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| Indonesians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship are March 1, 2020 (Photo: Antara Foto) |
The spread of coronavirus around the world
The new coronavirus appears to now be spreading much more rapidly outside China than within, and airports in hard-hit countries were ramping up screening of travellers.
* Mainland China reported 125 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 80,151. The death toll reached 2,943 as of end-Monday, up by 31 from the previous day.
* The global death toll exceeded 3,000, with the virus spreading to more than 60 countries. The virus broke out in Wuhan late last year and has since infected more than 89,000 people, mostly in China, according to a Reuters tally.
* Outside China, there are now more than 8,700 infected and over 125 deaths.
* Chinese authorities asked overseas Chinese to reconsider or minimise their travel plans as imported virus cases rise. Guangdong province and Shanghai said they would require travellers from virus-hit countries to be quarantined for two weeks.
* Morocco, Andorra, Armenia, Czech Republic, Iceland and Indonesia confirmed their first cases.
* South Korea’s president declared war on the coronavirus on Tuesday, ordering additional hospital beds and more face masks to be made available as the number of cases rose by 600, taking total infections to 4,812, while total fatalities rose to 34.
* Australia will use a little-known biosecurity law to restrict the movements of people suspected of having the virus, its attorney-general said on Tuesday, as the country’s confirmed cases increased to 38.
* Six people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the virus, prompting health officials to plan new containment measures, ranging from possible school closings to temporary quarantine housing for mildly ill homeless patients.
* Florida on Monday confirmed that two presumptive coronavirus cases were positive. One patient had recently travelled to Italy, while the other had no relevant travel history.
* Pakistan reported a new coronavirus case, bringing the total to five in the south Asian nation since last week, while neighbour India on Monday reported three more cases, including an Italian national.
* Germany on Monday confirmed at least 28 new cases, bringing the number of infections to 157 from 129 on Sunday.
* Iran, one of the worst-hit nations, reported infections rising to 1,501, with 66 deaths, including a senior official.
* The death toll in Italy jumped to 52 on Monday from 34 the day before and the total number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst affected country climbed past the 2,000 mark.
* Spain’s confirmed cases rose to around 120 on Monday from 81 the day before, a health official said.
* Major concerts and events in the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled or postponed.
* Britain is not planning to cancel mass gatherings or large sports events over the concerns about coronavirus, health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.
* Global shares and oil prices extended their rebound on mounting speculation policymakers around the world would move to ease the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
Countries evacuating nationals from coronavirus-hit areas
A growing number of countries around the world have been evacuating or planning to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from areas hit by the new coronavirus.
* Hong Kong arranged four flights to bring back 533 of its residents from the Chinese province of Hubei. The flights are set to return by March 5 and those coming back face a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
* Over 200 Hong Kong residents on the Diamond Princess cruise in Japan had been flown back by Feb. 23 and are spending two weeks in quarantine. Authorities said 70 of the 364 Hong Kong residents on the ship were infected and will remain in Japan along with other citizens who were in close contact with them.
* Dependants and some staff were evacuated from the British embassy in Tehran as of March 1 but essential staff will remain.
* Some 30 British passengers arrived back home on Feb. 22 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. There were more than 70 British passengers on the cruise liner when cases of Covid-19 started to emerge.
* Britain’s final evacuation flight from Wuhan, carrying more than 200 people, landed in Britain on Feb. 9. A plane carrying 83 British and 27 European Union nationals from Wuhan landed at the end of January.
* Taiwan flew back 19 passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship on Feb. 21. It evacuated 247 of the estimated 500 Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan on Feb. 3. (https://bit.ly/2HOfYtg)
* A flight carrying 129 Canadians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship landed on Feb. 21. All repatriated passengers on the chartered flight had tested negative. There were 256 Canadians on board the ship, of which 47 have tested positive.
* Canada, after evacuating 215 people earlier, flew back 185 citizens from Wuhan on Feb. 11. All evacuees were quarantined for two weeks.
* More than 150 Australians arrived home on Feb. 20 to begin two weeks of quarantine after finally leaving the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan.
* A plane load of New Zealanders, Australians and Pacific Islanders evacuated from Wuhan arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb. 5, officials said.
* Kuwait to send a plane to Italy to evacuate citizens.
* Qatar to bring back Qatari and Kuwaiti citizens from Iran.
* Indonesia has sent a navy ship to bring back 188 of its nationals working as crew aboard the World Dream cruise liner amid coronavirus concerns, a minister and a health ministry official said on Feb 24.
* Indonesia’s government flew 243 Indonesians from Hubei on Feb. 2 and placed them under quarantine at a military base on an island northwest of Borneo.
* In central Ukraine residents protested the arrival of a plane carrying evacuees from Hubei on Feb. 20, despite official assurances there was no danger of infection. In addition to 45 Ukrainians, there were 27 citizens of Argentina on the plane, as well as citizens from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica and other countries.
* The United States flew back on Feb. 17 over 300 Americans who had been stuck on a cruise ship affected by the coronavirus. They faced two more weeks of quarantine after spending the previous 14 days docked in Japan.
* The United States authorized the voluntary departure of its government employees and their family members from Hong Kong on Feb. 11. On Feb. 6, two planes with about 300 passengers, mostly U.S. citizens, took off from Wuhan for the United States.
* Nepal on Feb. 16 evacuated 175 of its nationals from Wuhan.
* Six South Koreans and one Japanese spouse from the cruise shit flew to South Korea on Feb. 19 on a chartered flight.
* South Korea evacuated 147 people on a third chartered flight from Wuhan that arrived on Feb. 12. The country flew 368 people on a charter flight that arrived on Jan. 31.
* A second evacuation flight brought back another 174 Singaporeans and their family members from Wuhan to the city state on Feb. 9.
* Thirty Filipinos returned to the Philippines on Feb. 9 from Wuhan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
* The 34 Brazilians evacuated from Wuhan landed in Brazil on Feb. 9.
* Uzbekistan evacuated 251 people from China, the state airline said on Feb. 6.
* Italy flew back 56 nationals from Wuhan to Rome on Feb. 3.
* Saudi Arabia evacuated 10 students from Wuhan, Saudi state television reported on Feb. 2.
* Bangladesh evacuated 312 people, mostly students, from the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan on a special flight on Feb. 1, the foreign minister told media after they were brought back.
REUTERS
