Coronavirus latest news: first alleged case in SA, China’s death toll rises to 638

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, increasing tension, grief and fear have taken over the world. On her part, the central government of China, in the past weeks, has been doing everything possible to identify the root of the coronavirus cause and the best way to treat the disease. Out of the media view, the Chinese streets have become empty because of the coronavirus death toll, while more people have been sent to the hospital. Sad enough, many countries of the world have also confirmed cases of the virus in their country.

Following the coronavirus updates, experts are yet to identify the actual origin of the deadly virus. Many believe the virus might have originated from a food market in Wuhan, China. This is a market that sells illegal wildlife. Consequently, the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) was called to a few cases of pneumonia in Wuhan towards the end of December 2019. Meanwhile, the Chinese authority stated that there is a new virus in the first week of January 2020. While everyone is troubled, we also want to know how to avoid coronavirus in Africa.

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Updated 3:39 p.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• The death toll as a result of the coronavirus infection has risen to 780 in Hubei province. Also, there are 27,000 confirmed cases with over 20,000 patients hospitalized in the province and 1,154 in critical condition.

Updated 12:44 p.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• 30-year-old Odion Ighalo, unfortunately, will not be joining his teammates at the training camp in Spain because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said ”Because of the situation in China, we're not sure if he'd be allowed back into England if he leaves the country again, so he's staying here working with a personal coach, individual programme and his family then can settle in England as well."

Updated 10:39 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• An international team has been mobilised to investigate the coronavirus outbreak to China by the World Health Organization. The team leader is expected to leave for China on Monday or Tuesday, while other members would leave afterwards. However, it is not yet known whether officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would join them or not.

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Updated 6:12 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced the imposition of fourteen days quarantine for every traveler that arrives from mainland China. According to Lam, out of the 161 persons quarantined, 148 are isolated at home, eleven in hotels or two other provided facilities.

Updated 5:59 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• France Health Minister Agnes Buzyn has announced five new cases of the coronavirus infection in the country. The five people are reportedly British nationals, and among them is a child. So far, a total of eleven cases have been recorded.

Updated 5:39 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, described their experience as being in prison. The Japanese Ministry of Health confirmed three new cases of coronavirus, thereby bringing the case to 64. Passengers do not have freedom of movement, except in small groups under close supervision, which is not up to an hour daily.

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Updated 4:48 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• Seven new cases of Wuhan coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Thailand. Three out of them are citizens of the country, while the four others are Chinese. So far, thirty-two cases have been recorded in the country.

Updated 4:32 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• The US Embassy in Beijing has confirmed the first death of a US citizen due to the coronavirus infection. The victim died in a Wuhan hospital.

Updated 3:39 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• Two new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the United Arab Emirates inside the country. As reported by the official Emirates News Agency, the patients are Philippine and Chinese nationals. With this, seven cases of virs has been recorded in the country.

Updated 3:22 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• A seventeenth case of the Wuhan coronavirus has been confirmed in Taiwan.
• A Japanese man suspected to have contracted the coronavirus, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, died of pneumonia in a Wuhan hospital. This becomes the first reported case of death as a result of the virus in the county, if confirmed.

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Updated 3:01 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• Since close to two months when the coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China, almost all the Asian countries and territories have confirmed a case. However, it is still a wonder why North Korea is yet to record one.

Updated 2:36 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• While the Diamond Princes ship being quarantined in Japan is expected to last until, at least, February 19, three more passengers have been confirmed with the Wuhan coronavirus. This brings the total infected people onboard the ship to 64 people.

Updated 2:14 a.m SAST, February 8, 2020

• A total of 699 death cases have been recorded in Hubei province due to the coronaviraus outbreak. Also, 24,953 cases has been confirmed so far. Worldwide, the death toll has risen to 724, two out of which were outside mainland China.

Updated 6:12 p.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• The Norwegian Cruise Lines prohibit anyone holding Hong Kong, Macau, or Chinese passports on any of its ships. Based on the new policy, any passenger that has transited through airports or visited those three places within thirty days of their journey has also been banned from boarding.

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Updated 5:33 p.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• One of the scientists working on the development of a coronavirus vaccine has made it known that the time when the treatment would be available is in early 2021.

Updated 3:51 p.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Two patients infected with the coronavirus under treatment in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, according to the spokesman of AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center, have been discharged from the hospital. This is under the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance, as well as that of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Updated 1:32 p.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Hong Kong's medical workers, after voting not to extend their strike, have ended it after five days.

Updated 10:24 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• The government of Hong Kong has announced that any traveler coming from the mainland who refuses to undergo the mandatory quarantine emanating from coronavirus is likely to be imprisoned for six months. Also, at the moment, anyone who shows signs of respiratory infections, fevers, and pneumonia is counted as a suspect with the virus.

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Updated 9:48 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Singapore has confirmed three more cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 33. The victims have no links or travel history to China. However, they are receiving treatment in isolation.

Updated 9:32 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• A part of Copenhagen airport closed down Friday morning because an Asian woman, upon arrival, presented flu symptoms. According to local reports, terminal 5 was temporarily shut over fears of coronavirus.

Updated 9:02 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• A total of 636 people had died in mainland China due to the coronavirus, and two other people had died in both Hong Kong and the Philippines. So, globally, 638 had died.
• Also, in mainland China, 31,161 cases have been confirmed, while outside mainland China, 318 cases have been recorded, bringing the total cases to 31,479 globally.

Updated 8:48 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Hong Kong Airlines takes “vigorous measures” to survive, including cutting off hundreds of jobs as the coronavirus outbreak poses a “serious threat” to its business. In a statement released by the airline, operations would reduce from 82 to 30 sectors daily from February 11 to March. Also, flights to mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and other Asian destinations would be suspended.

Updated 8:35 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• For five days, thousands of Hong Kong's medical workers have been on strike based on a demand that the government take further emergency measures against the virus and also shut down all borders with mainland China.

Updated 8:19 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Amid fear and panic on the spread of the coronavirus to South Africa, among other African countries, two suspected cases of the coronavirus infected in Mzansi have been confirmed negative. This is according to the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Updated 7:35 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Asia's largest annual art fair, Art Basel, expected to come up in Hong Kong in mid-March, has been cancelled following the coronavirus outbreak.

Updated 6:24 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Two suspected cases of the coronavirus infection in Ghana have proved negative. This is based on the result of the test carried out on two men, an Argentine and a Chinese national, who were quarantined at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and confirmed by the Head of Disease Surveillance, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe.

Updated 4:35 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• A mining camp in Australia has been proposed as to where to quarantine patients suspected of having the Wuhan coronavirus. Aside from a campsite on Christmas Island already being used, the newly proposed site is located in Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory.

Updated 4:05 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Since the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus, 310 confirmed cases had been recorded outside mainland China in over 25 countries and territories. The places include Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Updated 3:27 a.m SAST, February 7, 2020

• Forty-one more cases of infections with the coronavirus have been recorded on the cruise ship currently docked and quarantined in Japan's Yokohama Bay. While this is the last batch of people to be tested on the ship, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, a total of 61 infected people are on board.

Updated 11:59 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• New cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Singapore and Taiwan. The Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan reported three new cases, bringing the total to 16, while Singapore confirmed two additional coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 30.

Updated 6:28 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• The Chinese whistleblower doctor who warned the public of the potential "SARS-like" disease in December 2019 had been confirmed dead of coronavirus in Wuhan. In a statement released by the Wuhan Central Hospital, “Our hospital's ophthalmologist Li Wenliang was unfortunately infected with coronavirus during his work in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. He died at 2:58 a.m. on Feb 7 after attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful.”

Updated 3:12 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• Qualified labs have started receiving coronavirus test kits from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The tests are capable of producing results in as little as four hours instead of waiting for confirmation from the CDC. The CDC Director Dr Robert R. Redfield noted that “Our goal is early detection of new cases and to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.” The move is also aimed at helping to "accelerate efforts to confront this evolving global public health challenge.”

Updated 2:54 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• More cases of the coronavirus infection have been discovered in Britain and Germany. So, while a total of three cases have been recorded in Britain, Germany has a total of thirteen cases.

Updated 1:54 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• Wuhan has built a second medical facility to treat coronavirus patients. According to Chinese state media:

It's official! Leishenshan, another newly built hospital specially designated to treat #coronavirus patients, officially opened on Thursday. It will provide 1,600 beds where about 2,000 medical staff can work to fight the disease.

Updated 1:24 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• Among 20 people confirmed with the Wuhan coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship currently being quarantined off Japan, three of them are from the US. They have been transported to local hospitals. The results of 171 tests are still in view.

Updated 8:44 p.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• While schools remain shut in Vietnam, two additional cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed, which brings it to a total of twelve cases. However, the two latest patients are in quarantine and a stable condition. Apart from that, out of the twelve cases, three people have been cleared and discharged from the hospital-based on a report made available by the state media.

Updated 6:43 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation increases the amount it spends to tackle coronavirus to $100 million. The fund is expected to be used for limiting the spread of the virus, find a vaccine, and also improve the detection and treatment of patients.

Updated 5:59 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• All flights to mainland China have been temporarily suspended by Dutch airline KLM, while Air France extends its suspension to Beijing and Shanghai because of the coronavirus outbreak. KLM hopes to resume flights to Shanghai and Beijing on March 16 on alternate days, and daily flights on March 29. Also, normal flight schedule for Air France resumes from March 29.

Updated 5:43 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• China has halved $ 75 billion worth of US imports. Goods that the country imposed tariffs last September will be affected by the latest development. Also, another 10% tariff rate that the country enacted on some goods would be reduced to 5%, while those with 5% will go down to 2.5%, according to the State Council Tariff Commission in China.

Updated 3:26 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• A travel advisory has been raised in Taiwan for travellers from Hong Kong and Macao. While residents from the two locations are required to quarantine themselves for fourteen days once they enter Taiwan, other foreigners who had been to Macao, Hong Kong and China in the last fourteen days would not be allowed to enter the country. Only foreign nationals with a Taiwan resident certificate would have the opportunity to, but then, they have to self-quarantine.

Updated 2:34 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• Two hundred and fifty-one citizens of Uzbekistan have been evacuated from China following the coronavirus outbreak in China. The national carrier Uzbekistan Airways took off from Beijing to Tashkent Airport in the Uzbekistani capital alongside its crew members and medical staff. This makes the third evacuation flight to and from China by the country.

Updated 2:05 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• With two more cases of coronavirus confirmed in Taiwan, it brings the total to thirteen. In a statement released by the Taiwan Ministry of Health, after seeking medical treatment, the patients are being quarantined and in stable condition.

Updated 1:11 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• In Wuhan, 30 hours old newborn have been confirmed positive with the coronavirus, which makes the baby the youngest infected person. The mother of the baby was also infected with the virus. It was assumed that infection could be a mother-infant transmission.

Updated 1:13 a.m SAST, February 6, 2020

• Ports have been shut to international cruise ships in Japan, which means they will no longer dock, based on a statement released by the Ministry of Health of the island. Since the outbreak of the virus, two cruise ships have been docked and quarantined in Hong Kong and Japan despite thousands of people on board. However, how long the ban would hold is not yet known.

Updated 6:12 p.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• Over a hundred students who claimed to have been to China within the last fourteen days have undergone assessment by university health officials. Based on the result, they are low-risk and so, they do not have to self-quarantine, although a few of them chose to opt for the self quarantining method.

Updated 2:00 p.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• A 31-year-old patient escaped from an Austrian hospital where she was to be tested for the coronavirus. After she left the University Clinic Salzburg around 3 a.m., police found her in her home at around 10 a.m. near the city.

Updated 12:01 p.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• The health officials of South Korea is set to discharge the first patient in the country as he reportedly recovers from the virus. The 55-year-old South Korean man was confirmed positive on January 24 after he flew from Wuhan on January 22. Despite the cough and sore throat symptoms that he developed then, he is said to be negative now after two coronavirus tests carried out on him.

Updated 10:20 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reports a man in Limpopo, South Africa, who is suspected of having contracted the coronavirus. Apart from his high fever, he has been placed in isolation for further indications as to whether he is truly infected or not.

Updated 10:05 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• In over 25 countries and territories outside mainland China, not less than 230 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been recorded. The countries include Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Updated 8:34 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• The third case of infection with the coronavirus has been confirmed in the Philippines. The 60 years old woman travelled in January from Wuhan through Hong Kong to Cebu city, according to the Department of Health.

Updated 8:16 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• A Japanese port has locked down a Princess Cruises ship while quarantining 3,700 people on board after a passenger who was infected spent days on the ship. While medical officials go from room to room to the temperature of each guest and the state of their health, ten people have tested positive.

Updated 8:06 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• A female worker in Binh Xuyen district in Vietnam has been confirmed to have contracted coronavirus, which makes ten cases so far. She reportedly developed a high fever after she went close to another infected person on January 31.
• In Vietnam, students in 56 localities and provinces will not return to classes as part of the precautionary measures put in place to avoid the spread of the virus.

Updated 7:39 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• Three cities in Hubei reportedly has more than 1,000 cases of the Wuhan coronavirus and lots of deaths. Xiaogan has 1,462 cases with 18 deaths, Huanggang has 1,645 cases with 25 death cases, while Wuhan has recorded 8,351 cases of the virus and 362 deaths.

Updated 6:26 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• After about one or two more US planes scheduled to evacuate the country's citizens from Wuhan this week, a State Department official has noted that no plane will fly to the country. According to the statement:

At this time, we do not anticipate staging additional flights beyond those planned to depart February 6. As stated in our February 2 Travel Advisory, US citizens currently in China should attempt to depart by commercial means.

Updated 6:10 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

British Nationals who can leave China have been recommended to do so by the British government. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, in a statement, said "to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus," UK citizens in China should leave.

Updated 5:06 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• Forty-one entertainment operations in Macao have been scheduled to suspend operations for the next fifteen days. Those affected include theatres, casinos, internet cafes, betting branches, dance halls, game centres, cinemas, nightclubs, bars and discos.

Updated 4:54 a.m SAST, February 5, 2020

• Two South Koreans have been confirmed to have contracted the virus, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). By implication, eighteen cases have been recorded so far.

Updated 11:12 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• Thirty-one people on board of the Diamond Princess cruise ship moored in Yokohama Bay were tested for the coronavirus, and ten of them were confirmed to be infected. Still, there are 100 other samples whose test results are in view.

Updated 4:32 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• With three more cases of coronavirus that have been confirmed in Japan, a total of 23 people have been affected so far.

Updated 3:21 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• Five hundred and fifty passengers are onboard the two additional evacuation flights that America sent to China. While one of the flights would go to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, the other would head to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

Updated 3:07 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• Health officials in Thailand have detected six other people who have been infected with the coronavirus, which brings the number of cases in the country to 25 so far. While two of the cases are Chinese nationals, the four others are Thai nationals.

Updated 2:22 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• The “Diamond Princess” cruise ship has been made to stay overnight at the Japanese port of Yokohama. This is because a former passenger has contracted the Wuhan coronavirus. According to the cruise company, “While on the ship he did not visit the ship’s medical centre to report any symptoms or illness. The hospital reports that he is in stable condition, and the family members travelling with him remain symptom-free.”

Updated 2:12 p.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• Two Japanese airlines have either suspended or reduced the number of flights to mainland China. Japan Airlines said movement within three Japanese cities (Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo) and four cities in China (Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing) would reduce. Also, the second airline, Nippon Airways, will suspend flights between Narita and Beijing until March 29 from February 10.

Updated 3:12 a.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• Another six cases of the coronavirus spread have been confirmed in Singapore, including transmission from human to human. This makes it twenty-four affected people so far.

Updated 2:42 a.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• On Tuesday, Hong Kong confirmed two more cases of the coronavirus, which makes a total of seventeen cases reported so far. The report shows that neither the victims nor their family members have travelled to mainland China.
• Apart from that, Malaysia has recorded 10 cases of the coronavirus so far.

Updated 1:28 a.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• The first case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Belgium. The affected person was part of the nine citizens that were rescued from Wuhan the previous weekend. After testing all the nine people at the Neder-Over-Heembeek military hospital, only one person was confirmed to have the virus.

Updated 12:28 a.m SAST, February 4, 2020

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan has placed restrictions on foreign nationals who have been to China from entering their country. The decision was reached as part of the nation's plan to guard public health while controlling how people enter into Taiwan. Consequently, whosoever has been to China within the last fourteen days has been encouraged to self isolate themselves and monitor their health from home.

Updated 3:00 p.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Hundreds of thousands of face masks have been shipped by the Vatican to Zhejiang, Hubei and Fujian provinces of China as a means of curbing the spread of coronavirus due to contamination.

Updated 3:00 p.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• About 52 Guanajuato students studying in different cities in China are expected to return to Mexico latest by February 5. 18 people in the first group returned on Saturday, while 11 others landed on Sunday. In the next two weeks, there would be contacts with the returned students, in line with the World Health Organization protocols, in case they show any symptoms.

Updated 1:45 p.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Foreign nationals with coronavirus are likely to be deported from Russia, according to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. This is based on federal law in TASS, which permits them to deport anybody whose presence can threaten public health.

Updated 12:54 p.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• 56 Italians have been repatriated from Wuhan. As of the time the flight landed in Pratica di Mare military airport, no symptoms of coronavirus have shown on anyone in the group. But then, they have been scheduled for quarantine for fourteen days on the outskirts of Italy's capital in a military compound.

Updated 12:34 p.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• The G7 nation is set to have a joint telephone conference focused on dealing with the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Updated 11:00 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• The government of Maldives, while taking precautionary measures against the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, has announced that passengers who come from mainland China will not be allowed to enter. The new measure remains operational until further notice.

Updated 8:55 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• A total of six cases of coronavirus have been recorded in California, making eleven cases of the virus recorded in the United States so far.

Updated 8:43 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• The image of the flag of the People's Republic of China was lit in the tallest building in the world, known as Dubai's Burj Khalifa. This move was to support as China works out a plan to contain the Wuhan coronavirus. A common refrain in the Chinese language meaning "keep going" was displayed on the building.

Updated 8:35 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Fifty-nine students have been evacuated by the Myanmar government amid the coronavirus outbreak. The students who arrived yesterday are under the Public Health Department in Mandalay where they are being quarantined. However, as reported by The Global New Light, the state newspaper, four students were left behind.
• The reason for this is that two had high fevers and required medical attention, one was outside the province, and the last person did not meet immigration rules.

Updated 8:23 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• The United States has sent another flight to evacuate US citizens in the epicentre of the outbreak, which was delayed. The first was sent last Wednesday, and it evacuated about 200 citizens, including diplomats and their families.

Updated 7:55 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Going by the fast spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, so far, outside mainland China, 27 countries and territories have confirmed the presence of the virus. However, only one person had been killed by the virus outside mainland China since.

Updated 7:15 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Considering the total number of deaths recorded from Wuhan coronavirus and the SARS outbreak in 2003, more people had died from coronavirus than the latter. While 349 people died from SARS in mainland China, the National Health Commission (NHC) of China reported that 361 had died as of the end of day on Sunday.

Updated 7:05 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• A five-day strike vote had been conducted and concluded on by thousands of Hong Kong public medical staff to convince the government to close the border with mainland China. Although Carrie Lam, the city's leader, had earlier announced that some of the borders that lead to the mainland would be closed temporarily, medical staff insist that any visitor from the mainland should be denied entrance.

Updated 6:45 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Considering the temporary travel bans on visitors put in place by New Zealand and Australia, they are likely to affect Chinese students who are returning from summer vacation. Unfortunately, there are more international students who are Chinese nationals in both countries compared to those from other countries.

Updated 6:25 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• From Global Affairs Canada, the officials of the country have received departure assistance totalling 325 because of the Wuhan coronavirus from China's Hubei province. At the moment, 543 Canadians that have done the voluntary Registration of Canadians Abroad service are in Hubei.

Updated 5:47 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Not less than 17,205 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in mainland China, according to the National Health Commission of the country. At the same time, as of Sunday, a total of 361 lives have been lost to the virus.

Updated 4:47 a.m. SAST, February 3, 2020

• Thailand doctors claim to have treated a Wuhan coronavirus patient successfully by combining different antiviral drugs. According to a Rajavithi Hospital doctor, Dr Kriangsak Atipornwanich, he contended that combining medications used in treating flu and HIV helped in proferring solution.

Updated 5:18 p.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• Two more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Germany, according to German Health Minister Jens Spahn. This makes ten cases recorded so far in the country.
• In the same vein, a 72-year-old woman has also been confirmed infected, which brings the total number of infected people in the city to 15, Hong Kong's health department stated.

Updated 3:22 p.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• A new 1,000-bed hospital has been built in days to treat coronavirus patients. From Monday, 1,400 military medical personnel will start in the Huoshenshan hospital. Apart from that, another Leishenshen hospital is also under construction, which will start functioning from February 5.

Updated 1:46 p.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• This first death case from coronavirus has been announced in the Philippines. The 44 years Chinese man died on Saturday.

Updated 6:25 a.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• Defense Secretary Mark Esper has approved military housing for up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined as they arrive in the US from abroad. The facility can house not less than 250 people in each room until February 29. Any US citizen who has been in Hubei province of China or other parts of mainland China in the last 14 days will mandatorily undergo the quarantining process for close monitoring.

Updated 6: 13 a.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have cancelled more flights flying between the United States and China. Starting from Sunday, Delta will maintain this till, at least, April 30. Other airlines that have either reduced or completely cut flights to China include British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Air Asia, Qantas, Finnair, Air India, and IndiGo.

Updated 5:30 a.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• A total of fifteen people have, according to the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), have been confirmed infected with coronavirus in the country.

Updated 5:15 a.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• As at Saturday, the National Health Commission of China reported that 304 people had died in mainland China from coronavirus. By implication, a total of 14,380 had died so far.

Updated 4:36 a.m. SAST, February 2, 2020

• All 42 Apple stores in China have been temporarily closed down because of the coronavirus outbreak until February 9. According to the corporation, "Out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts, we're closing all our corporate offices, stores and contact centres in mainland China through February 9."

Updated 2:42 p.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• A student at the University of York in northern England has been confirmed to have the novel coronavirus among the two family members who were tested positive. At the moment, a Newcastle hospital is treating them.

Updated 2:38 p.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• Some Sri Lankan students have been evacuated from Wuhan, where the deadly coronavirus started from in China, according to a tweet by SriLankan Airlines.

Updated 11:49 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• All marriage license registrations in Hubei Province, where Wuhan city is located, have been suspended and is expected to take effect from February 3. This is part of the drastic measures that the province is putting in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Updated 11:41 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• Australia denies travellers who have gone through mainland China or who are coming from there entry. However, according to Scott Morrison, the Australian Prime Minister, the only set of people who would be considered an entry into the country are "Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family, and aircrews who have been using appropriate protective equipment."

Updated 8:04 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• With the fast widespread of the coronavirus, there is continued pressure on the organisers of the Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia's largest art fair, to either cancel or postpone the March event. Before the outbreak of the virus, the ongoing pro-democracy protests in the city was a major reason given for its stoppage.

Updated 6:39 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• Bustling areas in major cities like Beijing in China are becoming virtually empty as the virus spreads across the country. At the same time, employees have been told to work from home, while schools are on suspension, and many retail outlets are closed in Hong Kong.

Updated 4:27 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• In one of Spain's Canary Islands chain, according to the National Health Ministry of the country, someone in La Gomera has been diagnosed with Wuhan coronavirus. In the released statement, the person is part of the five people spotted together with an infected person in Germany. The twenty-one affected Spanish citizens, so far, are being quarantined in a Madrid hospital.

Updated 4:10 a.m. SAST, February 1, 2020

• The National Health Commission of China, on Saturday, reported that on Friday, the total number of novel coronavirus cases jumped by 2, 102 in mainland China. By implication, 11, 791 cases have been recorded so far nationwide, together with 259 deaths.

Updated 7:32 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• The first case of coronavirus in Sweden has been confirmed. Sweden’s Public Health Authority said it involves a lady living in Jönköping county that has returned from the Wuhan area of China.

Updated 7:00 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• 241 patients in 36 states have been listed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the coronavirus infection. 114 of them tested negative, six were positive. The other 121 patients are still under investigation. There are two cases each in California and Illinois. Another one was reported in Arizona and one in Washington state.
• CDC announced on Thursday that the first case of the transmission of the virus from person to person is the sixth affected person in the United States.

Updated 6:57 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• Fears about the coronavirus epidemic have an impact on the stock market and other economic institutions. It has brought the Dow over 400 points downward. Many investors are nervous as a break down in China might result in a damaging effect all over the world.

Updated 6:15 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• Because of the present incidents of the Wuhan coronavirus, Delta Airlines said they have resolved to suspend all flights from the 6th of February through the 30th of April from the US to China. From the 31st of January to the 5th of February, flights will be available to enable customers who wish to leave China to do so.
• The final available flight leaving the US to China will be on Monday, the 3rd of February while the last return flight to the US from China will be on the 5th of February. Delta said they would continuously monitor the situation, and there is a possibility of making some adjustments as the situation changes.

Updated 4:40 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, since the spread of the deadly coronavirus across the world, not less than sixty-two countries have put immigration control in place on Chinese citizens. While five countries have implemented restrictive measures on whosoever is coming from Hubei or anyone that has travelled to the province recently, six countries have made visa rules tight for Chinese citizens.
• Also, four other countries now ensure that no Chinese citizen gains access to their countries. The Ministry also noted that Chinese citizens in forty-seven countries had been asked to go through temperature checks, and after then, the health declarations must be signed.

Updated 4:39 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• After showing symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus, a woman among the 180 French nationals that were evacuated by plane from China, according to France’s Health Minister Agnes Buzyn, has been taken to hospital.
• Buzyn also noted that there are enough psychologists and nurses at the resort around Marseille, which is where they are quarantining the French citizens for the next fourteen days.

Updated 4:30 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• The first two patients to be confirmed with coronavirus in England have been transferred to a specialist infection unit in Newcastle, based on what the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK tweeted. British nationals that were transported from Wuhan by air are being transferred to the National Health Service accommodation facility. For the next fourteen days, they will be quarantined.

• While in quarantine, a team of specialist medical staff will access the patients under a close monitor. At the same time, a regular assessment would be carried out to detect symptoms as a precaution. The government, according to reports, would provide fully furnished rooms, toys, and games for children, Wifi, food, and laundry facilities to ensure their comfort.

Updated 4:19 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• Visas have been suspended for China, while those who travel to mainland China recently have been banned, according to the Singaporean Ministry of Health. By implication, any visitor who went to mainland China in the last fourteen days cannot enter or transit through the Asian city-state.
• More so, the Ministry says that multiple and short term visas have been suspended for any traveller who is from the People’s Republic of China. The essence of that is to restrict the spread of the virus in the country since there are thirteen cases confirmed so far.

Updated 3:04 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• TASS news agency reported that Russain authorities confirmed her first two cases of the coronavirus. The two individuals are Chinese citizens. The first patient is receiving treatment in the Zabaikalsky region that shares a border with China. The second case was detected in the Tyumen region in Western Siberia, as TASS reported.

Updated 2:47 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• There were three new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Japan according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. Before now, there were fourteen cases.

Updated 2:41 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• The Italian cabinet has declared a state of emergency in the country. This came a day after two Chinese tourists were detected of having the coronavirus. Giuseppe Conte Italian Prime Minister announced on Thursday evening at a press conference. Consequently, flights to and from China have suspended by the Italian authority.

Updated 2:09 p.m. SAST, January 31, 2020

• Coronavirus is negatively affecting Thailand’s tourism sector. Mr Yuttasak Supasorn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor, confirmed to CNN that about 80% of all flight schedules from China to Thailand between February to April were cancelled. At the moment, the Thai economy has lost approximately $3 million. Based on the SARS experience, he thinks that it will take about 4 to 5 months to recover from the loss.

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Source: Briefly News