Coronavirus death toll mounts in China as U.S. braces for long fight, more cases - CBS News

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the new coronavirus, which has killed almost 1,400 people and is still spreading in China, could be around for at least another year. With the Chinese government reporting 121 more deaths and more than 5,000 new cases Thursday alone, the illness dubbed COVID-19 didn't even appear to have peaked.

Chinese health officials in the epicenter province of Hubei changed the way they officially diagnosed the disease this week, leading early Thursday to a sudden, alarming jump of about 14,000 new cases recorded in the region. But the person in charge of managing emergencies for the World Health Organization said that jump in the Chinese statistics did not indicate "a significant change in the trajectory of the outbreak."

It wasn't necessarily the "tip of an iceberg," said the WHO's Mike Ryan.

While the disease takes a fast-mounting toll, and sparks increasing scenes of draconian control measures being enforced in mainland China, there have been only three deaths blamed on it elsewhere; one each in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. The U.S. has 15 confirmed cases, but none are said to be suffering serious symptoms.

A couple wear masks as they embrace amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on Valentine's Day in Hong Kong, China, February 14, 2020. TYRONE SIU/REUTERS

Meanwhile, in the U.S. and around the world, evacuees flown back to their countries from Hubei province and put under immediate two-week quarantines continue to be released back into public life after being cleared of the disease.

Passengers from a cruise ship that was denied entry by five countries over fears of the virus finally disembarked Friday in Cambodia, expressing deep gratitude to the country's leader as he welcomed them with roses.

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2020-02-14 12:08:00Z
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Coronavirus: Senior Chinese officials 'removed' as death toll rises- BBC News - BBC News

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1. Coronavirus: Senior Chinese officials 'removed' as death toll rises- BBC News  BBC News
2. Coronavirus cases rise to more than 64,000 globally  CNN International
3. Coronavirus Live Updates: China Says 1,700 Medical Workers Have Been Infected  The New York Times
4. The System for Diagnosing Epidemics Is Failing  Bloomberg
5. China coronavirus deaths and cases spike - BBC News  BBC News
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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2020-02-14 10:57:15Z
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Over 1,700 frontline medics infected with coronavirus in China presenting new crisis for the government - CNN

Instead of helping on the frontlines, she has been under self-quarantine at home for weeks, after a chest scan on January 26 revealed that she had a suspected case of the novel Coronavirus.

Zhu was told to wait for a nucleic acid test that would provide the final verdict, but it never came.

"Right now, it's really a problem. Our hospital already has more than 100 people who are quarantined at home," she told CNN over the phone. An additional 30 medical workers have been confirmed to have the virus, she said.

"If the tests are fine, we can go back to work. I actually don't have any symptoms, there's just a slight problem with my CT scan, it seems there's a bit of infection," she said.

Zhu estimates that of the 500 medical staff at the hospital, more than 130 may have been stricken by the virus, which has so far infected more than 60,000 globally. She declined to publicize the name of her hospital and asked to use a pseudonym as she was not authorized to speak to the media.

The situation at her hospital is not unique. A nurse from the Wuhan Central Hospital said on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, that around 150 colleagues at her hospital have been confirmed or suspected to be infected -- including herself.

The nurse, who had been under self-quarantine at home since being infected last month, was finally admitted into the hospital she works at for treatment on Tuesday.

"The (in-patient) floor I live on is basically filled with colleagues from my hospital," she wrote in a post on Wednesday. "These are mostly double or triple rooms, with my colleagues' names and bed numbers clearly written in black and white on the doors."

Every time fellow medics came to check on her, she said, she would hold her breath. "I'm afraid the virus inside my body will come out and infect these colleagues who are still standing fast on the frontline," she wrote.

On Friday, it was revealed that 1,716 healthcare workers nationwide had been infected by the virus, six of whom had died, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). Nearly 90% (87.5%) of those medics came from Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital.

More than a thousand infected in Wuhan

Health care workers have long faced a high risk of infection during major outbreaks, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic that swept China from late 2002 to 2003. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the noval corronavirus outbreak, however, that risk is now exacerbated by a dire shortage of medical resources to cope with the influx of patients, as well as the government's belated warning of the high-infection rate.

In Wuhan alone, 1,102 medical workers have been infected, accounting for 73% of infections in the province and 64% nationwide.

The city of 11 million people has 398 hospitals and nearly 6,000 community clinics. However, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has designated nine hospitals to treat coronavirus cases, as well as an additional 61 hospitals whose outpatient clinics will receive patients with fever -- believed to be a common symptom of the pneumonia-like illness.

In some of these designated hospitals, medical staff have made up a significant percentage of infected patients.

For example, at Zhongnan Hospital, one of the 61 hospitals dealing with cases, 40 health care workers had been infected, accounting for nearly 30% of the 138 coronavirus patients admitted by the hospital from January 1 to 28, according to a research paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week.

Peng Zhiyong, director of acute medicine at the Zhongnan Hospital who co-authored the paper, told Chinese investigative news magazine Caixin that "the ratio is already very small compared with other hospitals."

At the Wuhan No.7 Hospital, another of the 61 facilities, two thirds of the ICU staff were infected due to shortage of medical resources, Peng said, citing his deputy director who was sent to assist that hospital, according to the report.

The Wuhan government has acknowledged the shortage of medical supplies, such as specialist N95 respiratory masks, goggles and protective suits. Hospitals across Wuhan have pleaded for help repeatedly on social media, calling for more donations of the protective gear, which are vital in protecting frontline staff from catching the virus from patients.

On Weibo, a post by the state-run People's Daily showed medical personnel in a Wuhan hospital creating protective gear out of plastic trash bags.

Apart from the lack of masks, gloves and protective suits, medical workers have also been stretched to their limits by the crushing workload. Cross-infections among hospital staff are thought to have taken place in tea rooms and meeting areas, after long grueling shifts, according to David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, citing doctors who were sent to assist hospitals in Wuhan from Beijing.

On Friday, the NHC vowed to "tangibly improve the work conditions of frontline medical workers" and better protect their rights and interests.

"I am full with respect and gratitude towards all medical workers at the frontlines, but what we really need to do is to give them more care and solicitude," said the commission's deputy director Zeng Yixin.

Human-to-human transmission

The seed of the problem, however, had been sown early in the crisis -- even before medical resources started running out.

The government's initial delay in releasing information about the outbreak meant medical staff were unaware of the potential dangers during its early stages. Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang admitted on CCTV late last month that his government did not disclose information on the coronavirus "in a timely fashion."

Chinese authorities repeatedly stressed in the early days of the outbreak that no health care workers were infected -- an important sign for possible person-to-person transmission used to suggest that the virus was not that contagious.

Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor who died from the coronavirus, had tried to warn others early on in the outbreak but was silenced and punished by police for "spreading rumors." The suppression of Li, along with other medics who tried to sound the alarm on the virus, has likely led to unnecessary cross-infections inside hospitals, as well as in families and communities.

China's Supreme Court said in a commentary on January 28 that had people listened to Li's warnings they could have "adopted measures such as wearing masks, strict disinfection and avoiding going to the wildlife market."

Instead unaware of the health risks, many doctors and nurses were only wearing disposable masks when treating potential coronavirus patients at the beginning of the outbreak. Ivan Hung, chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hong Kong University, said those masks alone are "definitely inadequate" in fending off the virus.

"Basically, medical staff should be wearing N95 masks, goggles or face shields, and protective suits not only in isolation wards, but also at emergency departments and medical wards -- basically anywhere that one might get in touch with coronavirus patients," he said.

Li, 34, was an ophthalmologist at the Wuhan Central Hospital. He later died after contracting the virus unwittingly from a patient on January 10, sparking an outpouring of grief and outrage, as well as calls for freedom of speech. "I was wondering why (the government's) official notices were still saying there was no human-to-human transmission, and there were no healthcare workers infected," Li said in a post on Weibo.

According to a study of the first 425 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Wuhan published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month, seven health care workers in Wuhan had already shown symptoms of infection between January 1 and 10.

But on January 11, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission was still insisting that "as of now, no infection among medical staff has been found," reiterating that there had been "no clear evidence for human-to-human transmission."

The World Health Organization also said in its statements on January 14 and 17 that China had not reported any cases of infection among health care workers.

It was not until January 20, when Zhong Nanshan, a government-appointed respiratory expert, declared on state broadcaster CCTV that the new coronavirus could spread from person-to-person, that the infection of medical workers was revealed.

As evidence for human transmission, Zhong, an 83-year-old doctor known for fighting the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak 17 years ago, disclosed that 14 medical workers in a hospital had been infected by one patient.

The next day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission admitted in a statement that as of January 21, "a total of 15 health care workers have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus," and another one was suspected to have been infected, too. One of them was in serious condition, the statement added.

Since then, however, the commission has not announced any updates on the number of confirmed or suspected cases among the city's hospital staff, even as Chinese media have published multiple reports offering a glimpse into the true scale of infections in hospitals.

Spread of the problem

The infection of medical workers is not only happening at the designated Wuhan hospitals, but is also being seen at other facilities and cities across China.

In the Wuhan Mental Health Center, the largest psychiatric hospital in Hubei province which is not supposed to treat coronavirus patients, 50 patients and 30 medical staff have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus after being cross-infected inside the hospital, the state-run China Newsweek announced last week, citing multiple sources at the hospital.

When reached for comment on the cases, the hospital's director told China Newsweek: "We now have discipline requirements and cannot accept phone interviews anymore," the report said.

Meanwhile, the virus has spread to every region in mainland China, including the far western frontier of Xinjiang and the remote region of Tibet. Authorities in Beijing and the provinces of Guangxi, Jiangxi and Hainan have all reported individual cases of infection among hospital staff, amounting to two dozens people.

By Tuesday, a fund set up by ByteDance, the Beijing-based startup behind popular short video platform TikTok, to help health care workers stricken by the coronavirus had already sponsored 190 infected medics, including five who have died, the company said in a statement to CNN.

Before Friday, the NHC had not provided a tally of infected medical workers. It finally released the numbers more than two months into the outbreak, at an inter-agency briefing arranged by the State Council on the safety of medical workers.

During SARS, the Chinese authorities appeared to become more forthright about the infection of medical staff following an initial attempt to cover-up the outbreak. By mid February 2003, the Guangdong provincial government had announced that 105 of the 305 SARS cases found in the province were medical workers. The Ministry of Health, the predecessor of the National Health Commission, also included the number of health care workers in its briefings of infection numbers, with breakdowns by provinces.

By May 30, 2003, a total of 966 medical workers had been infected, accounting for 18% of the 5328 cases across China, according to the ministry.

For now, the infection rate of health care workers appears to be much lower than during SARS. The 1,716 infected medical staff as of Tuesday only account for 3.8% of all confirmed cases, the NHC said.

Hung, the professor at Hong Kong University, said he was confident that frontline medical workers are now equipped with better protective gear than those produced 17 years ago during the SARS epidemic. He also believed that they are being churned out in factories to meet the demand.

"The main problem is what happened early on in the outbreak, which had repercussions that have lasted till today," he said, referring to the cross-infections in ill-prepared hospitals.

"When you have no idea what you're facing, there's bound to be negligence," he said.

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2020-02-14 09:51:00Z
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Live updates: China's coronavirus cases surge again as Valentine's Day takes hit - The Washington Post

Tyrone Siu Reuters A man wears a gas mask as he holds a bouquet of flowers on Friday in Hong Kong.

China again reported a big jump in coronavirus cases on Friday after changing its methodology for diagnosing and counting infections, denting hopes that the deadly outbreak could be petering out.

With another 5,000 reported Friday, the number of cases in mainland China has now surged past 63,000, and the economic fallout is mounting. The latest casualties are flower sellers in the country, some of whom have seen their sales fall up to 95 percent on Valentine’s Day.

More places in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, are enacting “wartime” measures, such as sealing off residential complexes and only allowing essential vehicles on the roads. Authorities in Yunmeng county, where the new steps kicked in on Friday morning, said that anyone attempting to breach the lockdown “at compounds, buildings or road connections” would be detained.

Here are the latest developments:

● More cities in Hubei province are putting in place “wartime” measures, barring citizens from leaving their homes and threatening penalties for anyone who breaches the orders.

● Singapore’s leader warned of a possible recession as the virus and travel curbs slam the regional economy.

● Japan has said that 10 people evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship are in serious condition, as the cruise industry braces for serious losses over coronavirus fears.

● China’s National Health Commission said more than 1,700 medical workers have been infected with coronavirus, six of whom have died, citing the latest available figures as of Feb. 11.

4:40 AM: Flower market sees Valentine’s Day sales wilt

BEIJING — This season looks grim for the thousands of vendors at China’s largest flower trading center, Kunming Dounan market, which sells billions of freshly cut flowers a year and accounts for almost three quarters of flower transactions in China.

The Dounan market saw its supplies halved and wholesale prices slump by over 70 percent on Feb. 10, the first day of trading after the Lunar New Year holiday. A manager of Kunming International Flower Auction Exchange Center estimated that Yunnan’s flower farmers and vendors stand to lose up to $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

“Roses were thrown away in huge piles,” a wholesaler who only gave his family name as Hu told 21st Century Business Herald on Friday.

Another retailer, identified only as Zhang, said that the traffic control measures due to the coronavirus outbreak had cut off supplies from some flower-growing villages in Yunnan and hindered the transportation of fresh flowers to other parts of China.

“I only hope I can go back to work as soon as possible,” Zhang said, adding that Valentine’s Day normally accounts for 20 to 30 percent of their annual sales.

By: Lyric Li

4:28 AM: Singapore leader warns of possible recession over coronavirus

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the coronavirus outbreak has seriously affected the city-state’s economy, which could slide into recession over the coming quarters.

Quoting the prime minister on a visit to Singapore’s airport, the Straits Times reported that coronavirus has already hit the economy harder than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which lasted some five months.

“It’s already much more than SARS, and the economies of the region are much more interlinked together. China, particularly, is a much bigger factor in the region,” Lee said.

Singapore has 58 confirmed cases, among the highest tally globally. Taiwan, South Korea and others have added Singapore to its list of travel advisories, urging citizens to refrain from visiting. Singapore meanwhile has also barred all arrivals from mainland China to minimize the risk of further outbreaks. The government is bracing for a serious impact on tourism, estimating arrivals will drop by 25 to 30 per cent.

“I can’t say whether we will have a recession or not,” Lee said, according to the Straits Times. “It’s possible, but definitely our economy will take a hit.”

By: Shibani Mahtani

3:43 AM: Japan reports another four cases of coronavirus as risk of full-blown outbreak grows

TOKYO — Japan reported another four cases of the new coronavirus Friday, adding to four cases announced the previous day and bringing the national total to 36, as fears rise that the country could be facing its own outbreak of the disease.

One of the most worrying cases announced Thursday was a doctor in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama. On Friday, a former patient at the hospital, a male farmer in his 70s, was found to have the virus. One other doctor and one other patient were also showing some pneumonia-like symptoms and awaiting test results.

A case was also confirmed in the southwestern island of Okinawa, the last port of call of the cruise ship Diamond Princess before it was placed in quarantine in Yokohama last week. A female taxi driver in her 60s found to have the virus was among 200 people who had been under monitoring in Okinawa because they had been in contact with passengers from then ship during their 9.5-hour stay.

Issei Kato

Reuters

People line up to buy masks at a drugstore in Tokyo on Friday.

The other two cases were found in Tokyo, both in people believed to have been in contact with a taxi driver diagnosed with the virus on Thursday, Japanese media reported. The driver said he had carried Chinese passengers.

Japan’s government vowed to step up testing for the virus on Friday, but health minister Katsunobu Kato tried to play down concerns.

“We do not have sufficient evidence to change our current position that the outbreak is not widespread,” he said, according to broadcaster NHK. “Yet we cannot deny it has spread. We are preparing for that situation so we would be ready if we get into that situation.”

Masahiro Kami, executive director at the Medical Governance Research Institute in Tokyo, said the fight against the virus is entering a new phase in Japan.

“The public has now come to be aware that an outbreak is spreading within Japan,” he said.

Kami said the virus had already been spreading undetected for some time — evidenced by the fact that a Thai couple were found to have the virus after returning from a visit to Japan. He added that the case of the doctor in Wakayama was a potentially serious problem.

“Doctors and other medical staff, if they get infected, have a possibility that they may transmit the infection to patients where they are hospitalized,” he said. “And these are the people who are most vulnerable to the risk of death. This is an issue to which we have to give the highest attention now.”

By: Akiko Kashiwagi and Simon Denyer

2:45 AM: Vietnam considers ‘highest penalty’ for factory making masks from toilet paper

Authorities have found a factory in Hanoi using toilet paper to produce face masks, the Vietnam Express reported, cutting corners as coronavirus fears fuel rising demand for supplies of protective items.

Officials this week were suspicious when they found dozens of large toilet paper rolls at the factory, the outlet reported, and discovered that they were being used to replace the inner antibacterial layer that stops microbes from entering or exiting the surgical mask.

Yen Duong

Reuters

People wearing face masks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this week.

“This company is cheating consumers amid the novel coronavirus outbreak,” said Hoang Dai Nghia from the Hanoi Market Surveillance Department. The company’s stock has been confiscated, and authorities are now considering appropriate penalties.

According to the Vietnam Express, the company, Viet Han Company, is not listed as a medical equipment producer, but as a printer and napkin maker.

The World Health Organization has warned of a global shortage of surgical masks as customers, particularly in Asia, rush to protect themselves against the spread of the virus. Many factories are now trying to pivot and produce these items, but counterfeits have also flooded the market, with false trademarks and false details on where the masks originated from.

By: Shibani Mahtani

2:37 AM: More than 1,700 medical workers in China infected with virus

BEIJING — China’s National Health Commission said Friday that at least 1,716 medical staff have contractracted coronavirus, and six have died.

Zeng Yixin, the vice director of the National Health Commission, was citing the latest figures available as of Feb. 11. Of these cases, 1,502 were reported in Hubei province. The health commission said that the illness will be identified as an occupation injury for medical workers, who will be covered by insurance.

The most sensitive of these cases is the death of Li Wenliang, the whistleblower doctor who is considered the first to sound the alarm about the new virus when he leaked a document on Dec. 30 from his hospital, confirming the diagnosis. When he succumbed from the disease, grief and rage filled social media, as the country saw his death as a parable for the Communist Party’s failings.

Read more: Chinese doctor who tried to raise alarm on coronavirus in Wuhan dies on ‘front line’ of medical fight.

By: Wang Yuan

2:10 AM: Chinese cities turn to apps, facial-recognition technology to police coronavirus

BEIJING — Chinese authorities in Nanjing have asked residents in the city of 8 million and returning workers to register their personal information on an app, as officials turn away travelers and other short-term visitors.

In a notice issued late Thursday, the Nanjing city government asked returning residents and migrant workers based there to register on an app called “Ning Guilai” — a pun which can either mean Nanjing Returns or Peace Returns. The app requires a facial scan to confirm that all identification information is accurate.

“Your travel could be affected if we find the information you filled in to be inaccurate; more importantly, it will leave a dark spot in your personal credit record,” the Nanjing government’s notice read, also warning of potential “legal liabilities.”

The app also specified that only those with a permanent residence and workplace in Nanjing, and who are not from the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province, are free to travel into the city. Short-term visitors and travelers without a permanent residence or long-term job in Nanjing must postpone trips there, the city government said.

Shanghai has similarly relied on apps to track arrivals, announcing on Feb. 1 that visitors coming in from airports, train stations and toll gates would have to register their personal information on a smartphone app called Healthcare Cloud. The app was originally designed for making hospital appointments and other health services, but now includes a separate section that requires users to register their detailed personal information, including their ID, home and Shanghai addresses, phone number, emergency contact, and travel itinerary.

Yunnan province this week also launched a WeChat in-app program, Kang Yiqing or “Fighting the Epidemic,” that requires residents to register their personal information by scanning a QR code when entering a public venue — including residential areas, farmers markets, shopping malls, supermarkets and subway stations.

“For those who refuse to cooperate, public venue management has the right to ban them from entering or exiting. Those who try to force into public venues without registration, disturb public order, or cause serious consequences, will be held accountable according to law,” Yunnan authorities said.

By: Lyric Li

1:50 AM: Japan says 10 people evacuated from the Diamond Princess in serious condition

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan’s health ministry said on Friday that 10 people evacuated from the quarantined cruise ship the Diamond Princess are in serious condition, with eight confirmed to have the new coronavirus.

One of the other two is still awaiting results of a test.

Charly Triballeau

Afp Via Getty Images

A security guard is seen in front of the Diamond Princess cruise ship at Yokohama on Friday.

Amid persistent criticism of its approach, the government said it would start allowing some people who have tested negative for the virus to disembark from the ship early, and finish their quarantine at a facility on land. Priority will be given to passengers over the age of 80 and those with existing medical problems, as well as people in windowless cabins, health minister Katsunobu Kato said.

So far, 218 people on board the ship have tested positive for the virus, out of 713 people who have been assessed. The government says it plans to step up testing in a bid to examine everyone on board before the quarantine ends on Feb. 19.

A quarantine officer involved in screening passengers for the virus also fell sick, with the health ministry saying he did not follow proper procedures, wiping away sweat with his gloves and reusing a mask he had worn earlier, NHK reported.

Read more about the conditions on board the Diamond Princess: Japan relaxes cruise ship quarantine for elderly amid fears of virus spread.

By: Simon Denyer

1:35 AM: Love in a time of coronavirus: Roses are out, broccoli and hand sanitizer is in

BEIJING — Forget red roses. Broccoli, cauliflower, masks and hand sanitizer are now the way to prove you love your partner this Valentine’s Day in China, according to Meituan, the country’s largest on-demand services provider.

Flower delivery platforms are reporting a massive drop in online flower sales, as health fears dissuade people from ordering anything online or picking up deliveries. Zhong’ai Flower, an online flower delivery platform based in Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak, reported a sales drop of 90 percent. Ma Yingzi, a flower supplier in Beijing, also estimated a 95 percent drop in flower sales this Valentine’s Day.

The new favorites: broccoli and cauliflower. Meituan said roses are no longer its most ordered items on this day of love, while the vegetables instead have become hot items. Broccoli in Chinese contains the word “flower” in its name, making it a popular gift in lieu of actual flowers, with more nutrients to boot.

And instead of chocolate, others are option for more practical gifts. Meituan’s sales data show that gift orders still grew by 30 percent on Feb. 14, but the most-searched present options were masks, goggles and disinfectants.

By: Wang Yuan

1:30 AM: Super Soaper Soffy, Wipe Up Wilson and Mask Up Mei Mei join Singapore’s coronavirus fight

Singapore’s education ministry has launched a new song — “Bye Bye Virus” — featuring a cast of virus-fighting superheroes in the hopes of teaching schoolchildren best-practice hygiene measures to fend off the outbreak. "

It even comes with a dance.

Singapore Ministry of Education

The lyrics replicate advice that has been doled out by the government in recent weeks, but in rhymes: “Wear a mask if you’re falling sick / go see a doctor, don’t be so thick.” The chorus is simply “coronavirus go away, don’t you stay.”

The cast of superhero characters, like Mask Up Mei Mei and Wipe Down Wilson, all provide specific tips on mask wearing, hand washing and remind students to avoid touching their faces.

Experts have praised Singapore’s transparency and proactive measures in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The city-state has 58 confirmed cases, one of the highest of any country, but health experts say has been more proactive about weeding out confirmed cases and tracking down clusters of infection.

Unlike Hong Kong, which has a similar number of infections and a similar population, schools in Singapore have not closed and lessons have continued largely as usual. Only interschool activities have been canceled. Singapore has been focusing its public education efforts on schools and the young, who are vulnerable to the spread of diseases.

By: Shibani Mahtani

1:23 AM: More counties in Hubei enact ‘wartime measures,’ barring citizens from leaving home

BEIJING — Hubei’s most densely populated county became the latest to implement “wartime measures” to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, effectively barring residents from leaving their homes.

The Yunmeng Public Security Bureau said on its official WeChat account that these measures would take effect Friday. All residential complexes have been sealed off and only essential vehicles will be allowed on the roads.

“Anyone who forces their way out of compounds, buildings or road connections will be detained,” Yunmeng authorities said.

Neighborhood communities are required to assign staff to help residents buy daily necessities. The county has over 300 confirmed coronavirus infections, and has a population of about half a million people.

The orders will be in place for about two weeks, according to Chinese state media.

Experts have questioned the effectiveness of these lockdowns and the legality of applying “wartime” controls in this public health emergency.

By: Wang Yuan and Shibani Mahtani

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2020-02-14 09:40:00Z
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Live updates: China's coronavirus cases surge again as Valentine's Day takes hit - The Washington Post

Tyrone Siu Reuters A man wears a gas mask as he holds a bouquet of flowers on Friday in Hong Kong.

China again reported a big jump in coronavirus cases on Friday after changing its methodology for diagnosing and counting infections, denting hopes that the deadly outbreak could be petering out.

With another 5,000 reported Friday, the number of cases in mainland China has now surged past 63,000, and the economic fallout is mounting. The latest casualties are flower sellers in the country, some of whom have seen their sales fall up to 95 percent on Valentine’s Day.

More places in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, are enacting “wartime” measures, such as sealing off residential complexes and only allowing essential vehicles on the roads. Authorities in Yunmeng county, where the new steps kicked in on Friday morning, said that anyone attempting to breach the lockdown “at compounds, buildings or road connections” would be detained.

Here are the latest developments:

● More cities in Hubei province are putting in place “wartime” measures, barring citizens from leaving their homes and threatening penalties for anyone who breaches the orders.

● Apps are being used to track citizens who must provide their information before entering and exiting key Chinese cities, allowing authorities to collect a huge amount of data.

● Japan has said that 10 people evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship are in serious condition, as the cruise industry braces for serious losses over coronavirus fears.

● China’s National Health Commission said more than 1,700 medical workers have been infected with coronavirus, six of whom have died, citing the latest available figures as of Feb. 11.

3:43 AM: Japan reports another four cases of coronavirus as risk of full-blown outbreak grows

TOKYO — Japan reported another four cases of the new coronavirus Friday, adding to four cases announced the previous day and bringing the national total to 36, as fears rise that the country could be facing its own outbreak of the disease.

One of the most worrying cases revealed Thursday was that of a doctor in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama, with one colleague and two patients now also showing some pneumonia-like symptoms and awaiting test results. On Friday, a male farmer in his 70s from the same prefecture was found to have the virus, although there is no evidence he was in contact with the doctor, Wakayama Gov. Yoshinobu Nisaka told reporters.

A case was also confirmed in the southwestern island of Okinawa, the last port of call of the cruise ship Diamond Princess before it was placed in quarantine in Yokohama last week. A female taxi driver in her 60s found to have the virus was among 200 people who had been under monitoring in Okinawa because they had been in contact with passengers from then ship during their 9.5-hour stay.

Issei Kato

Reuters

People line up to buy masks at a drugstore in Tokyo on Friday.

The other two cases were found in Tokyo, both in people believed to have been in contact with a taxi driver diagnosed with the virus on Thursday, Japanese media reported. The driver said he had carried Chinese passengers.

Japan’s government vowed to step up testing for the virus on Friday, but health minister Katsunobu Kato tried to play down concerns.

“We do not have sufficient evidence to change our current position that the outbreak is not widespread,” he said, according to broadcaster NHK. “Yet we cannot deny it has spread. We are preparing for that situation so we would be ready if we get into that situation.”

Masahiro Kami, executive director at the Medical Governance Research Institute in Tokyo, said the fight against the virus is entering a new phase in Japan.

“The public has now come to be aware that an outbreak is spreading within Japan,” he said.

Kami said the virus had already been spreading undetected for some time — evidenced by the fact that a Thai couple were found to have the virus after returning from a visit to Japan. He added that the case of the doctor in Wakayama was a potentially serious problem.

“Doctors and other medical staff, if they get infected, have a possibility that they may transmit the infection to patients where they are hospitalized,” he said. “And these are the people who are most vulnerable to the risk of death. This is an issue to which we have to give the highest attention now.”

By: Akiko Kashiwagi and Simon Denyer

2:45 AM: Vietnam considers ‘highest penalty’ for factory making masks from toilet paper

Authorities have found a factory in Hanoi using toilet paper to produce face masks, the Vietnam Express reported, cutting corners as coronavirus fears fuel rising demand for supplies of protective items.

Officials this week were suspicious when they found dozens of large toilet paper rolls at the factory, the outlet reported, and discovered that they were being used to replace the inner antibacterial layer that stops microbes from entering or exiting the surgical mask.

Yen Duong

Reuters

People wearing face masks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this week.

“This company is cheating consumers amid the novel coronavirus outbreak,” said Hoang Dai Nghia from the Hanoi Market Surveillance Department. The company’s stock has been confiscated, and authorities are now considering appropriate penalties.

According to the Vietnam Express, the company, Viet Han Company, is not listed as a medical equipment producer, but as a printer and napkin maker.

The World Health Organization has warned of a global shortage of surgical masks as customers, particularly in Asia, rush to protect themselves against the spread of the virus. Many factories are now trying to pivot and produce these items, but counterfeits have also flooded the market, with false trademarks and false details on where the masks originated from.

By: Shibani Mahtani

2:37 AM: More than 1,700 medical workers in China infected with virus

BEIJING — China’s National Health Commission said Friday that at least 1,716 medical staff have contractracted coronavirus, and six have died.

Zeng Yixin, the vice director of the National Health Commission, was citing the latest figures available as of Feb. 11. Of these cases, 1,502 were reported in Hubei province. The health commission said that the illness will be identified as an occupation injury for medical workers, who will be covered by insurance.

The most sensitive of these cases is the death of Li Wenliang, the whistleblower doctor who is considered the first to sound the alarm about the new virus when he leaked a document on Dec. 30 from his hospital, confirming the diagnosis. When he succumbed from the disease, grief and rage filled social media, as the country saw his death as a parable for the Communist Party’s failings.

Read more: Chinese doctor who tried to raise alarm on coronavirus in Wuhan dies on ‘front line’ of medical fight.

By: Wang Yuan

2:10 AM: Chinese cities turn to apps, facial-recognition technology to police coronavirus

BEIJING — Chinese authorities in Nanjing have asked residents in the city of 8 million and returning workers to register their personal information on an app, as officials turn away travelers and other short-term visitors.

In a notice issued late Thursday, the Nanjing city government asked returning residents and migrant workers based there to register on an app called “Ning Guilai” — a pun which can either mean Nanjing Returns or Peace Returns. The app requires a facial scan to confirm that all identification information is accurate.

“Your travel could be affected if we find the information you filled in to be inaccurate; more importantly, it will leave a dark spot in your personal credit record,” the Nanjing government’s notice read, also warning of potential “legal liabilities.”

The app also specified that only those with a permanent residence and workplace in Nanjing, and who are not from the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province, are free to travel into the city. Short-term visitors and travelers without a permanent residence or long-term job in Nanjing must postpone trips there, the city government said.

Shanghai has similarly relied on apps to track arrivals, announcing on Feb. 1 that visitors coming in from airports, train stations and toll gates would have to register their personal information on a smartphone app called Healthcare Cloud. The app was originally designed for making hospital appointments and other health services, but now includes a separate section that requires users to register their detailed personal information, including their ID, home and Shanghai addresses, phone number, emergency contact, and travel itinerary.

Yunnan province this week also launched a WeChat in-app program, Kang Yiqing or “Fighting the Epidemic,” that requires residents to register their personal information by scanning a QR code when entering a public venue — including residential areas, farmers markets, shopping malls, supermarkets and subway stations.

“For those who refuse to cooperate, public venue management has the right to ban them from entering or exiting. Those who try to force into public venues without registration, disturb public order, or cause serious consequences, will be held accountable according to law,” Yunnan authorities said.

By: Lyric Li

1:50 AM: Japan says 10 people evacuated from the Diamond Princess in serious condition

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan’s health ministry said on Friday that 10 people evacuated from the quarantined cruise ship the Diamond Princess are in serious condition, with eight confirmed to have the new coronavirus.

One of the other two is still awaiting results of a test.

Charly Triballeau

Afp Via Getty Images

A security guard is seen in front of the Diamond Princess cruise ship at Yokohama on Friday.

Amid persistent criticism of its approach, the government said it would start allowing some people who have tested negative for the virus to disembark from the ship early, and finish their quarantine at a facility on land. Priority will be given to passengers over the age of 80 and those with existing medical problems, as well as people in windowless cabins, health minister Katsunobu Kato said.

So far, 218 people on board the ship have tested positive for the virus, out of 713 people who have been assessed. The government says it plans to step up testing in a bid to examine everyone on board before the quarantine ends on Feb. 19.

A quarantine officer involved in screening passengers for the virus also fell sick, with the health ministry saying he did not follow proper procedures, wiping away sweat with his gloves and reusing a mask he had worn earlier, NHK reported.

Read more about the conditions on board the Diamond Princess: Japan relaxes cruise ship quarantine for elderly amid fears of virus spread.

By: Simon Denyer

1:35 AM: Love in a time of conavirus: Roses are out, broccoli and hand sanitizer is in

BEIJING — Forget red roses. Broccoli, cauliflower, masks and hand sanitizer are now the way to prove you love your partner this Valentine’s Day in China, according to Meituan, the country’s largest on-demand services provider.

Flower delivery platforms are reporting a massive drop in online flower sales, as health fears dissuade people from ordering anything online or picking up deliveries. Zhong’ai Flower, an online flower delivery platform based in Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak, reported a sales drop of 90 percent. Ma Yingzi, a flower supplier in Beijing, also estimated a 95 percent drop in flower sales this Valentine’s Day.

The new favorites: broccoli and cauliflower. Meituan said roses are no longer its most ordered items on this day of love, while the vegetables instead have become hot items. Broccoli in Chinese contains the word “flower” in its name, making it a popular gift in lieu of actual flowers, with more nutrients to boot.

And instead of chocolate, others are option for more practical gifts. Meituan’s sales data show that gift orders still grew by 30 percent on Feb. 14, but the most-searched present options were masks, goggles and disinfectants.

By: Wang Yuan

1:30 AM: Super Soaper Soffy, Wipe Up Wilson and Mask Up Mei Mei join Singapore’s coronavirus fight

Singapore’s education ministry has launched a new song — “Bye Bye Virus” — featuring a cast of virus-fighting superheroes in the hopes of teaching schoolchildren best-practice hygiene measures to fend off the outbreak. "

It even comes with a dance.

Singapore Ministry of Education

The lyrics replicate advice that has been doled out by the government in recent weeks, but in rhymes: “Wear a mask if you’re falling sick / go see a doctor, don’t be so thick.” The chorus is simply “coronavirus go away, don’t you stay.”

The cast of superhero characters, like Mask Up Mei Mei and Wipe Down Wilson, all provide specific tips on mask wearing, hand washing and remind students to avoid touching their faces.

Experts have praised Singapore’s transparency and proactive measures in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The city-state has 58 confirmed cases, one of the highest of any country, but health experts say has been more proactive about weeding out confirmed cases and tracking down clusters of infection.

Unlike Hong Kong, which has a similar number of infections and a similar population, schools in Singapore have not closed and lessons have continued largely as usual. Only interschool activities have been canceled. Singapore has been focusing its public education efforts on schools and the young, who are vulnerable to the spread of diseases.

By: Shibani Mahtani

1:23 AM: More counties in Hubei enact ‘wartime measures,’ barring citizens from leaving home

BEIJING — Hubei’s most densely populated county became the latest to implement “wartime measures” to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, effectively barring residents from leaving their homes.

The Yunmeng Public Security Bureau said on its official WeChat account that these measures would take effect Friday. All residential complexes have been sealed off and only essential vehicles will be allowed on the roads.

“Anyone who forces their way out of compounds, buildings or road connections will be detained,” Yunmeng authorities said.

Neighborhood communities are required to assign staff to help residents buy daily necessities. The county has over 300 confirmed coronavirus infections, and has a population of about half a million people.

The orders will be in place for about two weeks, according to Chinese state media.

Experts have questioned the effectiveness of these lockdowns and the legality of applying “wartime” controls in this public health emergency.

By: Wang Yuan and Shibani Mahtani

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2020-02-14 08:43:00Z
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Rocket attack hits northern Iraq base hosting US troops - Al Jazeera English

A rocket attack has slammed into an Iraqi base in the remote province of Kirkuk where US troops are stationed, security sources said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, AFP news agency citing Iraqi and US security sources reported on Thursday.

More:

Three separate Iraqi security sources told AFP that the Katyusha rocket hit the K1 base at around 8:45pm local time (1745 GMT) and US military aircraft immediately began flying low over the area.

It was the first attack on the K1 base since December 27, when a volley of about 30 rockets killed a US contractor there, which Washington blamed on Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi military faction close to Iran.

The US then carried out retaliatory attacks that killed 25 Kataib Hezbollah fighters.

Days later, another strike killed the head of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, General Qassem Soleimani and Kataib Hezbollah cofounder, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

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Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera's Simona Foltyn said the attack came at the end of a 40-day mourning in Iran over Soleimani's death.

"There is the possibility that this has to do with the end of the 40-day mourning period for Qassem Soleimani today," she said, adding that the attack could reignite tensions in the region.

The attack infuriated Shia Iraqi legislators who voted to remove more than 5,000 US troops deployed in the country in a January 3 Parliament session.

Iran retaliated for Soleimani's killing with a barrage of missiles that targeted two airbases hosting US troops in Irbil and Ain al-Asad. The troops had prior warning and none were killed, but more than 100 have since been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

Iran and the US have since refrained from further escalation, but the issue of US troops has monopolised Iraqi politics.

"There is a fear that such rocket attacks will trigger a response that will lead once again into an escalation in a crisis that has only recently calmed down," Foltyn said.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2020-02-13 20:12:00Z
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Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid resigns as chancellor - BBC News

Sajid Javid has resigned as chancellor as Boris Johnson carries out a post-Brexit cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Javid rejected an order to fire his team of aides, saying "no self-respecting minister" could accept such a condition.

He has been replaced as chancellor by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak - who just seven months ago was a junior housing minister.

Mr Javid had been due to deliver his first Budget in four weeks' time.

The former home secretary was appointed chancellor by Mr Johnson when he became prime minister in July.

His resignation follows rumours of tensions between Mr Javid and the prime minister's senior adviser Dominic Cummings.

"He has turned down the job of chancellor of the exchequer," a source close to Mr Javid, who had been expected to remain in place, said.

"The prime minister said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with Number 10 special advisers to make it one team. The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms."

In other reshuffle moves:

• Paymaster General Oliver Dowden is the new culture secretary, replacing Baroness Morgan
• Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom have been sacked
• Housing Minister Esther McVey and Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers are also out of the government
• Attorney General Geoffrey Cox was asked to resign by the PM
• Priti Patel remains as Home Secretary
• Dominic Raab remains as Foreign Secretary
• Michael Gove remains in his role as minister for the Cabinet Office

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is staying in his post, and Liz Truss will carry on as international trade secretary and minister for women and equalities.

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma has been appointed business secretary and minister for the upcoming climate conference COP26, in Glasgow.

He is being replaced at the international development department by junior defence minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Boris Johnson is expected to appoint a new minister to oversee the building of the HS2 rail line, final approval for which was given this week.

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There will now be a new joint team of No 10 and 11 special advisers, the BBC understands.

Mr Sunak, 39, was educated at Winchester College and Oxford University, after which he went on to found an investment firm.

In 2015, he was elected MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, replacing former Conservative leader William Hague.

Mr Sunak became a housing minister in 2018, before being promoted to chief secretary to the Treasury last July.

He stood in for Mr Johnson during the BBC's seven-way debate ahead of December's general election.

Arriving at the Treasury, Mr Sunak said he was "delighted to be appointed" chancellor and had "a lot to get on with".

Commenting on Mr Javid's resignation, Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "This must be a historical record with the government in crisis after just over two months in power.

"Dominic Cummings has clearly won the battle to take absolute control of the Treasury and install his stooge as chancellor."

The relationship between the two next door neighbours in Downing Street is vital in any government.

The relationship between Sajid Javid and Boris Johnson, as individuals, has been OK but there have been clashes between their wider teams.

This is a massive elevation for Rishi Sunak - a year ago he was one of the most junior ministers in the communities department.

A step up to chancellor this quickly is a huge ask.

He has not been tested in any significant way - but was seen as a reliable performer during the general election campaign.

Julian Smith's sacking - weeks after he brokered the deal which restored the power-sharing administration in Stormont - was greeted with shock in Northern Ireland.

The former minister said on Twitter that doing the job had been "the biggest privilege" and he was "extremely grateful" to have been given the chance to serve "this amazing part of our country".

Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called Mr Smith "one of Britain's finest politicians of our time".

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2020-02-13 13:31:29Z
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