The deadly novel coronavirus has so far spread to at least 16 countries, including Germany, Australia and United States. China has reported an increase in fatalities and infections as the virus has claimed more than 100 lives, with the number of cases soaring overnight.
More than 4,500 cases have been reported in 16 countries and territories. Chinese authorities said the virus isn’t yet under control despite aggressive steps to limit movement for millions of people who live in cities near the center of the outbreak.
Governments, global companies and international health organizations rushed to contain the spread of a SARS-like coronavirus. As containment efforts intensify, the likelihood of the virus disrupting global businesses and the world’s second-largest economy appears to be growing. China has extended the Lunar New Year holiday, while companies are shutting stores and evacuating workers. More than 50 million people remain effectively locked down by travel restrictions in Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Anxiety is growing amid evidence that the disease has an incubation period of as long as two weeks before those infected start to show signs of the illness. That raises the possibility that people who are carrying the virus but don’t show symptoms could infect others.
Here are the latest developments:
India asks its citizens not to panic over coronavirus
Indian Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that there is nothing to panic as novel coronavirus has not been detected in India yet.
Speaking to ANI, the minister said that the government is in continuous talks with the Chinese government to bring back around 500 Indian nationals stuck in the neighbouring country.
"I request all people of the country not to panic as novel coronavirus has not come to India. We are cautioned and making all proactive preventive measures to keep our people safe. Anybody who is showing slight symptoms of flu is being kept under isolation. This does not mean that they are a case of coronavirus. These are just suspected ones and should be quarantined for some time for medical care. We are sending all suspected cases to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for testing. And so far all the results have come negative," he said.
Goldman asks its staff with mainland China exposure to avoid office
Goldman Sachs has instructed staff who have been in mainland China to work from home or be out of the office for 14 days since they were last there, according to an internal notice.
Goldman also instructed staff who have been in close contact with someone who has been in mainland China in the past 14 days to work from home or out of the office for two weeks from when the contact was first made, reported Reuters.
Japan sends plane to China to evacuate citizens
Japan sent a first plane to the Chinese city of Wuhan to evacuate its citizens from the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak, a foreign ministry official said.
The plane left around 1100 GMT, the official confirmed and was expected to return to Tokyo on Wednesday morning carrying several hundred Japanese nationals.
Around 200 people are expected to be on board the first flight, of around 650 Japanese nationals in the area who have expressed an interest in being repatriated.
Health officials will be aboard the plane to monitor passengers during the return flight but there are no plans to quarantine those arriving from Wuhan.
South Korea plans to evacuate is citizens on Thursday and Friday
South Korea says it plans to send chartered planes to China on Thursday and Friday to bring home some 700 South Koreans who wish to return home from Wuhan, the city at the center of a new coronavirus outbreak.
Lee Tae-ho, South Korea’s second vice minister of foreign affairs, said Tuesday that the dates of the flights could change depending on consultations with the Chinese government.
Thailand says 6 more people tested positive for the virus
Thailand’s Public Health ministry says six more people have tested positive for the new virus, raising to 14 the number of cases in the country.
Sukhum Kanjanapimai, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said Tuesday all six cases are Chinese tourists from Hubei province who entered Thailand several days ago. They are from Wuhan, which is the epicenter of the viral outbreak.
The new cases are two women and four men age 6 to 60. Five of the six new cases are family members.
Germany confirms its first case of the new virus
Germany has confirmed its first case of the new virus that has infected thousands of people in China.
The health ministry in the southern state of Bavaria said late Monday that the man from Starnberg, south of Munich, is “in a clinically good condition."
Officials said the man is being medically isolated and people who were in close contact with him are being informed about possible symptoms and hygiene measures.
WeWork, Starbucks shut doors as infections spread
Starbucks Corp. and office-sharing company WeWork are shutting locations in China, while Facebook, Nissan Motor and other companies enact measures to shield employees in areas hardest hit by a deadly viral outbreak.
WeWork is temporarily closing 55 offices across China and encouraging employees to work from home or in private rooms, it said in a statement Tuesday. Facebook employees based in China, and those who recently returned from trips to the country, are also being told to work from home, people familiar with the matter said.
Apple’s supply chain is at risk of being disrupted. Virtually all of the world’s iPhones are made in China by contract manufacturers, and the company had been increasing production to meet higher-than-anticipated demand.
Taiwan advises against all China travel, releases mask stocks
Taiwan raised its travel warning for China on Tuesday saying that people should avoid going unless absolutely necessary amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus there, and said it had begun to release stocks of face masks but would limit purchases.
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre said it had raised its previous advice and would extend to the rest of China an existing warning not to go to Hubei province unless totally necessary, though Hong Kong and Macau are excluded.
Taiwan also has rolled out strict curbs on Chinese visitors, restricting a vast majority of them.
Last week Taiwan's government announced a one-month ban on the export of specialist masks designed to be used for medical personnel, saying it had to look after the needs of its own people first.
Hong Kong suspends some rail, ferry links with mainland China to curb virus spread
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced plans today to suspend high-speed rail and ferry links with mainland China as the global financial hub scrambles to limit the spread of a new coronavirus.
High-speed rail services will be suspended from midnight on Thursday, Lam said, adding that the number of flights to mainland China would also be halved and personal travel permits for mainland Chinese to the city would be suspended.
Indian nationals asked to submit passport details to Beijing embassy
India has asked its nationals to submit their passport details to the country's embassy in Beijing, following reports that many of them were trapped in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has been placed under a lockdown.
On social media, the Indian embassy in Beijing noted that some nationals were not in possession of their passports as they submitted them to the Chinese authorities for visa extension, work permit or other reasons.
All the Indian nationals presently in Hubei province and not in personal possession of their passports, have been requested to intimate the embassy with details such as name, passport number, etc.
They have also been asked to inform the embassy about the Chinese authority to whom they submitted their passport, along with the date of submission. The details are to be sent to an official of the embassy at WeChat ID, sondhi_0808, it added.
India keeps plane ready to evacuate citizens from China
Indian government is preparing to evacuate citizens from China following the Coronavirus outbreak, foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said. "We have begun the process to prepare for evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of Corona-2019 virus outbreak in Hubei Province, China," Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.
"Our Embassy of India in Beijing is working out the logistics & is in touch with the Chinese govt. authorities and our nationals on this matter. We will continue to share updates," Raveesh Kumar further said.
We have begun the process to prepare for evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of nCorona-2019 virus outbreak in Hubei Province, China. (1/2)
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First Indian coronavirus patient in China shows signs of recovery
The first Indian to have diagnosed with Novel coronavirus by a hospital in China, Preeti Maheshwari, has started showing signs of recovery, her cousin Pratibha Maheshwari shared about her health conditions on Tuesday on social media.
Preeti Maheshwari, a primary Art School Teacher in an international School of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China and a mother of two daughters, is suffering from coronavirus Pneumonia, Type 1 respiratory failure, Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS) and septic shock. She was admitted on January 11. Preeti is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at Shekou Hospital in Shenzhen. 41-Year-old Preeti moved to China in 2017 for better career opportunity.
Indian govt sets up 24X7 helpline number
The government has set up a 24X7 helpline number to attend to queries about the novel coronavirus (nCov) as number of cases rose across the world. "A 24X7 call centre is active for responding to queries on ncov2020. Anyone seeking information can call on the number 011-23978046," the Union ministry of health said in a tweet.
"If you seek any help, you may call to know details about District and State surveillance officers and in case any clinical query connect with Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Officer," the tweet read.
A 24*7 Call Centre is active for responding to queries on #ncov2020. Please make note of this number.@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @MoCA_GoI @AAI_Official @PIB_India @DDNewslive @shipmin_india @PIBHomeAffairs
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Facebook restricts employee travel to China on Coronavirus concern
Facebook Inc. started restricting employee travel to China as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread across the world’s most populous country, according to people familiar with the decision.
The limits, which went into effect Monday, halt non-essential travel to China by all Facebook employees. If workers have to visit the country, they need specific approval. Facebook staff based in China, and those who recently returned from trips to the country, are also being told to work from home, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private communications. The company declined to comment.
Japan to send charter flight to Wuhan to bring citizens home as Coronavirus spreads
Japan's government will send a chartered flight to Wuhan, the epicentre of a virus outbreak in China, on Tuesday night to evacuate its nationals wishing to return home.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters the flight can carry around 200 passengers, but added about 650 Japanese citizens are hoping to come back to Japan.
Sri Lanka confirms first case of coronavirus
Sri Lankan government today confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country.
"A Chinese lady, who is in her 40s, arrived on the 19th as a tourist and fell ill on the 25th and was confirmed as having the coronavirus following a test on Monday," Sudath Samaraweera, the chief epidemiologist with Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health, told Reuters, adding that this marks the first confirmed case in the island nation.
Trump offers any help China needed to control the outbreak
US President Donald Trump offered any help China needed to control the virus outbreak which has also left tens of millions stranded during the Lunar New Year, the biggest Chinese holiday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had not recorded any new confirmed cases of a new coronavirus overnight since its last update of five, and said as many as 110 potential cases were under investigation.
Of the investigated cases across 26 states, 32 people had tested negative, the CDC said.
China's capital Beijing reports first virus death
China's capital Beijing today recorded its first death from a deadly coronavirus as it struggles to contain a rapidly spreading disease that has sparked global alarm, with countries scrambling to evacuate their citizens from the epicentre of the epidemic.
The death in Beijing raises the death toll from the new virus to 82, with more than 2,835 people infected across the nation and cases found in more than a dozen other countries.
Stocks tumble around the world on Virus jitters
Stocks slumped and bonds rallied as concern over the impact of a deadly virus that originated in China rattled global markets.
The S&P 500 Index slid the most in almost four months, with energy and tech companies leading losses. A gauge of US equity volatility surged above its one-year average. The Dow Jones Industrial Average almost erased its advance for the year. China-exposed US names Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Nvidia Corp. plunged more than 4% and airlines sank. European shares fell as much as 2.4%.
WHO says global risk of China virus is 'high'
The World Health Organization (WHO) today said the global risk from the deadly virus in China was "high", admitting an error in its previous reports that said it was "moderate".
The UN health body said in a situation report published late Sunday that the risk was "very high in China, high at the regional level and high at the global level."
In a footnote, the WHO said there had been an "error" in previous communications published on Thursday, Friday and Saturday which "incorrectly" said the global risk was "moderate".
China financial markets closed until next Monday on virus upheaval
China’s financial markets will remain closed until next Monday after authorities extended the Lunar New Year break by three days as they grapple with the worsening virus crisis.
Stocks and futures trading, as well as interbank markets for bonds and currencies, will resume on 3 February, according to people familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified. The Shanghai Stock Exchange wasn’t immediately available to comment.
While onshore markets will be closed all week, traders are finding alternative ways to express their China concerns. Futures on the FTSE China A50 Index sank as much as 5.9% in Singapore on Monday, and extended declines in after-hours trading. The offshore yuan fell 0.8%, trading weaker than its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
MNCs evacuating workers, curtailing operations
Global companies including Honda Motor Co. and Groupe PSA are evacuating workers from areas of China hardest hit by a deadly viral outbreak. Theme park operators, retailers and restaurant chains are suspending or curtailing operations to protect workers and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The moves by companies highlight Wuhan’s importance as a manufacturing, shipping and business hub. The central Chinese city has more than 500 factories and other facilities, placing it 13th among 2,000 Chinese cities in Bloomberg’s supply chain database. It’s the capital of Hubei province, which has 1,016 such facilities, making it seventh of 32 such jurisdictions.
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