Novel coronavirus continues to spread around the world, but infection slows at epicenter
The Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) reported 44 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 as at the end of March 7 – 41 were discovered in Wuhan while the remaining three were cases imported from outside mainland China, two in Beijing and one in Gansu province. The new cases took the total number of confirmed cases in China to 80,695 as at the end of March 7.
Authorities reported that the 44 new confirmed cases were a decline from 99 the previous day, as Chinese cities gradually relax quarantine measures put in place over a month ago, while authorities keep a close watch on the virus’ spread overseas. The authorities also confirmed at least 27 new deaths on March 7, down from 28 deaths on March 6. All the new deaths occurred in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
While the total number of deaths in mainland China has reached 3,097, it appears that the newly confirmed cases outside of the city of Wuhan originated elsewhere. According to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, the two cases found in Beijing originated in Italy and Spain. Italy has so far reported over 5,800 cases; the death toll from the virus in Italy has risen to 197 since the contagion was uncovered two weeks ago. The country will soon impose a lockdown on Lombardy as part of tough new measures to try to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, Spain has recorded at least 5 deaths from its 365 confirmed cases. The tourism industry is suffering in the wake of the outbreak – tourism accounts for 12% of Spain’s Goss Domestic Product and is especially important during the Easter holiday period in April. The impact on the sector has been exemplified by a hotel on the island of Tenerife, which has been under lockdown since several cases were reported there.
Asia, the Middle East and Africa are reporting new cases and surprising numbers: South Korea’s coronavirus cases jumped above 7,000 on Saturday, with more than half of the total number linked to a church in Daegu; Japan’s prime minister has ordered a two-week quarantine for all visitors from China and South Korea; Malaysia has seen an unexpected rise in cases attributed to one patient; and the first Cambodian and Vietnamese citizens have tested positive for the new coronavirus.
It was also reported that an Iranian lawmaker has died of the disease, the most high-profile casualty in a country where the number of infections surged by more than 1,000 in the past 24 hours; while Cameroon and Togo confirmed their first cases of coronavirus on Friday as well, bringing the number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa reporting infections to five.
In the US, the nationwide toll in stands at 19 – the new coronavirus is now in a majority of US states and has increasingly disrupted daily life. Airport screening continues on despite federal medical workers’ fear and anger at having insufficient protection for themselves; many work without the most effective masks to keep them from falling sick – two federal health screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have unfortunately tested positive for the coronavirus.
The US has also stepped up efforts to ship coronavirus test kits to high-risk states, including Washington and California. The two latest deaths were confirmed in a nursing facility in Washington, while a cruise ship on the international waters off California was barred from docking in San Francisco after some aboard tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The deadly respiratory illness associated with the new coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, has spread to more than 90 countries and territories, killing some 3,600 people and infecting more than 106,000 others worldwide.
