Coronavirus Outbreak: 26 Deaths So Far & Cases Rise To 830, China Extends Lockdown To 10 Cities

Even as the World Health Organization has stopped short of calling the Coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, the deadly virus is spreading rapidly.

China¡¯s National Health Commission has confirmed as many as 26 deaths due to the outbreak and that the total number of positive cases in the country rose to 830.

AFP

As panic over the spread of the deadly virus continues to grow, Chinese authorities have imposed an unprecedented and indefinite lockdown in at least 10 cities in central Hubei province to prevent the outbreak.

Some 33 million people are said to be standard in these cities. Acting on a war footing level China is building a new 1,000-bed hospital in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak to treat the infected. According to Reuters, the facility will become operational by early next week.

REUTERS

China will take stricter and more targeted measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, state television reported citing a state council meeting on virus control on Friday. "The spread of the virus has not been cut off...Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency," state media said, without giving more details.

AFP

Meanwhile, multiple cases of the virus have been confirmed in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, while the United States, Taiwan, and Singapore have each reported one case. South Korea on Friday confirmed a second person has been infected. Japan¡¯s health ministry also said it had confirmed a second person had been infected.

Earlier, taking note of the rapid spread of the virus, India had started screening passengers coming from Mainland China as a precautionary measure. As of now, passengers coming from Mainland China to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Cochin airports will be scanned at arrival. Besides screening, passengers travelling from China have also being requested to report to the nearest public health facility in case they develop any symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat.

AFP

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said at a press conference the outbreak did not yet constitute a global public health emergency. ¡°Make no mistake, this is, though, an emergency in China. But, it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one,¡± said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO. He added the organization¡¯s assessment is that ¡°the outbreak is very high-risk in China, and high-risk regionally and globally.¡±