By Kelvin Obambon
The death toll caused by the new coronavirus in mainland China has reached 563, according to a new toll announced on Thursday, and restrictions have been extended across the country and abroad.
After the de facto quarantine of Wuhan and central Hubei Province, the epicenter of the virus, an increasing number of cities in eastern China are imposing travel restrictions on tens of millions more residents.
In Wuhan, an official assured that despite the emergency construction of a hospital and the conversion of official buildings into places for the sick, the city was experiencing a “serious” shortage of beds, “equipment and materials “, and that his doctors were overwhelmed.
The number of people infected reached 28,018 in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macao), with 3,694 cases reported in a single day, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
The Commission has also reported 73 deaths, including 70 in Hubei province where the disease originated, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 563.
WHO has launched a call for funds of 675 million dollars (613 million euros) and announced that 500,000 masks, 350,000 pairs of gloves will be sent to 24 countries, as well as 250,000 tests in more than 70 laboratories worldwide.
The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation has indicated that it is committed to investing $ 100 million in the fight against the new coronavirus.
Nearly 200 cases of contamination have been identified outside of China in some 20 countries. Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, reported on Tuesday its first death.
In the United States, a new case was identified in the state of Wisconsin, an adult who had gone to Beijing and had encountered carriers of the virus there. Two planes repatriating Americans from China have landed or are in the process of doing so in the United States, and two more are scheduled to land on Friday.
In Japan, 3,700 people of dozens of different nationalities find themselves trapped, for at least 14 days, in their cabins aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama: the number of cases doubled on Thursday, to 20, according to Japanese media citing health authorities.
In the port of Hong Kong, 1,800 people were detained on Wednesday to pass tests after the detection of three cases of coronavirus in recent passengers of the ship.
Under pressure, the Hong Kong authorities have closed almost all border posts with the rest of the country and will impose from Saturday a quarantine of two weeks on all visitors from mainland China.
The American airlines United and American Airlines announced Wednesday to suspend their flights to Hong Kong, after having already stopped their service from mainland China.
Indonesia cut air routes to China on Wednesday, blocking thousands of Chinese tourists on the tourist island of Bali.
Other countries are stepping up their measures in the face of the epidemic: Italy, where the condition of a couple of patients is worsening, has started monitoring their body temperature at its airports using thermal cameras passengers from abroad. Austria has announced that it will introduce temperature controls at Vienna International Airport on Thursday morning for passengers on direct flights from Beijing.
Source: AFP