Xi's reemergence shows how carefully China is controlling the coronavirus narrative - CNN

In a 42-second video released by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi was shown visiting several locations in the capital Beijing dedicated to fighting the virus, getting his temperature taken and speaking to medical staff.

Throughout the video, which has no audio other than a background piano track, Xi wears a disposable surgical mask -- the type Chinese officials have been urging people to don in order to avoid further spread of the virus.

Coverage of Xi's outing in Beijing has been carefully controlled. Chinese state media outlets, even those which usually pursue their own editorial lines, are running copy from the official Xinhua news agency, along with the CCTV-produced video -- often a sign that the message is being specifically managed by the central authorities.

Xinhua and CCTV are the two most important institutions in the Chinese media, and their coverage typically guides how other outlets cover politically sensitive issues.

While Xi's outing was itself fairly inconsequential in practical terms, its timing is politically sensitive, coming after Xi had effectively vanished from newspaper front pages and news broadcasts, which he usually dominates.

Monday was the first time he has been seen directly engaging in virus-related efforts. The closest he came before that was a meeting in the Great Hall of the People with World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on January 28.

The rarity of Xi's outing, as well as the push to ensure wall-to-wall coverage of it, shows how Chinese authorities are going to play the virus crisis going forward.

Safe locations

According to state media, Xi visited "a residential community, a hospital and a district center for disease control and prevention in Beijing."

While there have been a few hundred cases of the virus reported in Beijing, and three deaths, the capital is nevertheless about 1,000 kilometers (650 miles) from Wuhan, Hubei province -- the epicenter of the outbreak. Stringent controls have also been put in place to stop the spread of the virus within the city, much of which remains a ghost town despite businesses reopening Monday, as millions work from home in voluntary quarantine.

During his outing, Xi wore a regular surgical mask, of the type available to most people, rather than a respirator or more sophisticated face covering. Basic masks can block droplets from sneezes or coughs, but they're recommended for areas where the number of potential virus carriers is low -- by comparison, medics in Wuhan itself are often seen wearing full hazmat-style suits.

Xi's mask use suggests that he was never at any risk of infection. Nor is he likely to be -- Xi is the most important person in China, the axis around which the country's political and military structure rotates. He is the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, and would never place himself in a position where his health was under threat.

Last month, Premier Li Keqiang -- who has been sidelined under Xi but is nevertheless one of the country's top officials -- visited Wuhan itself and met with frontline medical workers. This fits with how China and most other governments handle crises: people want to see that officials are on top of things and feel reassured.

That Xi did not take part in a stage-managed outing like Monday's before now had led to widespread speculation about what was going on behind the scenes.

Chinese politics, especially at the highest level, is a black box at the best of times. But there was evidence of a struggle by the propaganda and censorship apparatuses to control the narrative around the virus.

Evidence that officials in Wuhan downplayed the outbreak even after it should have been clear that human-to-human transmission was taking place led to a brief relaxation of censorship -- this reduced some public outrage but also led to embarrassing stories in the Chinese press over just how bad the situation was.

That brief period of transparency did not last long, and last week state media began promoting positive stories hard, in an apparent effort to shift the narrative from one of crisis to one of resilience and resurgence. A selection of top stories from Tuesday's edition of the China Daily illustrates this approach: "Couple puts duty before reunion dinners"; "More medics rush to join the fight in Wuhan"; "Hunan student honors health workers, including his father, with artworks."

And while the desire to avoid fatalism -- particularly among the millions of increasingly stir-crazy people trapped in voluntary quarantine across the country -- is understandable, it comes as major questions remain unanswered over the Wuhan government and central authorities' handling of the crisis.

The push for more positive stories may have been setting the ground for Xi's reemergence, once it was ensured that he could appear as the person to solve the crisis.

Throughout his disappearance from front pages, state media always emphasized that Xi was the one directing the response -- a risky strategy that would only work in a country like China where the authorities have absolute control over the media and can censor any who questions them.

"Xi is the commander of the people's war against the epidemic," Xinhua said Tuesday. "Over the past few weeks, he has called multiple meetings, heard reports, made important instructions on the prevention and control work and discussed the topic with foreign leaders."

Xinhua reported that Xi took part in a video conference on Monday with officials in Hubei. "Wuhan is a heroic city, and people of Hubei and Wuhan are heroic people who have never been crushed by any difficulty and danger in history," Xi told the officials.

Someone's getting the blame

But while the people of Hubei may be heroic, the province's government is increasingly emerging as the villain of this crisis.

For weeks it has been clear that the poor handling of the epidemic early on led to it spreading throughout the country, either due to bureaucratic incompetence or an active cover-up by local officials of the type seen during SARS.

The human cost of this was made evident last week, when Li Wenliang, a doctor widely hailed as a hero for attempting to raise the alarm about the virus, died from it. Li had been detained by police in Wuhan for spreading "rumors," after he warned some university friends in a chat group about a "SARS-like virus" spreading in the city.

His death and the clumsy handling of it by the authorities led to widespread outrage online and a rare open challenge to the country's censors, with hundreds of thousands demanding free speech before they were themselves censored.

It was clear then that a deluge of positive stories would not be enough to turn the country's mood around -- people needed to see someone held to account.

Beijing quickly announced that the National Supervisory Commission, a nationwide anti-corruption task force with sweeping powers, was dispatching a team to Wuhan to investigate the matter, with the clear message that heads will roll.

Speaking to British media this week, China's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming blamed the censorship in Wuhan and arrest of whisteblowers on a few bad apples, adding that "(Li Wenliang) will be remembered as a hero ... and for his brave contribution."

On Tuesday, CCTV reported that two officials in charge of Hubei's provincial health commission had been suspended, likely just the start of a wholesale purging of the local government.

"Every life counts. The right to survival and health is the most basic and important human right," Xinhua said in a commentary published after Xi's outing Monday. "All these challenges must be and will be overcome in China's characteristic system with a great degree of strength and resilience."

CNN's Steven Jiang and Nectar Gan contributed reporting.

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2020-02-11 10:47:00Z
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Philippines Says It Will End U.S. Security Agreement - NPR

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Philippine Navy personnel watch as the U.S. Navy's multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS WASP cruises in the background during the Joint US-Philippine Military Exercise "Balikatan 2019" in April. Bullit Marquez/AP hide caption

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Updated at 6 a.m. ET

The government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been highly critical of his country's military alliance with the United States, announced Tuesday that it would scrap a security pact that allows American forces to train there.

In a move that could have consequences for a counter-insurgency against Islamist extremists in the country's south, Duterte's foreign secretary, Teodoro Locson Jr., tweeted Tuesday that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. would be unilaterally terminated.

@DFAPHL The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States has received the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development. https://t.co/qQhywEpcea

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 11, 2020

"It's about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defenses and not rely on any other country," Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said at a regular press briefing, quoting Duterte.

He said Manila would be open to similar agreements with other countries. "As long as it is favorable to us and there is a mutual benefit to both countries, we are open," he said.

The 1999 VFA pact exempts U.S. military personnel from passport and visa regulations when they come and go for joint exercises and training of troops in the Philippines.

The decision follows anger over Washington's reported decision last month to cancel the U.S. visa of Philippines Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a chief architect of Duterte's brutal war on drugs, which has killed thousands and been widely condemned by international human rights watchdogs.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech on Monday in a photo provided by the Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division. Toto Lozano/AP hide caption

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Toto Lozano/AP

Duterte demanded that the U.S. restore the visa and began publicly suggesting he would terminate the VFA if it failed to do so.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila issued a statement on Tuesday calling Duterte's move "a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippine alliance."

"We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests," the statement said.

JUST IN: The United States Embassy in the Philippines’ statement on the Visiting Forces Agreement @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/M1NMXj7ew3

— Chiara Zambrano (@chiarazambrano) February 11, 2020

The U.S., which provided some $550 million in military assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, conducts joint military exercises, such as the annual Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder," in Tagalog, with Filipino troops. Balikatan, which sometimes also includes Australian forces, is seen as a show of force against possible military adventures by China.

The U.S. also has kept as many as 100 special forces troops on the Philippine island of Mindanao on a rotating basis to help in Manila's fight against terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and other militants linked to the Islamic State.

U.S. troops were on the ground in 2017 aiding the Philippine military during a siege of militants in the southern city of Marawi. The U.S. Navy is also seen as a bulwark against China's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.

The Philippines, a former U.S. territory that gained independence in 1946, has long viewed Washington as its strongest ally. Besides the VFA, it also has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. that dates back to the 1950s. That pact, along with the Obama administration's Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, remains intact.

However, Duterte came to office three years ago with strong words for Washington. Among other things, he has said the U.S. treats the Philippines as "like a dog on a leash," and has accused U.S. forces of clandestine activities in the country. He came into office executing a dramatic pivot away from the U.S. and toward China, an increasingly strong regional player.

The U.S. has 180 days to respond to the notice of the VFA's termination.

Duterte has said that President Trump wants to save the deal. However, The Philippines Star quotes presidential spokesman Panelo as saying Duterte "will not entertain" entreaties from the U.S. nor will he accept an invitation to visit the White House.

But in one tweet, Locson, the foreign secretary, seemed to suggest that the cancellation of the pact was mostly a bargaining tactic aimed at getting some unspecified concessions from Washington.

You're the only one who got that. Other reactions have been idiotic. https://t.co/lRgNVOBztN

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 11, 2020

And last week, in a televised Senate hearing, Locsin listed the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides, according to The Associated Press.

"While the Philippines has the prerogative to terminate the VFA anytime, the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any predicates were it to be terminated," he said.

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2020-02-11 10:34:00Z
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Coronavirus live updates: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship - The - The Washington Post

Issei Kato Reuters The Diamond Princess, where 135 passengers and crew have tested positive for coronavirus, at Yokohama port in Japan on Tuesday.

As deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 1,000 — nearly all in China — Beijing on Tuesday urged countries that have enacted travel restrictions aimed at curbing the outbreak to restore normal ties for the sake of the global economy. The comments from China’s Foreign Ministry underscored the economic dangers posed by the unprecedented shutdown of much of the world’s second-largest economy, as well as the Communist Party’s concerns about the outbreak’s capacity to fuel domestic instability.

Authorities in the virus-hit city of Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes. Two provincial health bosses have been fired as the Communist Party struggles to contain widespread anger over the spread of the virus. Here’s what we know:

● The death toll from the new coronavirus surged beyond 1,000 in mainland China, with more than 100 deaths in a single day, a record. The number of confirmed infections continues to rise but the rate of growth is slowing.

● China urged countries around the world to soon restore normal ties, warning that if its economy suffers, so will that of the rest of the world.

● Authorities in Wuhan tightened restrictions on citizens, with just one member of a household allowed to make one shopping trip every three days, and entire buildings placed under quarantine.

● More than a dozen ambulances are lined up alongside the Diamond Princess in Yokohama as medical staff evacuate passengers and crew confirmed as carrying the virus, after 65 more people on board the cruise ship tested positive.

● China’s is bracing for the return of some 160 million migrant workers to their cities of employment as the country’s economy sputters back to life after an extended holiday vacation following the outbreak.

4:30 AM: South Korea warns against travel to Japan, Singapore and Asian nations over virus

SEOUL — South Korea advised its citizens on Tuesday against travel to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and three other Asian countries as the number of coronavirus cases outside China continues to rise.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip rolled out the new advisory to “minimize” travel to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. The goal of new measure is to “prevent the inflow of the new coronavirus through a third country outside China,” according to Kim.

South Korea announced its 28th confirmed case of the new coronavirus on Tuesday. Japan also added two to its tally on Tuesday to reach 28, after the virus was found in two men who had been evacuated from the virus-hit city of Wuhan.

Kim said the World Health Organization has confirmed the occurrence of community transmission in the six countries and regions. The WHO could not be immediately reached for comment.

Chung Sung-Jun

AFP/Getty Images

Passengers walk past a thermal camera ahead of the AFC Champions League Group F match at the football stadium on Feb. 11, 2020 in Ulsan, South Korea.

Singapore has the highest number of coronavirus cases outside China with 45, followed by Thailand with 32. Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have fewer than 20 cases.

Out of 28 cases of coronavirus infection in South Korea, four patients have contracted the virus after returning from countries outside China: Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

South Korea currently applies “special” medical screening for arrivals from mainland China, which requires passengers to submit health forms and get their temperature checked.

Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Tuesday that the subject of the “special” screening will be widened to arrivals from Hong Kong and Macao starting Wednesday.

KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said Hong Kong and Macao will be newly designated as “contaminated areas” in addition to mainland China, and subject to strengthened quarantine measures.

By: Min Joo Kim

4:15 AM: China’s migrant workers head back to cities as country slowly gets back to work

BEIJING — China’s more than 100 million strong army of migrant workers are gradually returning to cities as the country slowly gets back to work.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Xu Yahua, a senior official in the Ministry of Transport, said around 160 million people are expected to return to their workplace and resume work from now until Feb. 18 when the Lunar Festival travel rush ends.

Xu said that in provinces exporting large numbers of migrant workers, chartered buses will be organized to help them return to work.

Cong Liang, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the state’s economic planning agency, says people who return to work should report to local authorities, and those suspected of carrying the virus will be quarantined on the spot and sent for further checks.

Jason Lee

Reuters

Security personnel and local officials stand guard at an entrance of a residential area for migrant workers on the outskirts of Beijing, February 2, 2020.

Much of China’s economy had ground to a halt because of the virus, with widespread restrictions imposed by local governments around the country and many people simply choosing the stay home.

But essential services have resumed, and other enterprises are gradually starting back up.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the state’s economic planning agency, said on Tuesday that around 75 percent of companies making face masks and protective suits had now returned to work, nearly 95 percent of grain production and processing companies and 58 percent of coal mines had resumed operations.

Beijing’s subways and streets are busier this week than they have been since before the Lunar New Year holiday, but life is still far from returning to normal. Most restaurants in the capital remained closed, Beijing News reported on Monday.

Chinese media reported that most Internet companies have postponed their employees’ return to work until next Monday, although many employees have been working from home.

The daily death toll from the virus continues to set consecutive record highs, and the number of confirmed new infections also continues to rise. But the rate of increase of new infections has slowed. Experts fear the return of tens of millions of migrant workers could lead to a new surge in cases unless adequate precautions are taken.

By: Liu Yang with Simon Denyer in Tokyo

4:00 AM: Vietnam announces 15th coronavirus case, a 3-month-old girl

A 3-month-old baby became Vietnam’s 15th confirmed case of coronavirus, according to the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

A number of cases of newborns from infected mothers in China testing positive for the virus has raised fears about mother-to-infant transmission, but in this case, the baby appeared to have caught it from her grandmother.

On Jan. 28, the baby girl was taken to visit her grandmother in a nearby town and stayed for four days, according to the English language Vietnam News. After the grandmother was diagnosed with the coronavirus, her daughter and granddaughter were tested. On Feb. 6, the baby began to cough. The child is now in quarantine with her mother.

The grandmother contracted the virus from a neighbor who had attended a training course in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus.

Ten of Vietnam’s 15 cases, including the newborn and grandmother, all come from the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

By: Paul Schemm

3:25 AM: China urges countries to restore normal ties as soon as possible to steady world economy

China urged countries around the world on Tuesday to resume normal ties as soon as possible to avoid damage to the global economy from the new coronavirus.

“We believe our economic fundamentals that support China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged, and we are capable of minimizing the epidemic’s impact on our economy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters, but said the economic impact of the virus depended on controlling the epidemic.

China, Geng said, accounts for around 16 percent of global economic output, and around 30 percent of global economic growth.

Aly Song

Reuters

Passenger Chen, 28, wearing a mask and a swimming goggles walks outside the Shanghai railway station in Shanghai, Feb. 7, 2020.

“If our economy is impacted, there will inevitably be spillover effects on other countries and even the world economy,” he said. “Therefore, by fighting against NCP, China is safeguarding both its own country and the world.”

China has named the virus Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, or NCP.

“Faced with a public health crisis, one cannot protect oneself by taking a ‘beggar-thy-neighbor’ approach or overreactions,” he said. “The urgent task for everyone is to defeat the virus together and restore normal state-to-state exchange and cooperation as soon as possible. Only by doing so can we support steady world economic growth and anchor expectations around the world.”

China’s Foreign Ministry has been especially critical of the United States for drastically cutting travel links between the two countries, including barring foreigners who have recently visited China.

By: Simon Denyer

3:15 AM: UAE announces eighth coronavirus case as woman declared virus-free over the weekend

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates announced its eighth case of the coronavirus late Sunday, an Indian national that contracted it after coming in contact with another infected.

The UAE remains the only Middle Eastern country reporting coronavirus cases. Its Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest travel hubs in the world.

The first five cases were all Chinese citizens that traveled to the UAE, including a family of four from Wuhan, the epidemic epicenter. One of those, Liu Yujia, a grandmother, has made a full recovery, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

On Saturday, two other cases were announced, a Chinese and a Filipino citizen.

One of the cases is currently in intensive care with the six others in stable condition, according to the ministry which did not specify the nationality of the individual under close observation.

“In cooperation with key partners, we follow a very effective epidemiological monitoring mechanism — in accordance with the highest global practices and based on World Health Organization’s standards — to respond to any health emergencies,” said a Health Ministry statement.

China’s consul to Dubai on Monday told all Chinese returning to the city that have had contact with coronavirus cases or been in affected regions should quarantine themselves at home for 14 days.

By: Paul Schemm

2:45 AM: China calls for privacy protection after leaks of Wuhan residents’ data

BEIJING — China’s Internet supervisor called on Tuesday for stricter controls on personal information, after the widespread leaking of the personal details of people from Wuhan, those who had visited the city and anyone else infected with coronavirus.

People returning from Wuhan are asked to register with local authorities, but many of them found forms with their personal information — name, home address, ID, phone number, and even college entrance exam scores — being passed around in WeChat groups, sometimes marked as “suspected cases.”

Many people have complained about getting threat messages or harassment calls as a result, and the hashtag #WuhanReturneesInfoLeak has been a trending topic on the Weibo social media platform since late January.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Tuesday that no organization or individual other than authorized health departments should collect personal information “for disease treatment and prevention” without permission, let alone share them on social media,

Hong Yanqing, a Peking University researcher and senior CAC official said “big data” analysis of epidemic control involves collecting large amounts of personal information, but said not everyone had the right or capacity to do so.

One student studying at a college in Wuhan returned to his home in Hebei on Jan. 11 for the winter holiday, and voluntarily isolated himself for over 20 days at home, without showing any symptoms.

But in late January his details appeared on a list widely circulated on social media of nearly 1,000 people who had either studied, worked in, or been to Wuhan.

“I cooperated with the government and answered their questions because I understood it was standard practice. But how on earth did my detailed personal information get leaked online?” he asked in a social media post.

“I already knew that there were people illegally collecting personal information and trading them for one yuan [14 U.S. cents] per 10 names. Imagine how many more people’s information is going to get leaked if such documents continue to be shared online, and imagine these getting into the hands of criminals.”

Another Wuhan university student from Hunan province said he had stopped going out or meeting anyone since his personal information was leaked.

By: Lyric Li with Simon Denyer in Tokyo

1:57 AM: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship

TOKYO — More than a dozen ambulances were waiting near the Diamond Princess in the Japanese port of Yokohama on Tuesday, as medical staff continue to evacuate passengers from the quarantined cruise ship confirmed as being infected with the virus.

Japan’s health ministry said on Monday that 65 more people on board the ship have tested positive for the virus, bringing to 135 the total number infected. Many of the passengers are elderly, posing additional health risks as the virus has proved much deadlier among elderly people and those with existing health problems.

Charly Triballeau

Afp Via Getty Images

People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama port on Tuesday.

The sharp rise in infected people appeared to take Japanese authorities by surprise, and they were unable to organize evacuations for most of the new cases on Monday.

The Health Ministry had been busy talking to hospitals as far away as the city of Nagano northwest of Tokyo to find beds for people, according to a local paper in the city.

Japanese media reported that further tests will be carried out Tuesday on passengers over the age of 80. But given that nearly one in three people who have been tested have been found to be carrying the virus, pressure is mounting on Japan to test everyone.

However, if those tests showed more infected people, it would place a significant burden on Japan’s health system. The ministry says 410 hospitals across the country have the facility to deal with infectious diseases, with a total of 1,871 beds.

There are also fears that the virus could still be transmitted on board the ship, especially among the crew — who have not been quarantined from each other, continue to work and are starting to fall sick in greater numbers.

Read more here: Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China

By: Simon Denyer

1:30 AM: Renowned Chinese kidney doctor dies of coronavirus

A Chinese doctor and leading expert in kidney transplants has died of coronavirus at the age of 62, Chinese media reported Tuesday.

Lin Zhengbin, a professor at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, had practiced kidney transplants for 30 years before dying of the virus on Monday morning.

Co-workers and friends describe him as gentle, slow-tempered, and low profile.

“We had been close friends for years,” his colleague Song Jianxin told the Health Times, a twice-weekly newspaper owned by People's Daily. “He had been in good health and had no existing illnesses, so no one expected his condition to worsen so fast and to get so severe.”

Song, director of the infectious diseases department at Tongji, said he received a message from Lin asking for help after he was admitted to intensive care, but by then he was already on oxygen and was too weak to speak.

“It took less than a month for Lin from getting confirmed [as having the virus] to passing away,” Song said.

Health Times quoted an anonymous doctor as saying that Lin might have got infected during a health checkup at the crowded outpatient department.

“It was the time when staff from our outpatient department were having a group checkup,” the doctor was quoted as saying. “The checkup center is on the third floor, sharing the same floor with the super-crowded pediatrics department. Many people were coming and going, and there weren’t the quarantine measures that are in place now.”

Chinese authorities have not disclosed how many medical staff have come down with the virus, but many are believed to have fallen sick.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

1:15 AM: China tightens restrictions on residents of virus-hit city of Wuhan

Authorities in Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, effectively making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes, as they struggle to control the spread of the epidemic.

Many districts in the city now only allow one member of each household to go shopping every three days. Previously one person had been allowed out every two days.

In a notice issued Monday, the city also said all residential areas will be put under “closed management” and all buildings with suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus will be placed entirely under quarantine.

China Daily

Reuters

Customers wearing face masks shop inside a supermarket following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China Feb. 10, 2020.

The closed management system entails tight controls such as strict controls on entry and exit, including registration and temperature checks, and the banning of outside vehicles.

Wuhan’s epidemic control command center also urged residents to seek medical treatment in hospitals near their residence and banned fever patients from going to hospitals in other districts.

On Sunday alone, 103 people died in the province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital, China’s National Health Commission said. Of the total 1,016 deaths in China, more than 95 percent have occurred in Hubei.

More than 17,000 health workers from around the country have come to Hubei to help in treatment of infected patients, according to Chinese media reports.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

12:50 AM: Taiwan travelers caught in Philippine travel ban

MANILA — The Philippines widened travel restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak to include a ban on arrivals from Taiwan, the self-ruled island over which China asserts sovereignty, leaving hundreds of Taiwanese reportedly stranded.

Philippine immigration officials late Monday clarified that a ban on arrivals from China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao, also applied to Taiwan. A memo from the Civil Aeronautics Board said this was in line with Manila’s adherence to the “one China” policy.

“While not explicitly stated, we have confirmed with the Secretary of Justice that Taiwan is indeed part of the ban, and this expansion shall be implemented immediately,” said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

A Philippine health official said the policy was clarified last week, but airlines including Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines only canceled flights between Manila and Taipei on Monday night.

Taiwan News reported that around 500 Taiwanese were consequently stranded in the Philippines.

Philippine officials stressed that the ban is temporary and does not apply to Filipino citizens and permanent residents.

Taiwan has recorded 18 cases of the coronavirus. Some critics see its inclusion in the Philippines’ ban as playing into China’s hands, even as Taiwan has fewer reported cases than Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. China, meanwhile, has recorded more than 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases.

The dispute over Taiwan’s status dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang fled to the island and Communist leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on the mainland.

China considers Taiwan a rogue province to be captured by force if necessary, while Taiwan says it has never been part of the People’s Republic. But the “one China” policy widely observed internationally means the democratic island is often unable to participate fully in global bodies such as the World Health Organization.

By: Regine Cabato

12:28 AM: China dismisses health chiefs in virus-hit Hubei province

China’s Communist Party has dismissed the two most senior officials in the provincial health commission in the virus-hit province of Hubei, as anger continues to reverberate around the country over the authorities’ handling of the epidemic.

Hubei’s provincial government announced that Zhang Jin, the Communist Party secretary of the provincial Hubei’s health commission, along director Liu Yingzi, were both fired on Monday, for unspecified reasons. Their roles will be filled by Wang Hesheng, a member of the provincial committee of the Communist Party and former deputy director of the National Health Commission.

They are among the most senior officials to be fired over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with dozens of lower level officials also losing their jobs.

Stringer

Reuters

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wearing a mask and protective suit speaks to medical workers as he visits the Jinyintan hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, Jan. 27, 2020.

The central government in Beijing also urged members of the public to report any examples of dereliction of duty among local governments.

Experts say the central and provincial governments share responsibility for initially covering up the epidemic, in ways that made the outbreak far tougher to control. But the central government has tried to shift the blame onto local governments.

The death of doctor Li Wenliang, who tried to warn people about the virus but was silenced by Communist Party authorities and then died of the disease himself, has sparked an outpouring of anger among Chinese citizens. 

By: Simon Denyer

12:16 AM: China death toll tops 1,000, with record daily rise of 108

The death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 1,016, with a new daily record rise of 108 deaths on Monday, China’s National Health Commission announced on Tuesday,

More than 700 people were discharged from hospital, bringing to 3,996 the number of people officially classified as cured.

But while the daily death toll continues to accelerate, the rate of growth of new infections has begun to slow slightly. The number of new cases recorded on Monday fell slightly, to 2,478, with the majority in the virus-hit province of Hubei and only 381 in other parts of mainland China.

The number of new cases per day had peaked at 3,887 on Feb. 4, while the number of new infections outside Hubei reached a daily high of 890 on Feb. 3.

But experts say it is too early to say the virus has peaked, especially with many people around China going back to work after the extended Lunar New Year holiday.

Excluding those who have been cured or died, mainland China has a total 37,626 people confirmed as infected with the virus, including 7,333 in serious condition, and 21,675 suspected cases.

Some 428,000 people have been classified as having come into close contact with infected people, and 188,000 are under medical observation.

By: Simon Denyer

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2020-02-11 10:12:00Z
52780602922125

Coronavirus live updates: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship - The Washington Post

Issei Kato Reuters The Diamond Princess, where 135 passengers and crew have tested positive for coronavirus, at Yokohama port in Japan on Tuesday.

Japanese medics continued to evacuate passengers and crew members from the Diamond Princess on Tuesday, after 65 more people on board the cruise ship tested positive for the virus a day earlier. Deaths from the virus have topped 1,000, nearly all in China. So far 135 people on board the ship have been diagnosed as infected, and have been or will be sent to local hospitals for treatment.

In China, authorities in the virus-hit city of Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes. Two provincial health bosses have been fired as the Communist Party struggles to contain widespread anger over the spread of the virus. Here’s what we know:

● The death toll from the new coronavirus surged beyond 1,000 in mainland China, with more than 100 deaths in a single day, a record. The number of confirmed infections continues to rise but the rate of growth is slowing.

● Authorities in Wuhan tightened restrictions on citizens, with just one member of a household allowed to make one shopping trip every three days, and entire buildings placed under quarantine.

● More than a dozen ambulances are lined up alongside the Diamond Princess in Yokohama as medical staff evacuate passengers and crew confirmed as carrying the virus.

● China has removed the two top provincial health bosses in the province of Hubei at the center of the virus epidemic, as Communist officials seek to assuage public anger.

4:00 AM: Vietnam announces 15th coronavirus case, a 3-month-old girl

A 3-month-old baby became Vietnam’s 15th confirmed case of coronavirus, according to the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

A number of cases of newborns from infected mothers in China testing positive for the virus has raised fears about mother-to-infant transmission, but in this case, the baby appeared to have caught it from her grandmother.

On Jan. 28, the baby girl was taken to visit her grandmother in a nearby town and stayed for four days, according to the English language Vietnam News. After the grandmother was diagnosed with the coronavirus, her daughter and granddaughter were tested. On Feb. 6, the baby began to cough. The child is now in quarantine with her mother.

The grandmother contracted the virus from a neighbor who had attended a training course in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus.

Ten of Vietnam’s 15 cases, including the newborn and grandmother, all come from the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

By: Paul Schemm

3:25 AM: China urges countries to restore normal ties as soon as possible to steady world economy

China urged countries around the world on Tuesday to resume normal ties as soon as possible to avoid damage to the global economy from the new coronavirus.

“We believe our economic fundamentals that support China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged, and we are capable of minimizing the epidemic’s impact on our economy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters, but said the economic impact of the virus depended on controlling the epidemic.

China, Geng said, accounts for around 16 percent of global economic output, and around 30 percent of global economic growth.

Aly Song

Reuters

Passenger Chen, 28, wearing a mask and a swimming goggles walks outside the Shanghai railway station in Shanghai, Feb. 7, 2020.

“If our economy is impacted, there will inevitably be spillover effects on other countries and even the world economy,” he said. “Therefore, by fighting against NCP, China is safeguarding both its own country and the world.”

China has named the virus Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, or NCP.

“Faced with a public health crisis, one cannot protect oneself by taking a ‘beggar-thy-neighbor’ approach or overreactions,” he said. “The urgent task for everyone is to defeat the virus together and restore normal state-to-state exchange and cooperation as soon as possible. Only by doing so can we support steady world economic growth and anchor expectations around the world.”

China’s Foreign Ministry has been especially critical of the United States for drastically cutting travel links between the two countries, including barring foreigners who have recently visited China.

By: Simon Denyer

3:15 AM: UAE announces eighth coronavirus case as woman declared virus-free over the weekend

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates announced its eighth case of the coronavirus late Sunday, an Indian national that contracted it after coming in contact with another infected.

The UAE remains the only Middle Eastern country reporting coronavirus cases. Its Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest travel hubs in the world.

The first five cases were all Chinese citizens that traveled to the UAE, including a family of four from Wuhan, the epidemic epicenter. One of those, Liu Yujia, a grandmother, has made a full recovery, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

On Saturday, two other cases were announced, a Chinese and a Filipino citizen.

One of the cases is currently in intensive care with the six others in stable condition, according to the ministry which did not specify the nationality of the individual under close observation.

“In cooperation with key partners, we follow a very effective epidemiological monitoring mechanism — in accordance with the highest global practices and based on World Health Organization’s standards — to respond to any health emergencies,” said a Health Ministry statement.

China’s consul to Dubai on Monday told all Chinese returning to the city that have had contact with coronavirus cases or been in affected regions should quarantine themselves at home for 14 days.

By: Paul Schemm

2:45 AM: China calls for privacy protection after leaks of Wuhan residents’ data

BEIJING — China’s Internet supervisor called on Tuesday for stricter controls on personal information, after the widespread leaking of the personal details of people from Wuhan, those who had visited the city and anyone else infected with coronavirus.

People returning from Wuhan are asked to register with local authorities, but many of them found forms with their personal information — name, home address, ID, phone number, and even college entrance exam scores — being passed around in WeChat groups, sometimes marked as “suspected cases.”

Many people have complained about getting threat messages or harassment calls as a result, and the hashtag #WuhanReturneesInfoLeak has been a trending topic on the Weibo social media platform since late January.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Tuesday that no organization or individual other than authorized health departments should collect personal information “for disease treatment and prevention” without permission, let alone share them on social media,

Hong Yanqing, a Peking University researcher and senior CAC official said “big data” analysis of epidemic control involves collecting large amounts of personal information, but said not everyone had the right or capacity to do so.

One student studying at a college in Wuhan returned to his home in Hebei on Jan. 11 for the winter holiday, and voluntarily isolated himself for over 20 days at home, without showing any symptoms.

But in late January his details appeared on a list widely circulated on social media of nearly 1,000 people who had either studied, worked in, or been to Wuhan.

“I cooperated with the government and answered their questions because I understood it was standard practice. But how on earth did my detailed personal information get leaked online?” he asked in a social media post.

“I already knew that there were people illegally collecting personal information and trading them for one yuan [14 U.S. cents] per 10 names. Imagine how many more people’s information is going to get leaked if such documents continue to be shared online, and imagine these getting into the hands of criminals.”

Another Wuhan university student from Hunan province said he had stopped going out or meeting anyone since his personal information was leaked.

By: Lyric Li with Simon Denyer in Tokyo

1:57 AM: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship

TOKYO — More than a dozen ambulances were waiting near the Diamond Princess in the Japanese port of Yokohama on Tuesday, as medical staff continue to evacuate passengers from the quarantined cruise ship confirmed as being infected with the virus.

Japan’s health ministry said on Monday that 65 more people on board the ship have tested positive for the virus, bringing to 135 the total number infected. Many of the passengers are elderly, posing additional health risks as the virus has proved much deadlier among elderly people and those with existing health problems.

Charly Triballeau

Afp Via Getty Images

People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama port on Tuesday.

The sharp rise in infected people appeared to take Japanese authorities by surprise, and they were unable to organize evacuations for most of the new cases on Monday.

The Health Ministry had been busy talking to hospitals as far away as the city of Nagano northwest of Tokyo to find beds for people, according to a local paper in the city.

Japanese media reported that further tests will be carried out Tuesday on passengers over the age of 80. But given that nearly one in three people who have been tested have been found to be carrying the virus, pressure is mounting on Japan to test everyone.

However, if those tests showed more infected people, it would place a significant burden on Japan’s health system. The ministry says 410 hospitals across the country have the facility to deal with infectious diseases, with a total of 1,871 beds.

There are also fears that the virus could still be transmitted on board the ship, especially among the crew — who have not been quarantined from each other, continue to work and are starting to fall sick in greater numbers.

Read more here: Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China

By: Simon Denyer

1:30 AM: Renowned Chinese kidney doctor dies of coronavirus

A Chinese doctor and leading expert in kidney transplants has died of coronavirus at the age of 62, Chinese media reported Tuesday.

Lin Zhengbin, a professor at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, had practiced kidney transplants for 30 years before dying of the virus on Monday morning.

Co-workers and friends describe him as gentle, slow-tempered, and low profile.

“We had been close friends for years,” his colleague Song Jianxin told the Health Times, a twice-weekly newspaper owned by People's Daily. “He had been in good health and had no existing illnesses, so no one expected his condition to worsen so fast and to get so severe.”

Song, director of the infectious diseases department at Tongji, said he received a message from Lin asking for help after he was admitted to intensive care, but by then he was already on oxygen and was too weak to speak.

“It took less than a month for Lin from getting confirmed [as having the virus] to passing away,” Song said.

Health Times quoted an anonymous doctor as saying that Lin might have got infected during a health checkup at the crowded outpatient department.

“It was the time when staff from our outpatient department were having a group checkup,” the doctor was quoted as saying. “The checkup center is on the third floor, sharing the same floor with the super-crowded pediatrics department. Many people were coming and going, and there weren’t the quarantine measures that are in place now."

Chinese authorities have not disclosed how many medical staff have come down with the virus, but many are believed to have fallen sick.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

1:15 AM: China tightens restrictions on residents of virus-hit city of Wuhan

Authorities in Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, effectively making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes, as they struggle to control the spread of the epidemic.

Many districts in the city now only allow one member of each household to go shopping every three days. Previously one person had been allowed out every two days.

In a notice issued Monday, the city also said all residential areas will be put under “closed management” and all buildings with suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus will be placed entirely under quarantine.

China Daily

Reuters

Customers wearing face masks shop inside a supermarket following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China Feb. 10, 2020.

The closed management system entails tight controls such as strict controls on entry and exit, including registration and temperature checks, and the banning of outside vehicles.

Wuhan’s epidemic control command center also urged residents to seek medical treatment in hospitals near their residence and banned fever patients from going to hospitals in other districts.

On Sunday alone, 103 people died in the province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital, China’s National Health Commission said. Of the total 1,016 deaths in China, more than 95 percent have occurred in Hubei.

More than 17,000 health workers from around the country have come to Hubei to help in treatment of infected patients, according to Chinese media reports.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

12:50 AM: Taiwan travelers caught in Philippine travel ban

MANILA — The Philippines widened travel restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak to include a ban on arrivals from Taiwan, the self-ruled island over which China asserts sovereignty, leaving hundreds of Taiwanese reportedly stranded.

Philippine immigration officials late Monday clarified that a ban on arrivals from China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao, also applied to Taiwan. A memo from the Civil Aeronautics Board said this was in line with Manila’s adherence to the “one China” policy.

“While not explicitly stated, we have confirmed with the Secretary of Justice that Taiwan is indeed part of the ban, and this expansion shall be implemented immediately,” said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

A Philippine health official said the policy was clarified last week, but airlines including Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines only canceled flights between Manila and Taipei on Monday night.

Taiwan News reported that around 500 Taiwanese were consequently stranded in the Philippines.

Philippine officials stressed that the ban is temporary and does not apply to Filipino citizens and permanent residents.

Taiwan has recorded 18 cases of the coronavirus. Some critics see its inclusion in the Philippines’ ban as playing into China’s hands, even as Taiwan has fewer reported cases than Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. China, meanwhile, has recorded more than 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases.

The dispute over Taiwan’s status dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang fled to the island and Communist leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on the mainland.

China considers Taiwan a rogue province to be captured by force if necessary, while Taiwan says it has never been part of the People’s Republic. But the “one China” policy widely observed internationally means the democratic island is often unable to participate fully in global bodies such as the World Health Organization.

By: Regine Cabato

12:28 AM: China dismisses health chiefs in virus-hit Hubei province

China’s Communist Party has dismissed the two most senior officials in the provincial health commission in the virus-hit province of Hubei, as anger continues to reverberate around the country over the authorities’ handling of the epidemic.

Hubei’s provincial government announced that Zhang Jin, the Communist Party secretary of the provincial Hubei’s health commission, along director Liu Yingzi, were both fired on Monday, for unspecified reasons. Their roles will be filled by Wang Hesheng, a member of the provincial committee of the Communist Party and former deputy director of the National Health Commission.

They are among the most senior officials to be fired over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with dozens of lower level officials also losing their jobs.

Stringer

Reuters

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wearing a mask and protective suit speaks to medical workers as he visits the Jinyintan hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, Jan. 27, 2020.

The central government in Beijing also urged members of the public to report any examples of dereliction of duty among local governments.

Experts say the central and provincial governments share responsibility for initially covering up the epidemic, in ways that made the outbreak far tougher to control. But the central government has tried to shift the blame onto local governments.

The death of doctor Li Wenliang, who tried to warn people about the virus but was silenced by Communist Party authorities and then died of the disease himself, has sparked an outpouring of anger among Chinese citizens. 

By: Simon Denyer

12:16 AM: China death toll tops 1,000, with record daily rise of 108

The death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 1,016, with a new daily record rise of 108 deaths on Monday, China’s National Health Commission announced on Tuesday,

More than 700 people were discharged from hospital, bringing to 3,996 the number of people officially classified as cured.

But while the daily death toll continues to accelerate, the rate of growth of new infections has begun to slow slightly. The number of new cases recorded on Monday fell slightly, to 2,478, with the majority in the virus-hit province of Hubei and only 381 in other parts of mainland China.

The number of new cases per day had peaked at 3,887 on Feb. 4, while the number of new infections outside Hubei reached a daily high of 890 on Feb. 3.

But experts say it is too early to say the virus has peaked, especially with many people around China going back to work after the extended Lunar New Year holiday.

Excluding those who have been cured or died, mainland China has a total 37,626 people confirmed as infected with the virus, including 7,333 in serious condition, and 21,675 suspected cases.

Some 428,000 people have been classified as having come into close contact with infected people, and 188,000 are under medical observation.

By: Simon Denyer

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2020-02-11 09:09:00Z
52780602922125

Coronavirus live updates: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship - The Washington Post

Issei Kato Reuters The Diamond Princess, where 135 passengers and crew have tested positive for coronavirus, at Yokohama port in Japan on Tuesday.

Japanese medics continued to evacuate passengers and crew members from the Diamond Princess on Tuesday, after 65 more people on board the cruise ship tested positive for the virus a day earlier. Deaths from the virus have topped 1,000, nearly all in China. So far 135 people on board the ship have been diagnosed as infected, and have been or will be sent to local hospitals for treatment.

In China, authorities in the virus-hit city of Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes. Two provincial health bosses have been fired as the Communist Party struggles to contain widespread anger over the spread of the virus. Here’s what we know:

● The death toll from the new coronavirus surged beyond 1,000 in mainland China, with more than 100 deaths in a single day, a record. The number of confirmed infections continues to rise but the rate of growth is slowing.

● Authorities in Wuhan tightened restrictions on citizens, with just one member of a household allowed to make one shopping trip every three days, and entire buildings placed under quarantine.

● More than a dozen ambulances are lined up alongside the Diamond Princess in Yokohama as medical staff evacuate passengers and crew confirmed as carrying the virus.

● China has removed the two top provincial health bosses in the province of Hubei at the center of the virus epidemic, as Communist officials seek to assuage public anger.

3:25 AM: China urges countries to restore normal ties as soon as possible to steady world economy

China urged countries around the world on Tuesday to resume normal ties as soon as possible to avoid damage to the global economy from the new coronavirus.

“We believe our economic fundamentals that support China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged, and we are capable of minimizing the epidemic’s impact on our economy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters, but said the economic impact of the virus depended on controlling the epidemic.

China, Geng said, accounts for around 16 percent of global economic output, and around 30 percent of global economic growth.

Aly Song

Reuters

Passenger Chen, 28, wearing a mask and a swimming goggles walks outside the Shanghai railway station in Shanghai, China, Feb. 7, 2020.

“If our economy is impacted, there will inevitably be spillover effects on other countries and even the world economy,” he said. “Therefore, by fighting against NCP, China is safeguarding both its own country and the world.”

China has named the virus Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, or NCP.

“Faced with a public health crisis, one cannot protect oneself by taking a ‘beggar-thy-neighbor’ approach or overreactions,” he said. “The urgent task for everyone is to defeat the virus together and restore normal state-to-state exchange and cooperation as soon as possible. Only by doing so can we support steady world economic growth and anchor expectations around the world.”

China’s Foreign Ministry has been especially critical of the United States for drastically cutting travel links between the two countries, including barring foreigners who have recently visited China.

By: Simon Denyer

3:15 AM: UAE announces eighth coronavirus case as woman declared virus-free over the weekend

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates announced its eighth case of the coronavirus late Sunday, an Indian national that contracted it after coming in contact with another infected.

The UAE remains the only Middle Eastern country reporting coronavirus cases. Its Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest travel hubs in the world.

The first five cases were all Chinese citizens that traveled to the UAE, including a family of four from Wuhan, the epidemic epicenter. One of those, Liu Yujia, a grandmother, has made a full recovery, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

On Saturday, two other cases were announced, a Chinese and a Filipino citizen.

One of the cases is currently in intensive care with the six others in stable condition, according to the ministry which did not specify the nationality of the individual under close observation.

“In cooperation with key partners, we follow a very effective epidemiological monitoring mechanism — in accordance with the highest global practices and based on World Health Organization’s standards — to respond to any health emergencies,” said a Health Ministry statement.

China’s consul to Dubai on Monday told all Chinese returning to the city that have had contact with coronavirus cases or been in affected regions should quarantine themselves at home for 14 days.

By: Paul Schemm

2:45 AM: China calls for privacy protection after leaks of Wuhan residents’ data

BEIJING — China’s Internet supervisor called on Tuesday for stricter controls on personal information, after the widespread leaking of the personal details of people from Wuhan, those who had visited the city and anyone else infected with coronavirus.

People returning from Wuhan are asked to register with local authorities, but many of them found forms with their personal information — name, home address, ID, phone number, and even college entrance exam scores — being passed around in WeChat groups, sometimes marked as “suspected cases.”

Many people have complained about getting threat messages or harassment calls as a result, and the hashtag #WuhanReturneesInfoLeak has been a trending topic on the Weibo social media platform since late January.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Tuesday that no organization or individual other than authorized health departments should collect personal information “for disease treatment and prevention” without permission, let alone share them on social media,

Hong Yanqing, a Peking University researcher and senior CAC official said “big data” analysis of epidemic control involves collecting large amounts of personal information, but said not everyone had the right or capacity to do so.

One student studying at a college in Wuhan returned to his home in Hebei on Jan. 11 for the winter holiday, and voluntarily isolated himself for over 20 days at home, without showing any symptoms.

But in late January his details appeared on a list widely circulated on social media of nearly 1,000 people who had either studied, worked in, or been to Wuhan.

“I cooperated with the government and answered their questions because I understood it was standard practice. But how on earth did my detailed personal information get leaked online?” he asked in a social media post.

“I already knew that there were people illegally collecting personal information and trading them for one yuan [14 U.S. cents] per 10 names. Imagine how many more people’s information is going to get leaked if such documents continue to be shared online, and imagine these getting into the hands of criminals.”

Another Wuhan university student from Hunan province said he had stopped going out or meeting anyone since his personal information was leaked.

By: Lyric Li with Simon Denyer in Tokyo

1:57 AM: Ambulances wait to take patients off virus-ravaged cruise ship

TOKYO — More than a dozen ambulances were waiting near the Diamond Princess in the Japanese port of Yokohama on Tuesday, as medical staff continue to evacuate passengers from the quarantined cruise ship confirmed as being infected with the virus.

Japan’s health ministry said on Monday that 65 more people on board the ship have tested positive for the virus, bringing to 135 the total number infected. Many of the passengers are elderly, posing additional health risks as the virus has proved much deadlier among elderly people and those with existing health problems.

Charly Triballeau

Afp Via Getty Images

People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama port on Tuesday.

The sharp rise in infected people appeared to take Japanese authorities by surprise, and they were unable to organize evacuations for most of the new cases on Monday.

The Health Ministry had been busy talking to hospitals as far away as the city of Nagano northwest of Tokyo to find beds for people, according to a local paper in the city.

Japanese media reported that further tests will be carried out Tuesday on passengers over the age of 80. But given that nearly one in three people who have been tested have been found to be carrying the virus, pressure is mounting on Japan to test everyone.

However, if those tests showed more infected people, it would place a significant burden on Japan’s health system. The ministry says 410 hospitals across the country have the facility to deal with infectious diseases, with a total of 1,871 beds.

There are also fears that the virus could still be transmitted on board the ship, especially among the crew — who have not been quarantined from each other, continue to work and are starting to fall sick in greater numbers.

Read more here: Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China

By: Simon Denyer

1:30 AM: Renowned Chinese kidney doctor dies of coronavirus

A Chinese doctor and leading expert in kidney transplants has died of coronavirus at the age of 62, Chinese media reported Tuesday.

Lin Zhengbin, a professor at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, had practiced kidney transplants for 30 years before dying of the virus on Monday morning.

Co-workers and friends describe him as gentle, slow-tempered, and low profile.

“We had been close friends for years,” his colleague Song Jianxin told the Health Times, a twice-weekly newspaper owned by People's Daily. “He had been in good health and had no existing illnesses, so no one expected his condition to worsen so fast and to get so severe.”

Song, director of the infectious diseases department at Tongji, said he received a message from Lin asking for help after he was admitted to intensive care, but by then he was already on oxygen and was too weak to speak.

“It took less than a month for Lin from getting confirmed [as having the virus] to passing away,” Song said.

Health Times quoted an anonymous doctor as saying that Lin might have got infected during a health checkup at the crowded outpatient department.

“It was the time when staff from our outpatient department were having a group checkup,” the doctor was quoted as saying. “The checkup center is on the third floor, sharing the same floor with the super-crowded pediatrics department. Many people were coming and going, and there weren’t the quarantine measures that are in place now."

Chinese authorities have not disclosed how many medical staff have come down with the virus, but many are believed to have fallen sick.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

1:15 AM: China tightens restrictions on residents of virus-hit city of Wuhan

Authorities in Wuhan have announced fresh restrictions on residents, effectively making millions of people virtual prisoners in their own homes, as they struggle to control the spread of the epidemic.

Many districts in the city now only allow one member of each household to go shopping every three days. Previously one person had been allowed out every two days.

In a notice issued Monday, the city also said all residential areas will be put under “closed management” and all buildings with suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus will be placed entirely under quarantine.

China Daily

Reuters

Customers wearing face masks shop inside a supermarket following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China Feb. 10, 2020.

The closed management system entails tight controls such as strict controls on entry and exit, including registration and temperature checks, and the banning of outside vehicles.

Wuhan’s epidemic control command center also urged residents to seek medical treatment in hospitals near their residence and banned fever patients from going to hospitals in other districts.

On Sunday alone, 103 people died in the province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital, China’s National Health Commission said. Of the total 1,016 deaths in China, more than 95 percent have occurred in Hubei.

More than 17,000 health workers from around the country have come to Hubei to help in treatment of infected patients, according to Chinese media reports.

By: Simon Denyer and Lyric Li

12:50 AM: Taiwan travelers caught in Philippine travel ban

MANILA — The Philippines widened travel restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak to include a ban on arrivals from Taiwan, the self-ruled island over which China asserts sovereignty, leaving hundreds of Taiwanese reportedly stranded.

Philippine immigration officials late Monday clarified that a ban on arrivals from China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao, also applied to Taiwan. A memo from the Civil Aeronautics Board said this was in line with Manila’s adherence to the “one China” policy.

“While not explicitly stated, we have confirmed with the Secretary of Justice that Taiwan is indeed part of the ban, and this expansion shall be implemented immediately,” said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

A Philippine health official said the policy was clarified last week, but airlines including Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines only canceled flights between Manila and Taipei on Monday night.

Taiwan News reported that around 500 Taiwanese were consequently stranded in the Philippines.

Philippine officials stressed that the ban is temporary and does not apply to Filipino citizens and permanent residents.

Taiwan has recorded 18 cases of the coronavirus. Some critics see its inclusion in the Philippines’ ban as playing into China’s hands, even as Taiwan has fewer reported cases than Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. China, meanwhile, has recorded more than 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases.

The dispute over Taiwan’s status dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang fled to the island and Communist leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on the mainland.

China considers Taiwan a rogue province to be captured by force if necessary, while Taiwan says it has never been part of the People’s Republic. But the “one China” policy widely observed internationally means the democratic island is often unable to participate fully in global bodies such as the World Health Organization.

By: Regine Cabato

12:28 AM: China dismisses health chiefs in virus-hit Hubei province

China’s Communist Party has dismissed the two most senior officials in the provincial health commission in the virus-hit province of Hubei, as anger continues to reverberate around the country over the authorities’ handling of the epidemic.

Hubei’s provincial government announced that Zhang Jin, the Communist Party secretary of the provincial Hubei’s health commission, along director Liu Yingzi, were both fired on Monday, for unspecified reasons. Their roles will be filled by Wang Hesheng, a member of the provincial committee of the Communist Party and former deputy director of the National Health Commission.

They are among the most senior officials to be fired over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with dozens of lower level officials also losing their jobs.

Stringer

Reuters

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wearing a mask and protective suit speaks to medical workers as he visits the Jinyintan hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, Jan. 27, 2020.

The central government in Beijing also urged members of the public to report any examples of dereliction of duty among local governments.

Experts say the central and provincial governments share responsibility for initially covering up the epidemic, in ways that made the outbreak far tougher to control. But the central government has tried to shift the blame onto local governments.

The death of doctor Li Wenliang, who tried to warn people about the virus but was silenced by Communist Party authorities and then died of the disease himself, has sparked an outpouring of anger among Chinese citizens. 

By: Simon Denyer

12:16 AM: China death toll tops 1,000, with record daily rise of 108

The death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 1,016, with a new daily record rise of 108 deaths on Monday, China’s National Health Commission announced on Tuesday,

More than 700 people were discharged from hospital, bringing to 3,996 the number of people officially classified as cured.

But while the daily death toll continues to accelerate, the rate of growth of new infections has begun to slow slightly. The number of new cases recorded on Monday fell slightly, to 2,478, with the majority in the virus-hit province of Hubei and only 381 in other parts of mainland China.

The number of new cases per day had peaked at 3,887 on Feb. 4, while the number of new infections outside Hubei reached a daily high of 890 on Feb. 3.

But experts say it is too early to say the virus has peaked, especially with many people around China going back to work after the extended Lunar New Year holiday.

Excluding those who have been cured or died, mainland China has a total 37,626 people confirmed as infected with the virus, including 7,333 in serious condition, and 21,675 suspected cases.

Some 428,000 people have been classified as having come into close contact with infected people, and 188,000 are under medical observation.

By: Simon Denyer

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2020-02-11 08:43:00Z
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More troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after missile attack - CBS Evening News

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2020-02-10 23:54:30Z
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