Coronavirus Monitor: WHO Says Cases Increasing Faster Outside China

The World Health Organization says that the number of positive cases of COVID- 19 is increasing faster outside China as Iran, Italy and South Korea emerge as the newer hotbeds of the 2019-novel Coronavirus.

South Korea reported more than 500 fresh cases of the COVID-19 between February 26 and  February 27 taking the total number of confirmed cases to 1,766. The country confirmed a higher number of confirmed cases than China, the epicentre of the virus, which reported around 430 positive cases. South Korea's rapidly increasing number of cases have been attributed to a religious organisation based in the south of the country. 

Many countries reported the first positive cases of the 2019-nCOV since February 20. Afghanistan, Brazil, Denmak, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, North Macedonia, Norway reported one positive case while Austria, Croatia, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Switzerland reported their positive cases. Many of these cases had travel history to Iran and Italy which have recently seen a spurt in their number of cases. 

Here are the latest updates about the virus:

Global Developments

Vital Stats

The virus has so far claimed 2804 lives with 22 in Iran, 13 in South Korea, 12 in Italy, 3 in Japan, two each in Hong Kong and France while one each in Philippines, Taiwan. The rest of the deaths are from mainland China which remains the epicentre of the outbreak.

The total number of confirmed cases for the Coronavirus have risen to more than 82,000 spread across 40 countries.

According to a real time data monitor by John Hopkins University, over 32,100 people have recovered globally. Most of the recovered cases are still under observation while some have been discharged.

International Organizations

Moderna, a US based organization has shipped an experimental vaccine to the US government which will start its initial rounds of human testing and if effective will be released by July 2020. 

Developments in China

China has asked its low risk and medium risk areas to restart passport and visa services. 

Qianjiang in China's Hubei province will pay residents as much as 10,000 yuan ($1,425.96) if they themselves report symptoms of the illness and are confirmed after testing. 

Other developments

The Diamond Princess, the cruise parked in Japan, recorded four deaths from its earlier quarantined patients and the number of positive cases has risen to 705. The cruise is disembarking its crew members and quarantining them at other places in Japan. 

Osaka in Japan has issued a notification to shut down kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools between February 29 and March 13 to prevent the spread of the virus. North Korea, which has not reported any positive cases of COVID-19,  has also extended its school holidays to control the outbreak of the virus.

A Japanese woman has tested positive twice for COVID-19.

One of the new cases from US is claimed to have originated from an unknown source as the person had no recent travel history to any of the infected countries and was not even in touch with any people who were infected. Amid this, San Francisco's mayor has declared an emergency in San Francisco as cases arise near the city's vicinity. 

Iran's deputy health minister and head of National Security and Foreign Relations Commission have tested positive for COVID-19.

Saudi Arabia has blocked the entry of foreigners from Coronavirus-infected countries for the Umrah pilgrimage and visiting the Mecca and Medina months before the annual Haj pilgrimage. The country has not mentioned the duration for which this ban in entry will be in place. 

Coronavirus in India

India flew out 76 Indian nationals and other foreign nationals from Wuhan. 

The Indian Air Force also evacuated 119 Indian crew members of the Diamond Princess in Japan after they repeatedly appealed to the Indian government. 

Read our previous monitor here.

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Misinformation around Coronavirus

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