Coronavirus Update: Death Toll Surpasses Total from SARS, More Cases in Britain and Spain, Cruise Ship Quarantine Ends

By Anna Breuer on 9 February 2020
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TODAY’S FACTS AND FIGURES

The death toll from the novel coronavirus is now 811, surpassing the toll from the worldwide SARS epidemic in 2002-2003. Officials recorded 89 deaths and 2,656 new cases in the preceding 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 37,198.  Most of the deaths were in the Hubei province.

The actual number of infections and deaths is believed to be significantly higher as the Chinese healthcare system is straining to keep up with tests and reporting.

CORONAVIRUS NEWS

02-09 More cases of the Wuhan coronavirus were reported in Britain and in Spain.  In Britain, the infected person was a “known contact of a previously confirmed U.K. case,” said Chris Whitty, the country’s chief medical officer. Spain confirmed a second case a British man who lives in Majorca.

02-09 Passengers who were being held in quarantine in a Hong Kong port on the cruise ship World Dream were released after its crewmembers tested negative for the virus, officials there said.

02-09 Six additional passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.  A total of 3,700 people have been held in quarantine on the ship since last Monday after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong later tested positive for the virus.

02-09 Academics and other professionals calling for freedom of speech in the wake of Dr. Li Wenliang, who was among the first to sound the alarm about the novel coronavirus, only to be silenced by the Chinese government, and who died Friday after contracting the virus.

02-09 The Global Times, a newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, is accusing “Hong Kong secessionists and foreign entities” of exploiting Dr. Li’s death to stir up antigovernment sentiment.

02-09 The government of Fang County, which is located in the Hubei Province, is offering residents who report that they have a fever a reward of 1,000 renminbi ($142.82). It is also offering those who report others with fevers 500 renminbi.

02-08 An American diagnosed with the coronavirus died in China.  The 60-year-old woman is the first U.S. citizen to die from the illness and passed away on February 6 in Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan, according to a spokesman at the U.S. embassy there.

02-08 China has named the virus, at least temporarily. The government there ordered local authorities and state news media to refer to it in English as NCP for novel coronavirus pneumonia, the national health commission said. The virus’ final name will be announced by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses perhaps as early as next week.

02-08 Despite a scare, there are no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in New York City. Four people there who were suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus have tested negative.  Test results are pending for a fifth person.

02-07 Several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines said they have banned passengers who hold passports from China, Hong Kong, or Macau from their cruise ships “until further notice.”  Norwegian is also banning crewmembers that hold any of those passports and Royal Caribbean said it is banning anyone regardless of nationality who has visited Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau or who has been in contact with anyone who has. MSC Cruises is banning anyone who has visited mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau or passed through any of their airports in the past 30 days.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

Accura News