On Tuesday, Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death, second outside China.
The number deaths due to deadly novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 490 in China on Wednesday after the most hit-Hubei province reported that another 65 people were killed. The outbreak has spread to more than 20 countries including India, Britain and Russia. The outbreak of the lethal disease has been declared a "global health emergency" by the World Health Organization.
After more than 20 countries confirmed the cases of infection, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a global health emergency. Several countries decided to impose travel bans causing many airlines to suspend flights to China.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death, the second outside mainland China. The first death outside China was reported on Sunday in Philippines.
The Chinese state media today reported that a baby in China's Wuhan has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus just 30 hours after being born. The infant is the youngest to be tested positive for the virus.
The Indian government on Wednesday issued a statement saying that all the existing visas from China issued since January 15 stand cancelled. This comes after India reported its third case of coronavirus in Kerala.
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus outbreak across the world:
Coronavirus Updates: WHO says, no known effective treatments for virus available
The World Health Organization said today that there are no "breakthrough" drugs available to treat people infected by the new coronavirus, which is causing an epidemic in China.
Earlier reports came that researchers at Zhejiang University had found an effective drug for the virus. Britain's Sky News said researchers had made a "significant breakthrough" in developing a vaccine, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Virus situation in China's Wuhan still severe
The situation created due to coronavirus still remains severe, Wuhan's vice party chief Hu Lishan said. The deadly virus has quartined people in hotels, schools and private hospitals, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: At least 5,000 Chinese stranded in Bali after flights suspended
Atleast 5,000 Chinese tourists are stranded in Bali as Indonesian after the Indonesian government suspended flights to and from mainland China in wake of the deadly coronavirus.
Some are hoping to get a visa extension offered by Bali deputy governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati.
Coronavirus Updates: Russia proposes stripping pharmacy licences for raising anti-virus mask prices
Amid the high demand for protective masks in the wake of coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed stripping pharmacies of their licences if they raise prices for anti-virus masks.
Russia last week reported its first two cases of the virus and has imposed restrictions on the movement along its 4,300 km land border with China.
Coronavirus Updates: Airbus closes China plantAirbus today shut down its key aircraft production in Tianjin outside the Chinese capital Beijing as a precautionary measure to contain the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.
Airbus has not indicated when the production of the unit will reopen.
"Airbus is constantly evaluating the situation and monitoring any potential knock-on effects on production and deliveries and will try to mitigate via alternative plans where necessary," the company said in a statement.
In view of the outbreak, several governments have imposed travel restrictions and suspended flights to and from China, AFP reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Baby tests positive for virus just 30 hours after birthJust 30 hours after being born, an infant in China was diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus that has killed nearly 500 since emerging late last year. The baby born in Wuhan city, the epicenter of the virus, is the youngest person recorded as being infected by the virus.
Experts believe that it might be the case of "vertical transmission", i.e. infections passed from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or immediately after.
The mother was tested positive for the virus before she gave birth, news agency AFP reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Control of virus outbreak at crucial stage, says Chinese President Xi JinpingAs the death toll due to coronavirus is nearing to 500, China has escalated its effort to contain the spread of the virus.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was quoted by Xinhua news that the country's efforts to control a coronavirus outbreak are at a crucial stage. He further said the government must report coronavirus outbreak information accurately in a timely manner and will crack down on coronavirus related rumour-mongering.
The government would ensure that the donated goods are fully used in virus controls, Xi added.
Coronavirus Updates: Data suggests virus infections under-reported
Fatalities from the deadly novel coronavirus are reported mostly from China's Wuhan city, the epicenter of the decease. Fatalities account for over 73 per cent of deaths in Wuhan despite having only one-third the number of confirmed cases, news agency Reuters reported.
The data shows that in Wuhan one person dies for every 23 infections reported. According to experts, the discrepancy is due to the under-reporting of milder virus cases in Wuhan and other areas of Hubei province. These parts of the province are facing a shortage of testing equipment and beds.
Coronavirus Updates: Hong Kong announces quarantines for mainland China arrivals
The order, which comes into force on Saturday, will be applicable to both Hong Kong residents and foreigners. The authorities are yet to give out details about how the quarantine would be implemented, like where and how arrivals would be isolated.
Coronavirus Updates: Masked Officials, Empty Corridors: Scenes From A Quarantined Cruise ShipAbout 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks locked away on a cruise liner anchored off Japan after health officials confirmed on Wednesday that 10 people aboard had tested positive for the virus.
Passengers on the ship of Japan, the Diamond Princess, detailed their predicament on social media, posting pictures of officials in masks and gowns conducting health checks, room service meals, empty corridors, and a barren deck.
"This is not a good situation," British passenger David Abel said in a video shot in his cabin and posted to his Facebook page.He said all passengers were confined to their cabins on Wednesday morning, with staff delivering food to their rooms."The challenging situation for me is that I'm an insulin dependent diabetic," Abel said. Japan now has 33 infections, news agency Reuters reported. Read
here.
Coronavirus Updates: Hong Kong Airline Cathay Pacific Asks 27,000 Staff to Take Unpaid Leave Amid Coronavirus ScareHong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific is asking its 27,000 employees to take up to three weeks of unpaid leave, CEO Augustus Tang said Wednesday, as the airline faces a crisis in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak.
"I am hoping all of you will participate, from our frontline employees to our senior leaders, and to share in our current challenges," Tang said in a video message posted online, news agency AFP reported.
Coronavirus Updates: More Chinese Cities Shut Down As Coronavirus Death Toll RisesMillions more people have been ordered to stay indoors as China battles to curb the spread of a new virus that authorities said Wednesday has already killed nearly 500 people.
Some 56 million people in Hubei have been under virtual lockdown since last week, with its capital Wuhan at the heart of the health emergency.
In Hangzhou, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) southwest of Shanghai, green fences blocked streets near the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Alibaba as a fighter jet circled overhead.
Alibaba, one of the world's most valuable companies, appeared shut down, while deliverymen moved in and out of the nearby fenced-in residential areas to drop off groceries. Many people were also seen going out, news agency AFP reported.
Bank Of Japan Signals Readiness To Ease As Coronavirus Impact Sours OutlookThe Bank of Japan stands ready to ramp up stimulus if the economy's recovery is derailed, Deputy Governor Masazumi Wakatabe said on Wednesday, warning that the coronavirus outbreak could hurt corporate sentiment and global trade.
Wakatabe said Japan's economy is likely to have emerged from a sharp but temporary slowdown late last year helped by robust domestic demand and easing Sino-US trade tensions, signalling that no immediate monetary easing was on the horizon. But he said risks remain high, including growing uncertainty on how the spread of the coronavirus could affect China - the engine of world's growth - and the global economy, news agency Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Singapore Business Meeting Linked To Malaysian, Korean Coronavirus CasesAn international business gathering at a plush Singapore hotel has been linked to coronavirus cases that have spread across the region, in a worrying sign of secondary transmissions from an epidemic that originated in China. Malaysia on Tuesday said its
first citizen to be infected with the virus - a 41-year-old man - had attended a meeting in Singapore in mid-January that had included several international delegations, some from China. A 38-year-old Korean who came into contact with the Malaysian when he travelled to Singapore for a business conference has also been infected, news agency Reuters reported quoting Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Coronavirus Updates: Hong Kong Testing Over 1,800 passengers on Cruise Ship For CoronavirusHong Kong was testing over 1,800 passengers and crew on a cruise ship for a coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, after some crew members reported having fever and other symptoms. Authorities were not letting anyone leave the ship without permission.
The Chinese-ruled city's health department said on Wednesday 90 percent of the passengers were Hong Kongers and no mainland Chinese were on board, news agency Reuters reported. Read
here.
Coronavirus Updates: India Guards Against Coronavirus At Car Show Dominated By Chinese FirmsIndia's biennial auto show that kicks-off this week is set to be dominated by Chinese automakers showcasing cutting-edge electric vehicles and connected cars - but with booths staffed only by Indian employees and representatives. With the death toll from a new coronavirus outbreak in China nearing 500 and cases of the disease spreading across the globe, organisers of the show are reassuring visitors that officials arriving from China will not be in attendance.
"There will be no visitors or delegations from China at the Motor Show 2020," Rajan Wadhera, president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) - which is organising the show - said in a statement on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Hong Kong Medical Staff Strike For Third Day As Locally Transmitted Coronavirus Cases RiseMedical workers in Hong Kong began a third day of strike action on Wednesday, piling pressure on the city's government to seal the border with mainland China as the number of locally transmitted cases of a new coronavirus increased. The former British colony saw its first death from the virus on Tuesday.
It has confirmed 18 cases, including at least four that were transmitted locally, authorities said, news agency Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Ten Passengers On Cruise Liner Docked In Japan Test Positive For CoronavirusTen people on a cruise liner in the port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, Japan said on Wednesday, a figure that could rise as more results come in and authorities continue to monitor thousands of passengers and crew.The 10 infected people will be transported to a medical facility, Japan Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said, while the the remaining around 3,700 people will remain quarantined on board the Carnival Corp ship for 14 days.
"I want to take sufficient care of the health of passengers and crew and make every effort to prevent the spread of the virus," Kato said at a media briefing, news agency Reuters reported. Read
here.
Coronavirus Updates: Ten Passengers On Cruise Liner Docked In Japan Test Positive For CoronavirusTen people on a cruise liner in the port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, Japan said on Wednesday, a figure that could rise as more results come in and authorities continue to monitor thousands of passengers and crew.The 10 infected people will be transported to a medical facility, Japan Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said, while the the remaining around 3,700 people will remain quarantined on board the Carnival Corp ship for 14 days.
"I want to take sufficient care of the health of passengers and crew and make every effort to prevent the spread of the virus," Kato said at a media briefing, news agency Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Two More Planes Evacuate Americans From Coronavirus-hit Wuhan The United States evacuated more than 300 more people on two new flights out of Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the fast-spreading new coronavirus, the State Department said Tuesday.
The two flights left Wuhan on Tuesday US time after the passengers were screened, a State Department official said.
The official said that the United States has now brought home more than 500 passengers on three fights. A first flight, with 195 Americans on board, left Wuhan last week and landed in California.
The United States is preparing one or two additional planes to evacuate Americans on Thursday, after which it does not intend further flights, news agency AFP reported quoting official.
Coronavirus Updates: Major US Airlines Add Hong Kong To China Flight SuspensionsUnited and American Airlines on Wednesday both announced plans to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong following the outbreak of a deadly new coronavirus.
United said it would halt flights to the international financial hub from Saturday until February 20, citing a sharp drop in passengers.
American Airlines said it had already suspended flights through to February 20.
Both carriers had previously said they were halting flights to mainland China where the outbreak of the new coronavirus began late last year and has since killed nearly 500 people and infected more than 24,000, news agency AFP reported.