Beijing: The death toll in China’s novel coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692, China’s national authorities announced Friday.
Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported.
A total of 213 people have died of the disease as of Thursday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese health authorities announced that 9,692 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Thursday.
About 20 countries, including India, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China.
China said it has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the epidemic.
China to send charter flights to bring back residents
China will send charter flights to bring home residents of coronavirus-hit Hubei province, especially capital Wuhan, from abroad, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a brief statement said citizens from Hubei province will be brought back in view of “practical difficulties” they were facing abroad.
The move followed Chinese officials’ announcement that about five million people from Hubei province and capital Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus, have travelled out of the region before the province was officially closed on 23 January.
These people are reported to have travelled within China and abroad to avail the weeklong holidays of the Chinese New Year and the ongoing Spring Festival.
WHO declares coronavirus as global health emergency
The WHO has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.
The UN health agency Friday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China — a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease.
“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Reacting to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, “Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people’s health.”
Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations, she said.
“We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic,” said the spokesperson.
She said that at the same time, the Chinese side informed relevant sides and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner with openness, transparency and a responsible attitude.
“WHO and many countries have recognised and commended this,” she said.
Hua said China has been in close communication and cooperation with WHO.
“WHO experts recently conducted a field trip to Wuhan. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also visited China and discussed containment and mitigation of the 2019-nCoV with the Chinese side,” she said.
Noting that Tedros commended China’s efforts and spoke highly of China’s great contribution to the world by fighting against the novel coronavirus, Hua said the country will continue working with WHO and other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xinhua quoted her statement.
Also read: Global tourism is bracing for a deadly blow from coronavirus as Chinese stop travelling
UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS IN WUHAN CITY OF CHINA FOLLOWING ALERT IN THAT REGARD BY WHO ON 14 JANUARY 2020.
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News reports have brought out warning on 14 January 2020 issued by WHO of a new corona virus that has struck in a city of China. The symptom of the disease is said to be pneumonia and it could have been through exposure to seafood market in Wuhan city of China sometime in December 2019. And a limited human-to-human transmission has been mentioned which can be read to imply that a limited contact with such patients has the potential of spreading. WHO has on 30 January 2020 declared the new strain of coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern as the virus reached 18 countries. The news reports as on 31 January 2020 suggest that , in China , more cases are coming to light while death toll has risen to 213. About 60 million people are said to be in confinement in 15 cities of China though , at present , about 9692 have tested positive. This Vedic astrology writer had alerted around October- November 2019 about the likelihood of the planetary impacts involving respiratory system and lung in the body in vulnerable cases across the world , particularly during April to June and October-December in the year 2020.
In this context , it is apt to refer readers to this Vedic astrology writer’s predictive alert of 11 November , 2019 through article – “ Astrological probable alerts for 2020” – published on 1 January 2020 at wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/5176/. The text of the related alert reads like this in the article :-
“ More care and appropriate strategy may be taken during April to June , particularly May-June in 2020 against …………………such stuff as are known for repugnant and repulsive smell through air…………………foodstuff , seafood …….could be either hit or face serious issues”. In another article published on 15 December 2019 , covering Italy through article – “ Potential of stars for Italy in soon coming year 2020” – published at http://www.astralis.it/Kumar02.htm, November –December 2020 have been alerted like this :-“ This scenario can also mean worrisome ailments involving respiratory system in the body”. Later on a further insight on the issue , it occurred to this writer that the impacts may stay longer to call for more care and appropriate strategy. In other words , as the days pass , the need to have more care and appropriate combating medical strategy is likely to mount in 2020 which has the potential to spill over as far as December 2021. During the present year 2020 , April to June and October to December , making a total of about six months look to be needing attention in that regard. The phenomenon may be understood here. Even if new Coronavirus related case does not appear in a country or countries , the patients having lung problem or vulnerability already independent of new Coronavirus , could be impacted in some way , whatsoever little during the said span of time. So vulnerability is important from the standpoint of planetary impact calling for more care and appropriate medical strategy. Having said that , there is no need to be in panic as the coronavirus does not exist anywhere and everywhere.