Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong announce screening of passengers arriving from other virus-hit nations like South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy, BBC reports; they will be quarantined for 14 days
With COVID-19 outbreak emerging as a global menace killing over 3,000, Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for international cooperation to develop a cure and vaccine to halt the virus on its tracks. Pic/AFP
China, where the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) first emerged and has spread to about 70 countries so far, is now worried about importing infections. On Tuesday, China reported an increase in cases of the virus coming from abroad. According to a BBC report, Beijing Shanghai and Guangdong have announced screening of travellers arriving from other virus-hit countries. They will all have to undergo quarantine for 14 days. A Beijing official said those coming from South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy will be kept in isolation wards.
In total there have been 13 confirmed cases of the virus being imported into the mainland — all Chinese nationals returning from overseas. China reported 125 new cases Tuesday — its lowest daily increase in six weeks — with all but 11 infections in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. The nationwide death toll rose to 2,943 with 31 more deaths, with some 80,000 total cases. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for international cooperation to develop a cure and vaccine to halt the COVID-19 on its tracks.
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US toll rises to 6
The world has entered uncharted territory in its battle against the deadly Coronavirus, the World Health Organisation warned, as new infections dropped dramatically in China on Tuesday but surged abroad. The US is now facing a potential epidemic, with six people dying in the northwestern state of Washington, where officials warned residents the battle against the disease was shifting from containment to mitigation. The White House, which has been accused of downplaying the threat from the virus, struck a bullish tone. Vice President Mike Pence declared that a treatment "could literally be available by this summer, or early fall". While Italy has locked down towns, other countries have stopped short of imposing mass quarantines and instead have discouraged large gatherings, delayed sporting events and banned arrivals from virus-hit nations.
11 more die in Iran
Iran announced on Tuesday that 11 more people had died from the new coronavirus in the past day, bringing the Islamic republic's overall death toll to 77. With 835 new cases, 2,336 people have been infected with COVID-19 so far. In Pakistan, a 45-year-old woman, who returned from Iran, tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of the COVID-19 infections in the country to five, officials said on Tuesday.
Work from home for Twitter
Twitter told staff across the world to work from home. South Korea, the biggest cluster outside China, reported 851 new cases, its biggest daily increase, sending its total past 5,000 while its death toll rose to 28. "The entire country has entered a war with the infectious disease," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said.
13
No. of imported infection cases in China
125
Total no. of infection cases as of Tuesday
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