Ben McAdams and Mario Diaz-Balart became the first members of Congress to
test positive for the Covid-19.
The office of Congressman Ben
McAdams, a Utah Democrat, said on March 18 that he had tested positive for the
virus.
The representative said he developed
“mild cold-like symptoms” after returning from Washington DC on March
14.
Ben McAdams said he immediately
self-isolated at home, but “my symptoms got worse and I developed a fever,
a dry cough and labored breathing”.
According to the statement, his
doctor referred him on March 17 for a Covid-19 test, which came back positive
on March 18.
Ben McAdams, 45, said he would remain in self-quarantine until he had
recovered.
Mario Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, also announced on March 18 that he
had tested positive for coronavirus.
The 58-year-old tweeted from self-quarantine at his flat in Washington DC: “I’m feeling much better. However, it’s
important that everyone take this seriously.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has vowed the
US will achieve “total victory” over the coronavirus, describing himself
as a “wartime president”.
At a White House press conference, the president was asked by a reporter
whether he considered the country to be on a war footing in terms of fighting
the virus.
He said: “It’s a war.
“I view it as a, in a sense, a
wartime president.”
President Trump spoke as he revived a Korean War-era measure allowing the US
to ramp up production of vital medical supplies.
According to estimates, the US has more than 9,300 cases of Covid-19 and has
seen 150 deaths so far.
Globally there are some 220,000 confirmed cases and over 8,800 deaths.
President Trump has been holding daily briefings on the emergency this week
after being accused of playing down the outbreak in its early stages.
He said: “We must sacrifice
together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through
together. It’s the invisible enemy. That’s always the toughest enemy.
“But we are going to defeat the
invisible enemy. I think we are going to do it even faster than we thought, and
it’ll be a complete victory. It’ll be a total victory.”
President Trump announced he was signing the 1950 Defense Production Act,
which empowers the president to direct civilian businesses to help meet orders
for products necessary for national security.
However, the president said later on Twitter that he would only invoke the
measure “in a worst case scenario in the future”.
President Trump also described as an “absolute, total worst case
scenario” a warning by his Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, that the
pandemic could send US unemployment rocketing to 20%.
He said two US Navy hospitals ships would be pressed into service to help
alleviate an expected shortage of sick beds.
The USNS Comfort is expected to be sent to New York Harbor, though defense
officials said it is currently undergoing maintenance in Virginia.
The other vessel, USNS Mercy, is being prepared to deploy to a location on
the West Coast.
During the press conference,
President Trump again rejected suggestions that his use of the term
“Chinese virus” to describe Covid-19 was racist.
The US-Canada border, the world’s
longest, was effectively closed, except for essential travel and commerce.
President Trump also announced a new
crackdown on immigrants or asylum seekers crossing the US-Mexico border.
The president said his administration would invoke a statute that allows people to be blocked in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
All 50 states in the US have been
hit by the deadly coronavirus as West Virginia reported its first case of the
infection on March 17.
Announcing the state’s first
Covid-19 patient, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said: “We knew this was coming.”
So far, there are 108 deaths in the
US from coronavirus and more than 6,300 confirmed cases nationwide.
Globally, there are 217,325 cases and
8,917 people have died as of March 18.
As the Trump administration seeks a $1
trillion stimulus package, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly warned
Republican senators privately on March 17 that if Congress failed to act, US
unemployment could hit 20% – almost double the jobless rate during the Great
Recession after the 2008 financial crisis.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would decide within two days whether to
order the city’s 8.5 million residents to “shelter in place”.
Such a move could largely confine people to their homes, while allowing them
to make necessary trips to buy groceries or medicine, walk a dog or exercise as
long as they avoid public interaction.
The mayor said: “It’s a very,
very difficult decision.
“We’ve never been here before. I
have never heard of anything like this in the history of New York City.”
However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested he would reject such a
plan.
Meanwhile, officials in the San Francisco Bay area have already ordered 6.7 million residents to stay home for all but the most crucial outings until April 7.
Governments from around the world have asked people to stay at home to help preventing and slowing down the spread of coronavirus.
Self-isolating means cutting
yourself off from the rest of the world.
From now on, if one person in a
household starts to display flu-like symptoms – defined as a fever of above 100F
(37.8C) or a persistent cough – everyone living there must stay at home for 14
days.
The person with the symptoms should stay in a well-ventilated room with a
window that can be opened, and keep away from other people in the home.
They should ask for help for groceries, other shopping or medication, which
can be dropped off on the doorstep by friends, family or delivery drivers.
The Covid-19 disease can cause a fever, cough and breathing problems. It
takes five days on average for people to start showing the symptoms.
What if someone self-isolating shares a home?
If someone is self-isolating and shares a kitchen, they should try to avoid
using it when other people are there and take meals back to their room to eat.
Clean all the surfaces at home with household cleaning products daily.
Although they might not be able to entirely separate themselves from family
members or flat-mates, the advice is to limit contact as much as possible.
If possible, stay at least 6ft from other people they live with and sleep
alone. Keep away from vulnerable people.
People living with someone in isolation should wash their hands often, using
soap and water for at least 20 seconds – especially after coming into contact
with them.
Other people shouldn’t share towels, toiletries or other household items
with someone in isolation, who should have a separate bathroom. If that is not
possible, the isolated person should use the bathroom last, cleaning it
thoroughly afterwards if they are able.
Any rubbish that the isolated person has been in contact with should be double-bagged and kept.
According to recent reports, the first human
trial of a vaccine to protect against pandemic coronavirus is starting in the
US on March 16.
Forty five healthy volunteers will have the jab, at the Kaiser Permanente
research facility, in Seattle.
According to experts, the vaccine cannot cause Covid-19 but contains a
harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease.
It will still take many months to know if this vaccine, or others also in
research, will work, experts say.
Scientists around the world are fast-tracking research.
This first human trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health,
sidesteps a check that would normally be conducted – making sure the vaccine
can trigger an immune response in animals.
However, the biotechnology company behind the work, Moderna Therapeutics, says the vaccine has been made using a tried and tested process.
France has ordered the closure of all
non-essential places used by the public from March 14 midnight as the
coronavirus outbreak spreads.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the number of people in intensive care
was growing and earlier guidelines for the public were being ignored.
The measure applies to restaurants,
cafes, cinemas and nightclubs as well as non-essential businesses.
It would not, the prime minister
said, affect essential businesses which he listed as food shops, chemists,
banks, tobacco shops and petrol stations.
Edouard Philippe also asked people
to reduce their travel, especially between towns.
“The best way to slow down the epidemic is social
distancing,” he said.
“I say this gravely – we must all together show greater
discipline in the application of these measures,” the prime minister added.
However, local elections due on
March 15 would also still go ahead, he said. Religious buildings would remain
open but gatherings and ceremonies should be postponed.
France reported a sharp rise in
cases on March 14, from 3,661 to 4,499. It recorded 12 more deaths, bringing
the toll to 79.
Meanwhile, Spain has confirmed a 15-day lockdown as part of emergency
measures.
There will also be a reduction in
medium-distance rail traffic to stem the spread of people around the country,
and economic measures to support businesses and workers.
After a lengthy meeting of the
country’s government cabinet, Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez said a partial lockdown
would be in place across the country, with the armed forces on standby to
assist with relief efforts.
All stores will be forced to close,
except for those selling food and other basic necessities.
Pedro Sánchez said the state of
emergency could be extended with congressional approval.
Authorities recorded 1,800 more
cases since March 13 – many in the capital Madrid.
This will be the second state of
emergency in the country since the transition to democracy began in 1975, the
first being a 2010 air traffic controllers’ strike.
With 191 deaths and 6,046 infections, Spain is the worst-hit European
country after Italy.
Rome declared a nationwide lockdown on March 16. More than 1,440 people have
died in Italy.
Meanwhile, the US is extending its
European coronavirus travel ban to include the UK and Republic of Ireland. The
ban will begin at midnight EST on March 16, VP Mike Pence announced.
On March 13, the World Health
Organization (WHO) said Europe was now the “epicenter” of the pandemic.
The WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilization and social distancing to save lives.
President Donald Trump has declared a national
emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of COVID-19.
The move allows the federal government to tap up to $50 billion in emergency
relief funds.
It loosens regulations on the provision of healthcare and could speed up
testing – the slow pace of which has been criticized widely.
There are 1,701 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US, and 41 deaths.
Several states have taken measures to stem the infections rate, including
banning large gatherings, sporting events and closing schools.
The new coronavirus originated in China last December, but Europe is now the
“epicenter” of the global pandemic, the head of the World Health
Organization (WHO) said on March 13, as several European countries reported
steep rises in infections and deaths.
Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet – 250 over the past 24 hours,
taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall.
The Trump administration has come
under recent scrutiny over its failure to provide Americans with widespread
coronavirus testing.
The decision on the state of
emergency was announced by President Trump in a live address from the White
House Rose Garden.
The “next eight weeks are
critical,” President Trump said.
What are the measures envisaged as part of the emergency
response?
The US Health Secretary Alex Azar
and health officials can waive certain laws and license requirements, giving
more flexibility to healthcare providers.
Hospitals have been asked to
activate their emergency preparedness plans.
Up to 500,000 additional coronavirus
tests will be available by early next week, though authorities are not
recommending tests without clear need; private labs and vaccine developers will
be able to provide five million coronavirus tests within the month, though
authorities are not recommending tests for those without symptoms.
Interest on all student loans is to
be waived until further notice as a measure to ease the burden for students as
universities and colleges across the country shut their doors.
Democrats in Congress and heavily-affected
states had been urging President Trump to issue the order, which will also
allow more people to qualify for government health insurance.
Urged again to explain why he hasn’t
taken a coronavirus test following reports that he has been in the company of
people who have tested positive recently, President Trump said he had no
symptoms and there was no need for a test. But he added that he was likely to
have one “fairly soon”, anyway.
President Trump’s travel ban on 26 European countries, which was met with
anger and confusion this week, will go into effect on March 13 at midnight EDT.
The 1988 Stafford Act gives the president alone the ability to direct the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to co-ordinate a national response
to “natural catastrophes” within the US.
There are currently more than 30 national emergencies in effect.
President Trump has declared several national emergencies in his presidency, including one last year to redirect military funds to build a southern border wall to prevent illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump has announced travel
restrictions on 26 European countries in a bid to combat the spread of the
coronavirus.
The travel ban applies to travelers from countries which are members of the
Schengen border-free travel area.
The UK, Ireland and other non-Schengen countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Croatia and
Romania) are unaffected. US citizens are also exempt.
The European Union condemned the measures, which it said were taken
“unilaterally and without consultation”.
The new rules go into effect on March 13 at midnight EDT and mark a major
escalation from President Trump, who has been accused of inaction over
coronavirus.
There are 1,135 confirmed cases of the virus across the US, with 38 deaths
so far.
President Trump said: “This is
the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in
modern history.”
Justifying the travel restrictions, Donald Trump accused the EU of failing
to take “the same precautions” as the US in fighting the virus.
The president’s speech said all travel from Europe would be suspended but a
presidential proclamation later said it would only apply to anyone who had been
in the EU’s Schengen border-free area in the 14 days before their arrival in
the US.
President Trump also said the suspension would also apply to cargo coming
from Europe into the US. He later tweeted to say that trade would “in no
way be affected”.
The speech included plans to provide billions of dollars in loans to small
businesses and the president urged Congress to free up more funds.
He said for most Americans the risk was “very, very low” adding
“no nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United
States”.
In its response, the EU said the coronavirus was “a global crisis, not
limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral
action.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council
President Charles Michel said in a statement: “The EU disapproves of the fact that the US decision to impose a
travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.”
Senior Democrats said it was “alarming” that President Trump did
not address a shortage of coronavirus testing kits in the US.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in
a statement: “The best way to help
keep the American people safe and ensure their economic security is for the
president to focus on fighting the spread of the coronavirus itself.”
On the travel ban, Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown
University, tweeted: “Most of Europe
is as safe as US. This will have no impact on US … germs don’t respect
borders.”
Concern over the coronavirus outbreak rose after a number of new cases were
confirmed earlier this month.
Containment efforts have begun in earnest. Troops have been deployed to New
Rochelle, just north of NYC, where one outbreak is believed to have originated.
The National Guard will deliver food to some individuals who have been told
to self-isolate there.
The governor of Washington state has
also banned large gatherings in several counties. The north-western state is
the focal point of the outbreak in the US, accounting for 24 of at least 38
deaths across the country.
In an unprecedented move, the NBA
announced that it would suspend the season after the March 11 games. The
decision came after one player for the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, told Congress that the outbreak is “going to get worse”,
and that depended on the ability to contain those infected.
High medical costs make the virus particularly problematic – many Americans
avoid visiting their doctor because of unaffordable charges. A lack of paid
sick leave is another concern, as are fears about the number of available
tests.
Vice-President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the task force co-ordinating the response to the crisis, has said that “any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders”, and that insurers had promised to offset the charges.
Tom Hanks has revealed that he and wife Rita
Wilson have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Australia.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, both 63, sought medical advice after experiencing
the symptoms of a cold in Queensland, the actor wrote on Instagram.
The Hollywood star and his wife are now isolated in stable condition at an
Australian hospital, officials said.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were on the Gold Coast as the actor made a film
about Elvis Presley.
Their diagnosis came shortly after the WHO officially declared the
coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic.
Tom Hanks wrote on Instagram: “We
felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills
that came and went. Slight fevers too.
“To play things right, as is needed
in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to
be positive.”
Tom Hanks, whose films include Forrest
Gump and Saving Private Ryan,
said he and his wife would keep the world “posted and updated”.
“We Hanks’ will be tested,
observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not
much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?”
In 2013, Tom Hanks revealed he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the
more common form.
Work on Tom Hanks’ latest, untitled
movie has been temporarily suspended.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said: “All the people who were on set have
gone home and self-quarantined.”
The studio behind the film, Warner Bros, said it was “working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone” who may have come into direct contact with Tom Hanks.
In an effort to halt the coronavirus spread, India
has announced that all visas, barring a select few categories, will be
suspended for a month.
Visa free travel afforded to overseas citizens of the country has also been
suspended until April 15.
The move is expected to impact tourism, hotel and aviation industries in
what will be more bad news for the slowing economy.
According to the health ministry, India has 73 confirmed cases of the virus.
This number is expected to grow in coming days, as the results for tests
conducted earlier become available.
The advisory, issued on March 11, says that only diplomatic, official,
employment and project visas will be exempt from the current restrictions,
which take effect on March 13 and will be reviewed again in a month.
However, it has said that even those allowed in could be subject to 14 days
of quarantine and has warned against “non-essential travel”.
The health ministry says India was among the first countries in the world to
prepare for an outbreak of the respiratory illness.
However, there are concerns about whether India will be fully equipped to
prevent and treat an outbreak.
Officials in the southern state of Karnataka have invoked the provisions of
a 123-year-old legislation to ensure that patients suspected to have shown
symptoms of Covid-19 do not run away from being treated at hospitals or violate
home quarantine norms.
The provision that has been invoked under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897
says that any person or organization or institution that violates the
regulations will be prosecuted.
Karnataka was prompted to enact the legislation after a passenger from
Dubai, who was tested at the Mangalore airport and was found to have mild
fever, ran away from a government hospital where he was taken for observation.
The travel restrictions are also expected to badly hit several key sectors
of India’s economy.
India’s leading domestic airline, IndiGo, has already said that it expects
its quarterly earnings to be materially impacted because of the virus.
The car industry, which is a key economic indicator, has also warned that
production could be badly hit as 10% of its raw materials come from China.
Moody’s also downgraded India’s expected growth to 5.3%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled
the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic.
WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases outside
China had increased 13-fold over the past two weeks.
A pandemic is a disease that is spreading in multiple countries around the
world at the same time.
However, the WHO chief said that calling the outbreak a pandemic did not
mean it was changing its advice about what countries should do.
Dr. Tedros called on governments to change the course of the outbreak by
taking “urgent and aggressive action”.
He said: “Several countries have
demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled.
“The challenge for many countries
who are now dealing with large clusters or community transmission is not
whether they can do the same – it’s whether they will.”
Governments had to “strike a fine balance between protecting health,
minimizing disruption and respecting human rights”.
He added: “We’re in this together
to do the right things with calm and protect the citizens of the world. It’s
doable.”
Earlier, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that up to 70% of the
country’s population – some 58 million people – could contract the coronavirus.
Angela Merkel said since there was no known cure, the focus would fall on
slowing the spread of the virus.
Some German virologists dispute the high figure. Former federal government adviser
on disease control, Prof. Alexander Kekulé, told German media he saw a worst
case scenario of 40,000 cases.
The number of confirmed cases in Germany has risen to 1,567 from 1,296, the
Koch institute for infectious diseases said.
In Italy, where there are 12,447 confirmed cases, PM Giuseppe Conte has
announced the closure of schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues
across the country.
On March 11, Italian health officials said the death toll there had risen to
827 from 631. Nearly 900 people with the virus in Italy were in intensive care,
the WHO’s emergencies head Michael Ryan said.
Dr. Ryan said the situation in Iran – where there were 354 deaths among
9,000 cases – was “very serious”. The WHO had sent 40,000 testing
kits to Iran but there was still a shortage of ventilators and oxygen.
He said: “Iran and Italy are
suffering now but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation
very soon.”
France said there had been 48 deaths in the country, an increase of 15 from
March 10. There are 2,281 confirmed cases. Coronavirus-linked restrictions have
been extended to two more areas, France’s health minister said.
In the western US, Washington state is banning some large gatherings in
certain areas and has told all school districts to prepare for possible
closures in the coming days. The governor of Seattle’s King County said he
expected a serious coronavirus outbreak within weeks.
In the eastern US, New York’s governor announced that troops would be sent
into New Rochelle, in an attempt to contain an outbreak of the virus, as the
total number of US cases passed 1,000 on March 11.
A one-mile containment zone was in force around the town north of Manhattan.
Some individuals have been quarantined.
A number of countries have imposed sweeping travel restrictions. India has
suspended most visas for foreigners until April 15. Guatemala is banning
European citizens from entering from March 12.
Music festivals and other major events in the US, including Coachella
festival in California, have been canceled or postponed. The E3 gaming show set
for Los Angeles in June is among those canceled.
Thousands of flights have been canceled worldwide as airlines struggle to
cope with a slump in demand.
UK health minister Nadine Dorries announced she had tested positive for
coronavirus and was self-isolating at home.
Several countries – including Sweden and Bulgaria, as well as the Republic
of Ireland – have recorded their first deaths, while the number of confirmed
cases in Qatar jumped from 24 to 262.
China – where the virus was first detected – has seen a total of 80,754
confirmed cases and 3,136 deaths. However, China recorded its lowest number of
new infections, just 19, on March 10.
UK’s health minister Nadine Dorries has been
diagnosed with coronavirus.
She showed symptoms on the day she attended an
event with PM Boris Johnson.
Nadine Dorries, 62, said she has been self-isolating at home.
The Department of Health said the minister first showed symptoms on March 5
– the same day she attended an event hosted by the prime minister.
Six people with the virus have died in the UK, which has a total of 382
cases.
The latest person to die was a man in his early 80s who had underlying
health conditions.
The Bank of England earlier announced an emergency cut in interest rates
from 0.75% to 0.25% in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus
outbreak
It is not known how many meetings Nadine Dorries had attended at Westminster
or in her constituency in recent days, but she was at an event at Downing
Street on March 5 to mark International Women’s Day.
She also held a surgery in her constituency on March 6 which was attended by
up to 12 people, according to Steven Dixon, chair of the Mid Bedfordshire
Conservative Association.
Steven Dixon said the details of all those who attended the surgery have
been passed to the NHS.
The Flitwick Club, where the surgery took place, is undergoing a deep clean
as a precaution.
The Department of Health said ministers – including the prime minister –
would not need to undergo testing as Public Health England (PHE) has assessed
the risk of Nadine Dorries’ close contacts and only those with symptoms needed
to self-isolate.
Nadine Dorries added she was worried about her 84-year-old mother who was
staying with her and began to cough on March 10.
The number of total cases for the UK include 324 cases in England, 27 in
Scotland, 16 in Northern Ireland and 15 in Wales.
There are 91 in London, with the next highest infected area being the south-east,
with 51 cases. The latest person to die, on March 9, was a man in his 80s, with
underlying health conditions, who was being treated at Watford General
Hospital.
The man caught the virus in the UK and officials are trying to trace who he had been in contact with.
The Iranian government has decided to limit
travel between its major cities as it tries to halt the spread of the
coronavirus, which has killed at least 107 people in the country.
Iran has already shut schools until April.
Health Minister Saeed Namaki said people should not use the break as an opportunity
to travel.
He also urged people to reduce the use of paper banknotes.
The measures come as the WHO warned some countries were not doing enough to
stop the virus.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted containment was still
possible, adding: “This is not a
time to give up.”
Iran is one of the worst-hit countries outside China, where the Covid-19
virus – which causes the coronavirus disease – originated.
Worldwide, authorities have confirmed more than 92,000 cases of the virus,
of which more than 80,000 are in China.
According to recent reports, more than 3,000 people have died globally, the
vast majority of them in China.
On March 5, Iran’s official death toll rose by 15 to 107, and the number of
confirmed cases increased by 591 to 3,513.
Iran’s state news agency Irna said the number of dead could be higher,
citing data from medical universities.
The data did not include statistics from the capital Tehran and Gilan province – two of the hardest-hit areas. The toll there was listed as “unknown”, Irna said.
Travelers from countries with severe
coronavirus outbreaks who arrive in some parts of China will have to undergo a
14-day quarantine, state media announce.
People coming from the virus hotspots of South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy
arriving in Beijing will have to be isolated, an official has said.
Shanghai and Guangdong announced similar restrictions earlier.
Authorities are worried the virus might be imported back into China.
Although most coronavirus deaths have been in China, on March 2 there were nine
times more new infections outside China than in.
Shanghai said it would require new arrivals from countries with
“relatively serious virus conditions” to be isolated, without naming
the countries.
Authorities are also asking overseas Chinese to reconsider travel plans.
Officials in one southern Chinese province said: “For the sake of your family’s health and safety, please
strengthen your precautions, carefully decide on your travel plans and minimize
mobility.”
On March 3, China reported 125 new virus cases – the lowest number of new
daily infections in six weeks. There were also 31 more deaths – all in Hubei
province, where the virus emerged.
There are now almost 90,000 cases worldwide in about 70 countries, although
the vast majority – just under 90% – remain in China, and most of those are in
Hubei province where the virus originated late last year.
Of the nearly 8,800 cases outside China, 81% are in four countries – Iran,
South Korea, Italy and Japan.
One of the countries worst affected outside China – Italy – said on March 2
that the death toll there had risen by 18 to 52. There are 1,835 confirmed
cases, most of them in the Lombardy and Veneto areas of the north. Nearly 150
people are said to have recovered.
However, Italy is seeing a slowdown in new cases. On March 2, the authorities said there were 258 new cases of the virus – a 16% increase on the previous day – after new cases spiked by 50% on March 1.
On February 26, the World Health Organization said that for the first time
the virus was spreading faster outside China, where it originated.
Globally, more than 80,000 people in about 40 countries have been infected
with the new coronavirus, which emerged in December. The vast majority remain
in China.
Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, has
killed more than 2,700 people so far.
On February 26, authorities reported a total of 400 cases – a rise of 80
from February 25.
The worst-affected areas are in the industrial north of Italy – Lombardy,
the region around Milan, and Veneto near Venice. The outbreak has killed 12
people in the country so far.
Government officials have sought to reassure the public, and insisted steps
were being taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
Schools, universities and cinemas have been closed and several public events
cancelled.
Eleven towns at the epicenter of the outbreak – home to a total of 55,000
people – have been quarantined.
There are fears that the outbreak may tip Italy into economic recession.
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told reporters after meeting the
Italian health minister in Rome: “This
is a situation of concern, but we must not give in to panic.
“There are still many unknowns about this virus and in
particular its origin and how it spreads.”
In the past two days, Austria,
Croatia, Greece, Norway, Switzerland, Georgia and North Macedonia reported
their first coronavirus cases. Many of them involved people who had been to
Italy.
Iran’s deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi and a lawmaker have both tested positive for the new coronavirus, as the country struggles to contain an outbreak that has killed 15.
Iran is one of three hot-spots outside China causing concern that the virus could be becoming a pandemic.
On February 24, Iraj Harirchi denied covering up the scale of the outbreak. He appeared in physical discomfort as he spoke to reporters.
Meanwhile, Tehran lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi has also been infected.
Iran has reported 95 cases, but the actual number is thought to be higher.
According to the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), the
sudden increase in cases in countries outside China is “deeply concerning”.
On February 25, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington was
concerned that Iran may have concealed “vital details” about its
outbreak and urged all nations to “tell the truth about the
coronavirus”.
More people have died in Iran from the new coronavirus than anywhere else
outside China. Iran and China have strong trading links.
The other countries currently in the spotlight are Italy and South Korea, where cases have surged in recent days.
Most coronavirus infections are in China,
the original source of the virus, where 77,000 people have the disease and
nearly 2,600 have died. The number of new cases there is now falling.
More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and
there have been more than 20 deaths. Italy reported four more deaths on
February 24, raising the total there to seven.
China’s government announced a ban on the consumption of wild animals and a
crackdown on the hunting, transportation and trade of prohibited species, state
media say.
It is thought that the outbreak originated at a market in the city of Wuhan
selling wild animals.
On February 24, China reported 409 new infections, the bulk of which were in
Wuhan.
South Korea has the largest number of confirmed cases outside China. On February 24, the Asian country reported another 231 COVID-19 infections on taking the total there to more than 830. Eight people have died.
Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members were
infected.
However, the biggest virus clusters have been linked to a hospital and a
religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu.
Italy has the largest number of cases in Europe, 229, and
announced a series of drastic measures over the weekend to try to contain the
outbreak.
In the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, a lock-down is in place in several
small towns. For the next two weeks, 50,000 residents will not be able to leave
without special permission.
Even outside the zone, many businesses and schools have suspended
activities, and sporting events have been cancelled.
Three deaths announced on February 24 were all in Lombardy, Italian media
reported.
It is not yet clear how the virus entered the country, officials said.
On
February 23, Iran announced it had 61 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
most of them in the holy city of Qom. Twelve of those infected have died, the
highest number of deaths outside China.
On February 24, a lawmaker in Qom accused the government of covering up the
extent of the outbreak, saying there were 50 deaths in the city alone. However,
the country’s deputy health minister quickly denied the claim.
On the same day, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain reported their first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran. Officials in Bahrain said the patient infected there was a school bus driver, and several schools had been closed as a result.
The world should do more to prepare for a
possible coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
However, the WHO said it was too early to call the outbreak a pandemic but
countries should be “in a phase of preparedness”.
A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to
person in many parts of the world.
More cases of respiratory disease Covid-19 continue to emerge with outbreaks
in South Korea, Italy and Iran causing concern.
However, most infections are in China, the original source of the virus,
where 77,000 people have the disease and nearly 2,600 have died. The number of
new cases there is now falling.
More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and
there have been more than 20 deaths. Italy reported four more deaths on
February 24, raising the total there to seven.
Worldwide stock markets saw sharp falls because of concerns about the
economic impact of the virus.
China said it would postpone the annual meeting of the National People’s
Congress in March, to “continue the efforts” against the coronavirus.
The meeting, which approves decisions made by the Communist Party, has taken
place every year since 1978.
The proportion of infected people who die from Covid-19 appears to be
between 1% and 2%, although the WHO cautions that the mortality rate is not
known yet.
On February 24, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain reported their
first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran. Officials in Bahrain
said the patient infected there was a school bus driver, and several schools
had been closed as a result.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the WHO, told reporters on February 24
that the number of new cases in recent days in Iran, Italy and South Korea was
“deeply concerning”.
However he added: “For the moment
we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus and we are
not witnessing large scale severe disease or deaths.
“Does this virus have pandemic potential?
Absolutely, it has. Are we there yet? From our assessment, not yet.”
“The key message that should give
all countries hope, courage and confidence is that this virus can be contained,
indeed there are many countries that have done exactly that,” he added.
“Using the word ‘pandemic’ now
does not fit the facts but may certainly cause fear.”
However, Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s health emergencies program, said now was
the time to make “do everything you would do to prepare for a
pandemic”.
Chinese health officials have released the first details of more than 44,000 cases of new coronavirus, Covid-19, in the largest study since the outbreak began.
Data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) finds
that more than 80% of the cases have been mild, with the sick and elderly most
at risk.
The research also points to the high risk to medical staff.
On February 18, a hospital director in the city of Wuhan died from the virus.
Liu Zhiming, 51, was the director of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan – one of
the leading hospitals in the virus epicenter. He is one of the most senior
health officials to die so far.
Hubei, whose capital is Wuhan, is the worst affected province in China.
The report by the CCDC shows the
province’s death rate is 2.9% compared with 0.4% in the rest of the country.
The findings put the overall death
rate of the coronavirus at 2.3%.
China’s latest official figures
released on February 18 put the overall death toll at 1,868 and 72,436
infections.
Officials reported 98 new deaths and
1,886 new cases in the past day, with 93 of those deaths and 1,807 infections in
Hubei province – the epicenter of the outbreak.
According to Chinese authorities, more
than 12,000 people have recovered.
The study, published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology on
February 17, looked at more than 44,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in China as
of February 11.
While the results largely confirm previous descriptions of the virus and
patterns of infection, the study includes a detailed breakdown of the 44,672
confirmed cases across all of China.
The study finds that 80.9% of infections are classified as mild, 13.8% as
severe and only 4.7% as critical. The number of deaths among those infected,
known as the fatality rate, remains low but rises among those over 80 years
old.
Looking at the sex ratio, men are more likely to die (2.8%) than women
(1.7%).
The research also identifies which existing illnesses put patients at risk.
It puts cardiovascular disease at number one, followed by diabetes, chronic
respiratory disease and hypertension.
Pointing out the risk to medical staff, the study says that a total of
3,019 health workers have been infected, 1,716 of which were
confirmed cases. Five had died by February 11, which was the last day of
data included in the research.
On February 13, China broadened its definition of how to diagnose people,
including “clinically diagnosed cases” which previously were counted
separate from “confirmed cases”.
Looking forward, the study finds that
“the epidemic curve of onset of symptoms”
peaked around January 23-26 before declining up to February 11.
It suggests that the downward trend in the overall
epidemic curve could mean that “isolation of whole
cities, broadcast of critical information (e.g., promoting hand
washing, mask wearing, and care seeking) with high frequency through
multiple channels, and mobilization of a multi-sector rapid
response teams is helping to curb the epidemic”.
The authors also warn that with many people returning from a long holiday,
the country “needs to prepare for the possible rebound of the epidemic”.
China’s response to the new coronavirus has seen the lockdown of Wuhan – the largest city in Hubei – and the rest of the province as well as severe travel restrictions on movements across the country.
1,523 people have died from the
virus within China, mostly in Hubei province, where it first emerged. These
include 143 deaths newly reported on February 15 by China’s national health
commission.
A further 2,641 people have been
newly confirmed as infected, bringing China’s total cases to 66,492.
However, China’s Foreign Minister
Wang Yi said on February 15 that the outbreak in Hubei was now being managed
more effectively – “indicating that overall the epidemic is
controllable”.
Speaking at a security conference in
Germany, Wang Yi said the number of people who had recovered reached more than
8,000 on February 14.
At the same meeting, the head of the
WHO said all countries should be prepared for the arrival of the virus.
In late January, France became the
first European country to confirm cases of the virus. It has had 11 confirmed
cases of the disease, officially called Covid-19. Six people remain in
hospital.
The Chinese tourist in France had
been in a critical condition in the Bichat hospital in northern Paris, the
health minister said. He died of a lung infection due to the coronavirus.
His 50-year-old daughter is among
the six in hospital with the virus, but she is recovering, the minister said.
The other five people are British nationals
who caught the virus at a chalet in the ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie.
Outside mainland China, there have
been more than 500 cases in 26 countries.
Earlier in the day, the US said it
was sending a plane to Japan to evacuate Americans stuck on the Diamond
Princess cruise ship, which is being held in quarantine in a Japanese port.
According to Japan’s NHK broadcaster,
some 400 US citizens are reported to be on the cruise ship. Those with symptoms
are expected to be treated in Japan.
Out of 3,700 people on board, 218
have tested positive for the virus. Australia also said it was considering
removing its citizens from the ship.
Meanwhile, an 83-year-old American
woman on a cruise ship which docked in Cambodia, has tested positive for the
virus after arriving by air in Malaysia.
The MS Westerdam had been turned
away by five destinations, including the US island of Guam, before Cambodia
agreed it could land.
The woman and her husband were among
145 passengers from the ship who flew to Malaysia after it docked. According to
the Malaysian health authorities Both showed symptoms, but he tested negative.
No cases were found on board the cruise
ship during regular health checks on the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew.
On February 14, Egypt’s health ministry confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in Africa. The ministry described the person as a foreigner, but did not disclose their nationality.
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