweden has risen to 24, from 15 on Monday.
– Britain, which has 51 confirmed cases, unveiled a plan on Tuesday that includes possible school closures, home working and cancelling large-scale gatherings.
– Major concerts and events in the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled or postponed, and Qatar’s defence exhibition has been cancelled.
– The cost of insuring exposure to debt issued by Italy and China eased on Tuesday as hopes remained high that monetary policy action will help stem the economic consequences.
– A sharp rebound in world stock markets lost only a little steam on Tuesday despite a lack of any immediately gratifying measures after global policymakers pledged to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
(Reuters)
and then