- The death toll from the new coronavirus climbed toward 500, with health officials confirming multiple cases of infections from Japan to Singapore
- The World Health Organization said the coronavirus hasn’t shown much mutation yet or caused a pandemic
The death toll from the new coronavirus climbed toward 500, with health officials confirming multiple cases of infections from Japan to Singapore.
The World Health Organization said the coronavirus hasn’t shown much mutation yet or caused a pandemic, and the bulk of the cases remain in China’s Hubei province. At the same time, ripple effects from the coronavirus continue to reverberate across the globe.
Two more planes evacuate Americans from Wuhan
The United States evacuated more than 300 more people on two new flights out of Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the fast-spreading new coronavirus, the State Department said Tuesday.
The two flights left Wuhan on Tuesday US time after the passengers were screened, a State Department official said.
The official said that the United States has now brought home more than 500 passengers on three fights. A first flight, with 195 Americans on board, left Wuhan last week and landed in California.
Ten passengers on cruise liner docked in Japan test positive
Ten people on a cruise liner in the port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, Japan said on Wednesday, a figure that could rise as more results come in and authorities continue to monitor thousands of passengers and crew.
The 10 infected people will be transported to a medical facility, Japan Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said, while the the remaining around 3,700 people will remain quarantined on board the Carnival Corp ship for 14 days.
United, American Halt Hong Kong Flights
United Airlines Holdings Inc. suspended flights to Hong Kong, beginning Feb. 8 until Feb. 20, citing a drop in demand because of the coronavirus. The carrier follows a move on Tuesday by American Airlines Group Inc., which also halted flights to the city through Feb. 20.
The coronavirus outbreak has dealt a blow to airlines in China and around the world as they suspend flights to and from a key market in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
WHO Puts Outbreak Costs at $675.7 Million
Key public health measures to respond to the coronavirus outbreak will cost an estimated $675.7 million through April, the World Health Organization said in a draft plan.
Scaling up country preparedness and response operations will account for more than $640 million of the total needed from Feb. 1 to April 30, according to the draft of the WHO’s strategic preparedness and response plan. The 28-page document outlines measures the international community “stands ready to provide to support all countries to prepare for and respond to” the novel pneumonia-causing virus.
