Fall in cases in China, fears grow over global spread
BEIJING, February 22
China reported a sharp fall in new deaths and cases of the coronavirus on Saturday but world health officials warned it was too early to make predictions about the outbreak as new infections continued to rise in other countries.
Virus claims sixth life in Iran
Authorities in Iran have reported sixth death from the new virus that emerged in China. The governor of Markazi province told the official IRNA news agency on Saturday that tests of a patient who recently died in the central city of Arak was positive for the virus. Earlier on Saturday, the Iranian health authorities reported fifth death from the new virus.
The Chinese authorities said the mainland had 397 new confirmed cases on Friday, down from 889 a day earlier. The numbers surged elsewhere, though, with outbreaks worsening in South Korea, Iran, Italy and Lebanon.
In South Korea, authorities said on Saturday the number of new infections had doubled to 433, and suggested the tally could rise significantly as more than 1,000 people who attended a church at the centre of the outbreak reported flu-like symptoms.
The World Health Organisation welcomed the reported decline in new Chinese cases, but said it was concerned about the number of new infections elsewhere with no clear link to China such as travel history or contact with a confirmed case.
FINANCIAL FEARS
- Financial leaders sought to soothe investors’ fears over the outbreak, which has roiled global markets, with equities sliding.
- Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Saturday the yen’s recent declines were largely driven by a strong dollar.
- Senior Chinese central bank officials, meanwhile, played down worries about the potential damage to the world’s
second-largest economy.
The transport ministry said businesses would resume later this month.
“Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for COVID-19 (the new virus) to spread in countries with weaker health systems,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The UN agency is calling for $675 million to support most vulnerable countries, he said, adding 13 countries in Africa are seen as a priority because of their links to China.
In total, China has reported 75,569 cases to the WHO, and 2,239 deaths, Tedros said. According to available data, the disease remains mild in 80 per cent of patients, and severe or critical in 20 per cent. The virus has been fatal in 2 per cent of reported cases. The disease has spread to some 26 countries and territories outside mainland China, killing 13 people, according to a Reuters tally.
The latest Chinese figures showed only 31 of the new cases on Friday were outside of the virus epicentre of Hubei province.— Reuters
2nd death sparks fears, lockdown in Italy
Streets were deserted and residents warned to keep out of an emergency room on Saturday in an Italian town placed under lockdown as a second death from coronavirus sparked fears throughout the region. “No entry” read the sign on the emergency room in the small town of Codogno with a population of 15,000, where three people have tested positive. AFP
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