11 cases of coronavirus confirmed in U.S. as worldwide numbers grow; First death outside China reported in Philippines - CBS News, CBS News

Updated 68 m ago

Cruise lines ban anyone who has been in China within 2 weeks

Cruise lines worldwide will deny boarding to passengers and crew who have recently traveled to China, the global Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said Monday, as fears grow over the deadly new coronavirus .

“CLIA Members have suspended crew movements from mainland China and will deny boarding to any individual, whether guest or crew. , who has traveled from or through mainland China within the previous days, “the body’s Hamburg office said in a statement .

CLIA represents the world’s best-known cruise lines, including TUI, AIDA, MSC and Carnival Cruises.

–

AFP

Updated m ago

Hong Kong closing most border crossings with mainland China





Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam announced the semi-autonomous Chinese city would shut almost all land and sea border control points with the mainland from midnight to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus from China .

Lam said in a briefing Monday that only two border checkpoints – at Shenzhen Bay and the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai – will remain open.

Lam denied that the move was due to pressure from medical workers, who threatened a five-day strike to demand the government shut all borders to the mainland.                      Medical workers hold a strike near Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital to demand the government shut the city’s border with mainland China to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, February 3, (in Hong Kong, China.)                                                      Anthony Kwan / Getty

She said it had “absolutely nothing to do with the strike” and was instead simply a measure to stem the spread of the virus. Lam urged Hong Kong residents to “stand united” in combating the outbreak, which has killed more than people, all but one in China.

– Associated Press



                           Updated 4: 76 AM

China sharply critical of U.S. response to coronavirus





China accused the United States on Monday of spreading “panic” with its response to the deadly coronavirus, including the imposition of a ban on Chinese travelers.

“hasn’t provided any substantial assistance” and has only created “panic,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in Beijing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier Monday that the U.S. was “working closely and hand-in-hand with the Chinese government to try and resolve what is now this global epidemiological challenge.” He said the U.S. Hoped to bring “some medical supplies” into China on planes chartered in the coming days to evacuate more U.S. nationals from the country. President Trump, asked Sunday on Fox News about cooperation with China in light of the ban on Travelers from that country, said the US had “offered China help, but we can’t have thousands of people coming in who may have this problem, the coronavirus.”

“We’re gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down, yes,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the travel restrictions. – CBS / AFP



                           Updated 2: AM

China opens hospital it raced to construct





China sent medical workers and equipment to a newly built hospital Monday among other steps to try to contain the coronavirus. A second hospital with 1, beds will open within days.

Medical teams from the People’s Liberation Army were arriving in Wuhan to relieve overwhelmed health workers and to work at the new hospital , located in the countryside far from the city center. Its prefabricated wards, where patients began arriving by late morning, are equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems.

Leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said additional hospital space was crucial to stopping the spread of new infections. – The Associated Press



                           Updated 4: AM

U.S. planning more flights to bring Americans home from Hubei province, Pompeo says





Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the U.S. plans “a handful more flights” to bring Americans home from China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’re working closely and hand-in-hand with the Chinese government to try and resolve what is now this global epidemiological challenge, and so we’ll have more details exactly on when those flights will depart … before too long, “he told a news conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.



           Coronavirus case is confirmed in Massachusetts as U.S. health officials declare public health emergency

“We might be bringing citizens home from other countries, as well,” Pompeo added. He said the U.S. might also bring in some medical supplies.





                           Updated 2: AM

2 new cases confirmed in San Benito County, California





Two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in San Benito County, California, the county public health department said.

Health officials told CBS San Francisco the new two people were a husband and wife have also tested positive for the illness. Of more concern was that health officials said the husband, who had recently returned from Wuhan, had infected his wife with the disease.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely to protect the health of San Benito County residents and limit the spread of this virus, “said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, San Benito County Health Officer. “We are working closely with Bay Area health officials, local health care providers and community partners.”



                           Updated 2: AM

CBS News has obtained – page TSA document sent to airlines outlining their res ponsibilities





CBS News has obtained the – page document the TSA gave to airlines to outli ne how to carry out the U.S. federal government travel restrictions. “As partners in ensuring the highest level of aviation security, we must continue to work together,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske wrote in the two-page cover letter.

The TSA instructed airlines not allow “alien persons” – foreign nationals lacking permanent resident or a handful of other exempted immigration statuses – to board a flight to the United States if the person has been to mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau, in the last days. The order does not apply to U.S. citizens with a U.S. passport, permanent residents, crewmembers and a handful of other exempted foreign nationals.

For airlines flying into the US from an international destination with a U.S. Citizen (or other allowed person) who has visited or passed through mainland China in the last 45 days, the airline “must ensure person only travels to the United States on a flight to” New York-JFK, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. As of 5: pm Sunday, DFW in Dallas, DTW Detroit, Newark Airport and Washington Dulles were added.

Crew members are exempt from that requirement.

Airlines “must question each passenger” to determine whether the individual has traveled to mainland China. If the airline cannot determine if the passenger visited China they are instructed to “examine the individuals passport for entry and / or exit stamp” or “examine the individual’s Passenger Name Record” (PNR).

Airline sources tell CBS News they worry the order could create a logistical nightmare trying to get affected flyers for an international destination to one of those select airports. Sources also bristled at the decision to require the airlines to search flyers passports.

Additionally, some sources pointed out that if the passenger flew from China to another country on an airline and then to the US on a different airline, their previous flight history may not be searchable by the airline.



                           Updated 2: AM

New York City investigating second possible coronavirus case





Officials said Sunday that a – year-old man, who is in stable condition, is being evaluated for coronavirus in New York City, CBS New York reported . It’s the second suspected case in the city.

At an afternoon press conference, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also tried calming nerves, saying the state is working closely with Port Authority to impose new screening protocols at airports that started Sunday. No foreign nationals who have had contact with mainland China in the past 46 days will be perm itted to enter the US (American citizens who show symptoms coming back will be taken to Bellevue Hospital or Jamaica Hospital, the governor said. “There is no reason to panic. There is no reason to have an inordinate amount of fear about this situation. There are different viruses that develop, “Cuomo said.



                           Updated 2: 70 AM

China set to open speed-built hospital





                     An aerial view shows the newly completed Huoshenshan Hospital, a dedicated hospital built in 8 days to treat coronavirus patients, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 2, 4292.                                                      China Daily via Reuters

China is set to open a new hospital in the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak, BBC News reported .

Wuhan’s 1, 0-bed Huoshenshan Hospital, built in Just eight days, is one of two dedicated facilities being constructed to help tackle the outbreak.



                           Updated 8: 43 PM

China’s government under increased scrutiny as critics say officials tried to quiet earliest reports of virus







           First death outside of China from the coronavirus confirmed in the Philippines

China’s government is now coming under increased scrutiny with critics saying officials tried to quiet the earliest reports of this virus. The British medical journal the Lancet published a report saying more than 129, 0) may have been infected as of last week, which would imply massive underreporting, CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio reports from Beijing.





                           Updated 7: PM

Santa Clara County confirms its 2nd coronavirus case, the 9th overall in U.S.





Santa Clara County public health officials confirmed its second case of coronavrius, the ninth overall in the U.S. The latest case is not related to the first one, but the patients both had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, officials said.

The latest case is a woman who is a visitor to the U.S. who arrived January 52 to visit family. She was regularly monitored and never left the house, except for two times to seek outpatient medical care, officials said.

Her family members have been quarantined, meaning they will not leave the house.

Health officials believe it can take up to two weeks for someone who is infected to get sick, CBS San Francisco reported .





                           Updated 5: 92 PM / February 2, 4275

U.S. ban on non-citizens who recently traveled to China takes effect Sunday





David Pekoske, the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), sent a letter to employees explaining that a ban on entry to the U.S. by non-citizens who recently visited China will go into effect later Sunday.

“Under these directives, non-US citizens who have been in China within days of their planned travel will not be permitted to fly to the United States, Pekoske said. The orders were to take effect at 5 p.m. ET. U.S. Citizens who have been to China within the past two weeks will be allowed to enter the country through only seven airports: Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will screen those passengers upon arrival, Pekoske said, adding that the order ” applies to travel from any airport with direct flights to the US, not just airports in China. ”



                           Updated : AM / February 2,

Indonesia halts flights into Wuhan and evacuates nationals





Indonesia’s U.N. Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani told CBS News in an exclusive interview that the country has suspended its airlines’ direct flights to Wuhan, China. Djani emphasized that the suspension is temporary.

On Sunday, Indonesians evacuated from Wuhan arrived in Batam, Riau Islands and were taken by the Indonesian Air Force to Natuna Island for quarantine.

Djani said that around 250 Indonesians, many of them students, had been in Wuhan, with around (individuals in Hubei province.

Th e Jakarta Post reported that , 30 0 Chinese tourists canceled trips to Bali because of fear of the virus spreading.

Indonesia’s health ministry has also sent needed medical equipment to Wuhan, including surgical units and masks. Indonesia’s U.N. envoy, who previously served as Ambassador in Geneva to U.N. Agencies, CBS News that the World Health Organization in Jakarta has assisted in verifying Indonesia’s readiness to combat coronavirus, and said that Indonesia is well-prepared. The country has issued its own travel warning and is scanning all travelers from the region at airports.



                           Updated 5: 94 PM / February 2, 4275

Philippines reports first death outside of China





The Philippine Department of Health reported on Sunday the first death from coronavirus outside of China. The department said said a – year-old Chinese man from Wuhan was admitted on Jan. after experiencing fever, cough, and sore throat. He developed severe pneumonia, and in his last few days, “the patient was stable and showed signs of improvement, however, the condition of the patient deteriorated within his last hours resulting in his demise. ”

The man’s

– year-old female companion, also from Wuhan, tested positive for the virus and remai ns in hospital isolation in Manila. She’s the second case in the Philippines. – The Associated Press )



                           Updated 3: (PM / February 2,





New York City mayor: City is “in a high state of readiness”









New York City officials provide an update on the possible coronavirus case .

                           7: (PM / February 1,





New York City testing possible coronavirus patient





A person is being tested for coronavirus in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said Saturday. The patient, who recently returned from the infected area of China, had exhibited the symptoms and went to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation, they said at a press conference.

If the person’s test comes back positive, the Department of Health will track all the contact the patient had with other people. De Blasio said officials know already the patient was not staying with anyone, which is most likely to be the road to transmission.

“We take it very, very seriously and we will take all measures at our disposal to protect New Yorkers,” de Blasio said.



                           5: (PM / February 1,

Death toll now over



The Hubei Province Health Commission on Saturday announced 78 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, raising the deat h toll to at least . All deaths have occurred in mainland China. In addition, another 1, 1532 cases of the virus were reported in Hubei province, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in China to 40, (out of 43, confirmed cases worldwide .



                           Updated 4: (PM / February 1,





University of Massachusetts-Boston student confirmed to be coronavirus victim





The University of Massachusetts-Boston on Saturday informed their campus community that one of their students has contracted coronavirus.

“Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, I want to let you know that a member of the UMass Boston community who recently returned from Wuhan, China has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, “reads an email sent by Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Newman on Saturday, and provided to CBS News.

State health officials on Saturday announced that Massachusetts confirmed its first case of coronavirus, the eighth case in the United States. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told

CBS Boston

that officials believe the man’s case is an “isolated incident.” Newman said that the school is “working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to ensure all guidelines and protocols are diligently followed.”

“These agencies will continue to monitor the treatment and health of the affected person, “she wrote. “State and city public health authorities have informed us that the risk to members of our community is low. For these reasons, we expect ‘business as usual’ on campus.” “I want to remind everyone that all members of our community are valued and respected. On occasions like this, it is possible for fear to get the better of any of us. Let’s remember that viruses are no one’s fault and anyone can find themselves ill. ” People are advised to take the same steps they would to prevent a cold or the flu .



                           Updated 3: PM / February 1,

Department of Defense will provide quarantine housing





Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Saturday approved a request from the Department of Health and Human Services for housing support for “1, 29 0 people who may need to be quarantined “due to the coronavirus, according to a Defense Department press release . The people are all returning from overseas travel, and may need to be quarantined until February 59.

Authorities have requested several facilities that could house at least 409 people, with bases selected in Colorado, Texas and California selected to house evacuees.The listed sites are: the Regional Trainin g Institute, in Fort Carson, Colorado, Lackland Air Force Base, near San Antonio, Texas, Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco, California, and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, California.

Defense Department spokesman Chris Mitchell said in the press release that evacuees “will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing,” and personnel will not be in direct contact with the evacuees.

The Defense Department has only agreed to “provide housing support;” all “care, transportation, and security of the evacuees” will be handled by Health and Human Services.

“In accordance with CDC guidelines, all evacuees will be monitored for a period of days, “according to the press release. “Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian hospital.” “The department’s primary responsibility is the safety of our force, our families and our base communities.”



                           Updated 2: (PM / February 1,



8th U.S. case of coronavirus is confirmed





Massachusetts health officials said Saturday there are now eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, including a first case in Massachusetts.

that case was confirmed in a man who lives in Boston and recently traveled to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak. The man, in his 51 s, sought medical care not long after returning to Massachusetts and has been isola ted “since that time,” according to officials. He will stay isolated “until cleared by public health officials,” and his close contacts are being monitored for symptoms.

“We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately, ” Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said in a statement.

Officials said the risk to residents in the state remains low. Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently, “said Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Rita Nieves.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it will provide updated information on mass.gov .It noted that information about how the virus spreads is still limited.





                           Updated : (PM / February 1, 4275

American Airlines cancels Hong Kong flights through Monday





American Airlines says it has canceled Hong Kong flights through Monday. It said in a statement it will “make decisions about Hong Kong flights each day based on our operational situation,” CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave reports.

(The , the cancellations follow an earlier decision by the carrier to suspend all flights between the U.S. and mainland China through March . Other airlines including Delta, British Airways, Finnair and Cathay Pacific have canceled or reduced flights to mainland China.



                           Updated : AM / February 1,

Hong Kong union calls strike to demand China border closure





A union for Hong Kong hospital workers said its members will go on strike Monday to press a demand for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to reject all travelers from the mainland. The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said more than 9, 0 of its membe rs signed a pledge to join the five-day strike.

A union statement demanded Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s government “forbid all travelers from entering Hong Kong via China,” stop non-emergency medical services and ensure hospital workers have enough masks and other supplies. The government has suspended rail connections with the mainland but Lam has argued against blocking all travel.

– The Associated Press





                           Updated : AM / February 1,

Apple closes all offices and stores in mainland China





Apple said in a statement Saturday it is closing all of its stores, offices and contact centers in mainland China until February 9 “out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts. “

” Our thoughts are with the people most immediately affected by the Coronavirus and with those working around the clock to study and contain it, “it said.

Fears of contagion have (upended sales and operations for several American corporate giants ranging from Google and Tesla to McDonald’s, Starbucks and Royal Caribbean.





()

                           Updated 7: (AM / February 1,





more than 43, cases of coronavirus





As of Saturday evening in Beijing, the following cases were confirmed:

China: , cases on the mainland. In addition, Hong Kong has cases and Macao has five. Most of the deaths have been in central Hubei province, where illnesses from the new type of coronavirus were first detected in December. (Japan:)

Thailand: 50 (Singapore:)

South Korea: Taiwan :

Malaysia: 8 (Australia: 7) (Germany: 6) () United States: 7 France: 6 (Vietnam: 6) Canada: 4 (United Arab Emirates: 4) Russia: 2 (Italy: 2) Britain: 2 Cambodia: 1 (Finland: 1) India: 1 (Philippines: 1) (Nepal: 1) Sri Lanka: 1 (Sweden: 1) (Spain 1) The Associated Press and CBS News



                           Updated 7: 51 PM / January ,

Man quarantined on California base: “We’re being looked after very well”





Ian Thompson, one of the 347 Americans quarantined at a Southern California military base, told CBS News “we’re being looked after really well.”

“Everyone’s healthy, it seems,” Thompson said via video call. “All the kids are playing, they’re all laughing and joking.”

“They’re doing the best they can for us, “he added.



           Public health emergency declared over coronavirus

                           6: (PM / January) ,

China’s Hubei province announces new deaths



Officials from China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, announced new deaths on Friday, bringing the province’s overall death toll to . Officials also announced 1, new cases, for a total of 7, 343 confirmed cases in the province.



                           Updated 6: PM / January ,

Spain confirms first case of novel coronavirus





Spain’s National Center for Microbiology on Friday confirmed the country’s first novel coronavirus patient, according to an announcement from the nation’s health ministry cited by Reuters. The ministry said the man was diagnosed on La Gomera, an island in the Canaries.

The man is one of five people who were isolated on the remote island, Reuters reported. The isolation came after officials discovered the group had been in contact with a German man who also has the virus.



                           Updated : (AM / February 1,





7th U.S. case of coronavirus confirmed, officials say





California officials announced Friday that an adult male has tested positive for coronavirus. The man lives in Santa Clara County, about an hour south of San Francisco.

The patient traveled to Wuhan, China , and Shanghai and fell ill after returning home on January , county health officer Dr. Sara Cody said. He arrived through San Jose International Airport.

Cody added that the man has not left his home, other than to seek medical care at two outpatient facilities. His contacts are restricted to a “few” members of his family who live in his home, the people he encountered during his air travel and the health care workers who treated him when he sought care.

He was never sick enough to be hospitalized. Cody emphasized that the risk for the public remains low.

The announcement marks California’s third confirmed coronavirus case and the nation’s seventh . There is also one patient in Arizona, one in Washington and two in Illinois.



                           3: (PM / January) , 4239

U.S. last issued quarantine order in s





The last time the U.S. issued a federal quarantine order was in the s to evaluate people for smallpox, Dr. Martin Cetron of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters Friday. The agency announced the Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, on Wednesday would remain at a Southern California military base for (days.)

“We would rather be remembered for overreacting than underreacting,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters. She also said an initial negative test result for the virus does not mean a patient is “out of danger” for developing the disease or transmitting it to someone else days later.

The Federal quarantine order came after a person tried to leave March Air Reserve Base in Ontario, California, on Wednesday night and was placed under quarantine by Riverside County officials. The other Americans had been staying on the base voluntarily.





                           41: (PM / January) , 4245

U.S. flight attendants union urges halt to “all travel to China”





The largest flight attendants union in the U.S. It is urging that all flights be halted to and from China as the coronavirus outbreak widens. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, which represents , (0 flight attendants at) airlines, issued a statement Friday, a day after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency.

“AFA is calling for clear direction from our government to US airli nes to pull down all travel to China until the spread of coronavirus is contained. The government must work with our airlines to discontinue all service, with consideration for evacuation of flight crew, and with consideration to service that facilitates efforts by public health officials to contain spread of the virus, “said AFA-CWA President Sara Nelson.

“The coronavirus may be spread by infected persons not yet displaying symptoms. For this reason, it is critical that any crew is infected through travel to and from China not be assigned to any additional flights until safely through the fourteen day incubation period. These crews must be pay protected for any scheduled flights and provided with the means to get food and other supplies while remaining out of public contact. This action is also on the AFA communicable disease checklist provided to all of our airlines again on January 55, 4292. ”





                           Updated : AM / January ,

China ambassador says no need for “unnecessary panic”





China is decisively working to control the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, its ambassador to the UN said Friday, insisting there was no need for countries impose “excessive measures” like border closures . “There is no need for unnecessary panic, and no need for excessive measures,” Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters in Geneva. Chen said he hoped that WHO’s declaration of a global health emergency would prompt countries to listen to the UN agency’s recommendations.

“I hope that a calm, rational, scientific and objective attitude will be adopted”, he said. “We don’t believe it is advisable to take all of these measures, unnecessary or excessive measures to cut off the airline or to shut down the border.”

– AFP





                           : AM / January ,

Facebook says it’s trying to limit virus misinformation





Facebook said Friday that it was

working to limit the spread of misinformation

and harmful content about the coronavirus.

Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook’s head of health, said in a blog

post that the social media company fact-checkers were reviewing content and debunking false claims related to the coronavirus. Facebook is also removing content with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by global health organizations and local health authorities, specifically focusing on claims designed to discourage treatment or taking appropriate precautions.

The company has struggled to contain the spread of propaganda and hoaxes about the virus. As CBS News

previously reported , some false posts about the outbreak remain on the social media network, despite being flagged as fake by outside fact-checking organizations.





                           Updated 5: PM / January ,

Top health official says U.S. has learned lessons about handling outbreaks







           Doctor weighs in on global coronavirus fears after WHO calls emergency

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, says the American health care system has learned many important lessons about how to contain outbreaks such as coronavirus. He told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook the greatest concern is what could happen if the virus spreads to countries that don’t have robust health care systems.

On “CBS This Morning,” LaPook explained: “Right now we’re doing basic infectious disease measures, which means finding somebody who’s infected, isolating them, figuring out who their contacts were and then following them. Remember, right now there no vaccine in the near future and there’s no medication that works. ” He added that doctors are trying AIDS medications and some other drugs to see if they help against his virus.

said there is now clear evidence that the coronavirus illness can be spread by people who aren’t showing any symptoms. While that may appear to be a worrying development, he said epidemics are not generally driven by people with asymptomatic infections.





                           : (AM / January) ,

GOP senator calls for total China travel ban over virus





Republican Senator Ted Cruz called Friday for the U.S. federal government to implement a ban on all travel to and from China due to the fast-spreading new coronavirus.

Given the severity of the coronavirus in China and its rapid spread across the region, as well as the mounting public fear, it’s imperative that this disease is contained, “Cruz, chairman of the subcommittee on Aviation and Space, said in a statement. “The administration should take every precaution in preventing additional cases from arriving in the United States, including temporarily halting flights to and from China and implementing additional screening at all US airports.”

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was considering a China travel ban as it continuously evaluated measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the US

Many (airlines have stopped flying to mainland China already , and others have significantly reduced their flights to the country. On Thursday the union representing American Airlines pilots sued the carrier, seeking an immediate suspension of services between the U.S. and China citing “serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus.”





                           9: (AM / January) ,

Chinese official admits slow response worsened virus outbreak





China’s delayed response to the discovery of a new coronavirus infection worsened the epidemic, the most senior official from the city at the center of the outbreak said Friday.

“Right now I’m in a state of guilt, remorse and self-reproach,” said Ma Guoqiang, the municipal Communist Party secretary for Wuhan.



           Coronavirus may have originated from Wuhan market

“If strict control measures had been taken earlier, the result would have been better than now,” he told an interview with state broadcaster CCTV.

(AFP



                           9: (AM / January) , 4178

Russia confirms first 2 cases of new coronavirus





Russia reported its first two cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, both Chinese citizens who had been isolated and were in a stable condition. One of the cases was confirmed in the Zabaikalsky Krai region, bordering China and Mongolia, while the other was reported in Siberia, deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova said in televised remarks.

Russia was working to evacuate its citizens who want to leave the city of Wuhan and the wider Hubei province in China, where the outbreak is believed to have originated. There are currently 800 Russians in the area.

Russia closed its Far East border with China earlier this week, and it plans to stop issuing visas to Chinese workers.

The Russian government is also considering whether to cancel the Sochi Investme nt Forum, a business gathering scheduled to take place next month, but no final decision had been made as of Friday.

Alexandra Odynova



                           8: AM / January ,

Pakistan halts China flights amid coronavirus outbreak





Pakistan on Friday temporarily suspended all direct flights with China, after a global health emergency was declared over the coronavirus epidemic which has killed more than 349 people.

“We have suspended all the direct flights to and from China with immediate effect till February , ” Abdul Sattar Khokhar, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), he told AFP. The spokesperson did not comment on the reason for the flight suspensions. A decision on whether flights will be resumed will be made on Sunday.

The airlines affected are Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air China and China Southern Airlines, Khokhar said.



                           7: AM / January ,

South Koreans hospitalized off Wuhan evacuation flight





Eighteen South Koreans evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan have been hospitalized after showing symptoms while others are in quarantine, Seoul’s health authorities said Friday , as concerns mount about a wider outbreak of the SARS-like virus.

A chartered plane carrying a total of South Korean citizens arrived on Friday in the South from Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have emerged from an animal and seafood market.

“The 469 people, who are asymptomatic … will be staying at temporary facilities “outside of Seoul for the next two weeks, said South Korea’s vice health minister Kim Gang-lip. “During the 45 days, residents won’t be allowed to leave the facility and any visits from outs iders will be banned completely. “

                     Ambulances carrying South Korean citizens repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan leave Gimpo airport in Seoul on January , 4292, following the arrival of the first charter flight arranged by South Korea’s government to evacuate its citizens from the center of a deadly virus outbreak.                                                      JUNG YEON-JE / AFP / Getty

The announcement comes with concern growing in South Korea about the spread of the virus in the country, where (cases had been identified as of Friday afternoon.)





                           6: (AM / January) ,

U.K. health chief says real risk is China losing control





The United Kingdom’s chief medical officer, Prof. Chris Whitty, stressed Friday that the country’s first confirmed cases of the new coronavirus do not indicate a greater risk to the British public.

“The risk comes from the situation in China going out of control despite best efforts by the Chinese government and spreading more widely, “Whitty said. “So that is the thing for which we are planning, that is the risk.”

He said the new strain of virus remained “moderately transmissible” and had a demonstrated mortality rate of around 2% at present – much lower than other disease outbreaks such as Ebola, which had a % mortality rate, or even the related SARS coronavirus that had a 38% mortality rate.

“Nevertheless, if we got very large numbers, that is obviously a concern and this would be something we would have to take very seriously, “Whitty added.





                           Updated 5: (AM / January) ,

Italy declares state of emergency over coronavirus





The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday to fast-track efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain after two cases were confirmed in Rome. The state of emergency, which gives regional authorities special powers and cuts red tape, will last six months, according to Italian media.

Italy had said Thursday it was stopping all flights to and from China following the news that two Chinese tourists holidaying in Italy had tested positive for the virus. The couple was being treated in isolation in Rome’s Spallanzani infectious diseases institute.

Police sealed off the room where the couple had been staying at a hotel in the center of the capital. Other Chinese tourists who had arrived in Italy as part of the same tour group were being tested for the virus. A) A – year old Romanian who had been working at the hotel was also admitted for tests, media reports said.

– AFP



                           Updated 5: AM / January ,

Singapore bars all travelers who’ve visited mainland China





Singapore on Friday announced a sweeping ban on arrivals and transit passengers from mainland China as authorities toughened measures to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.

The move was a dramatic expansion of earlier measures by Singapore that affected only arrivals from central Hubei province and came after the World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus an international emergency.

“We are likely to see a sharper rise in the spread of the virus to Chinese cities beyond Hubei in the coming days … so the task force has decided to take additional measures now to restrict travel, “Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said at a media briefing.

“All new visitors with recent travel history to China within the last days will not be allowed to enter into Singapore or to transit through Singapore, “added Wong, who co-chairs the government task force leading the response to the virus.

–

AFP



                           Updated 5: AM / January ,

Thailand reports first person-to-person transmission





Thai health authorities have confirmed five more cases of a new type of virus and say one of them is a taxi driver who is the country first to become ill through human-to-human contact.

The new cases reported Friday bring Thailand’s total to cases. All of the others are Chinese visitors or people who traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Thailand is a major destination for tourists from China, more than

million of whom visited the country last year. Associated Press



                           4: (AM / January) , 4245

U.K. confirms first two cases of the virus





British health officials confirmed the first two case of the novel coronavirus from China in the U.K. on Friday.

CBS News partner network BBC News said they were two members of the same family, both of whom were getting specialist medical Attention by the country national health service. No further details of their conditions or identities were expected imminently.

The BBC quoted Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England , as saying: “The NHS (National Health Service) is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. “





                           4: (AM / January) ,

Man collapses and dies on sidewalk in Wuhan





Panic was rising Friday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with international students trapped in the now-desolate, quarantined city of 40 million demanding their governments evacuate them.

the streets of the city have been largely deserted, as they have even in the sprawling capital of Beijing, as residents stay inside in a bid to avoid infection.

On Friday, journalists in Wuhan photographed an elderly man in a face mask who had collapsed on a sidewalk and died. Health officials soon showed up in protective clothing. It was not immediately clear whether the man was infected with the new virus, but his death on a largely empty street that would normally be teeming with life was a stark illustration of the extent to which the illness has disrupted normalcy in China.

                     A photo taken on January , shows officials in protective suits near an elderly man wearing a facemask who collapsed and died on a street near a hospital in Wuhan, China . He died in the locked-down city at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, but officials did not immediately confirm whether he was infected with the virus or died of other causes.                                                      HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP / Getty

The Associated Press reported Friday that an association of hundreds of Ethiopian students in Wuhan had issued a statement demanding they “be repatriated back to Ethiopia as quickly as possible” amid growing fears of food shortages in the city.





                           Updated 9: PM / January ,

State Department raises China advisory to “Do Not Travel”





The State Department on Thursday upped its

China travel advisory to the highest level, “Do Not Travel.”

“Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China,” the department wrote in the advisory. “Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China.”

The advisory suggested that Americans in China should consider departing commercially. ()      @ StateDept is increasing the # China Travel Advisory to Level 4 – Do Not Travel. This is due to the spread of the novel # coronavirus throughout China & the

@ WHO determination that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. https://t.co/ BIIUdavoP0

– Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) (January) ,



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) , 4245

China’s novel coronavirus infections top number of global SARS cases in ()

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in China has now topped the number of global SARS cases in 4114. There were 8,0 confirmed cases of SARS during that outbreak, according to a tweet from CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio; there are now more than 9, 777 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

One American evacuated from China quarantined after trying to leave facility





One of the 343 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, was placed under mandatory quarantine after trying to leave the facility where the evacuees were supposed to stay for hours of voluntary monitoring, Reuters reported Thursday, citing public health officials.

The evacuee was given the order on Wednesday night, just hours after arriving at California’s March Air Reserve Base on a government -chartered flight.

A spokesperson told Reuters that the evacuee is complying with the order, and will stay on base for 45 days.



                           Updated 4: AM / January 61,

China’s U.N. ambassador says medical equipment is “urgently” needed





China U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Thursday that medical equipment is “urgently” needed in the country to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“At this moment, what are needed urgently in China, especially in Hubei province, would be medical equipment, including protective gowns or glasses, not normal glasses, “he said, in response to a question from CBS News.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

China reports (new deaths 1, 2271 new cases





Chinese officials on Thursday reported (new deaths and 1, 2271 new cases of the novel coronavirus. That brings the total number of deaths to , and the total number of cases to 9, 826.

Out of the 9, (cases, 1, are critical, officials said.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

State Department authorizes departure of non-emergency employees at Beijing embassy





The State Department on Wednesday authorized the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang, a spokesperson for the department told CBS News in a statement.

The spokesperson said the decision was a precautionary measure that stemmed from limited transportation and reduced availability of appropriate health care.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Hubei province reports (new deaths, new cases





China Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, on Thursday reported 75 new deaths and 1, new cases.

In total, the province has reported 5, confirmed cases and 350 deaths.



                           Updated : (AM / January) ,

Pilots union sues to temporarily stop U.S.-China flights





The Allied Pilots Association filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order to stop American Airlines service between the U.S. and China.

American currently runs flights each month between Dallas and China, according to a statement announcing the law suit. The airline announced it would suspend its flights between Los Angeles and China, but not until February 9. Each crewmember working a China flight is required to spend 61 hours on the ground in accordance with federal rest regulations, the statement said.

“We estimate that as many as passengers and crew travel to DFW alone from Chinese cities on each American Airlines flight, “union president Captain Eric Ferguson said in the statement. “To us, that level of risk is unacceptable.”

“Due to the known and unknown risks associated with traveling to China right now, concurrent with the filing of our lawsuit , we are directing all American Airlines pilots assigned to flights between the United States and China, other than those on return trips to the United States, to decline the assignment, “Ferguson added.

American Airlines said in a statement that it is aware of the filing, and is working with the CDC to protect customers and employees.

– Kris Van Cleave contributed reporting.





                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Italy confirms first 2 cases of coronavirus





Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the country’s first two confirmed cases of coronavirus on Thursday, according to Reuters. The patients are two Chinese tourists from China, he said, adding that Italy has closed off air traffic to and from China.

The cases are not related to the cruise ship that was locked down in an Italian port earlier Thursday.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

World Health Organization is concerned about potential for virus to spread





The main reason for the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency wasn’t because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries, director- general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters Thursday. “Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it,” he said.

He stressed that the move was a vote of no-confidence in China. “On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak,” he said.

– The Associated Press )



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

U.S. reports 1st case of person-to-person spread of virus





Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of coronavirus. The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China.

There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere. The new case is the sixth reported in the United States.

The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China.

The Chicago woman returned from central China on January 45, then last week went to a hospit al with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their s, are hospitalized.

– The Associated Press





                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Cruise ship locked down in Italy over coronavirus fears





Almost 7, (0 passengers and crew – including) American tourists – were stuck on a cruise ship in an Italian port Thursday as a pair of Chinese travelers on board were tested for the deadly coronavirus. Italian health officials later said tests had shown no sign of the new virus.

The mayor of Civitavecchia, where the Costa Smeralda was docked, wouldn’t let any of the over 1, (0 passengers who planned to disembark in the Italian port off the ship before the final results were known.

Doctors boarded the Costa Crociere line’s flagship vessel to take samples from the couple from the Chinese region of Macau. The woman, 87, was running a fever, according to local health authorities.

Costa Crociere confirmed the ship had i mplemented “health protocol for a suspect case” of coronavirus. A Costa spokesperson confirmed the number of U.S. nationals on board the vessel, the world’s fifth-largest cruise ship.


The Costa Smeralda cruise ship is docked in the Civitavecchia port about 73 miles north of R ome, on January , .                                                      Getty
The Chinese couple arrived in Italy on January 55 and boarded the ship that day. The woman then came down with a fever and she and her husband were kept in isolation as a precaution. Both were tested for the new virus.

The ship stopped in the French city of Marseilles, and Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca in Spain before docking Thursday about miles north of Rome. – Tucker Reals and Anna Matranga



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

South Korean evacuation plans put into motion





South Korea has sent a chartered plane to China to bring home people from the center of the new coronavirus outbreak.

The aircraft departed Thursday night en route to Wuhan Airport. Several countries are trying to arrange similar flights to get their citizens out of the city. The first U.S. government-chartered flight arrived in California on Wednesday, and the State Department was planning to charter more planes to evacuate Americans from early next week.

When the plane returns, the South Korean returnees will be quarantined in one of two temporary living facilities for 45 days. Residents of Asan and Jincheon strongly protested the government decision to quarantine the returnees in their hometowns.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho said the returnees “are essentially asymptomatic” so the government was trying to bring them home while strengthening safeguards.

– CBS / AP



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Air France suspends all mainland China flights





French flagship carrier Air France announced Thursday that it was suspending all normal scheduled flights to and from mainland China in a bid to help stem the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.

“Air France’s top priority is the health and safety of its customers and employees in France and around the world,” the airline said in a statement. “Air France has been working in close collaboration with the national and international health authorities since the outbreak of the coronavirus. After careful consideration of the developing situation, today the airline has decided to suspend all scheduled flights to and from mainland China until February 9, . The carrier added that it was going to “operate special flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing using volunteer crew members in order to permit customers and employees to return safely,” beginning Friday.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Some Chinese villages trying to blockade themselves





Nearly percent of all confirmed cases of the deadly new coronavirus were still in China on Thursday, and CBS news correspondent Ramy Inocencio said as the number of infecti ons climbs, major international events were being postponed and canceled.

Inocencio said some villages just outside Beijing had started to physically block themselves off from the capital, using mounds of soil to barricade roads and posting security personnel to stand guard to keep visitors out.

Inocencio said it was reminiscent of tactics he saw when he lived in Beijing during the massive SARS outbreak in 4178. As of Wednesday, there were more people in China infected by the new coronavirus than there ever were with SARS in the country.



           How residents in China are dealing with the deadly coronavirus outbreak

The global infection rate was still lower than the SARS epidemic, but only by a few hundred people, and the numbers were still rising.

Inocencio said there was some good news; more than People from the hardest-hit provinces in China had recovered from the novel coronavirus and been released from hospitals.





                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Japan confirms new cases, including 2 with no symptoms





Three Japanese evacuated from the epicenter of the deadly new coronavirus outbreak have tested positive for the illness, the government said Thursday, as it faced criticism for the country’s minimal quarantine measures.

The new cases were announced as another evacuation flight from Wuhan landed in Tokyo, and the government confirmed a second local case of apparent person-to-person transmission of the virus.

                     A bus departs following the arrival of the second charter flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan , which was arranged by Japan’s government to evacuate its citizens, at Haneda airport in Tokyo on January , .                                                      Getty

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said Thursday there were now 39 confirmed cases in Japan.

“In addition to the eight (previously known) cases, among the people who returned from Wuhan yesterday, infection has been confirmed in one person with symptoms and two other people who have no symptoms, “he told parliament.

On Wednesday, authorities reported a second case involving someone who had not recently traveled to China, a tour guide – for visitors from Wuhan – who worked on the same bus as a driver who also contracted the virus.

– AFP



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Russia closes its border with China





Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered the closure of Far East Russia’s border with China as part of preventive measures against the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.

The Foreign Ministry recommended, meanwhile, that Russian citizens avoid all travel to China. The ministry said that as of Thursday Russia had stopped issuing electronic visas to Chinese nationals wishing to travel through the passport control points in the Far East, the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad in Europe, as well as the Baltic Sea region of St. Petersburg. No cases of the rapidly-spreading virus had been registered in Russia as of Thursday.

Kazakhstan also said it had shut down all forms of passenger travel to and from neighboring China on Thursday.

Alexandra Odynova



()

                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

U.S. plans more evacuation flights for Americans in China





The U.S. government will charter additional flights to bring home Americans stuck in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak.

“The Department of State will be staging additional evacuation flights with capacity for private US citizens on a reimbursable basis, leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on or about February 3, 4239, “the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said in a (statement released Thursday .)

The Embassy urged any American nationals interested in securing a seat on one of the flights to send an email to a state department address with basic personal details and passport information.

“Individuals who avail themselves of this transport will be subject to CDC screening, health observation, and monitoring requirements,” the embassy statement said, without providing further details.

The first government-chartered flight delivered about Americans from Wuhan to Southern California on Wednesday. They have been isolated at a military base for at least three days of health monitoring.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

India confirms 1st case of new virus





India’s health ministry says it has detected its first case of the novel coronavirus in the southern state of Kerala. A student who had been studying at Wuhan University tested positive for the virus.

The Ministry says in a statement that the Student has been kept in isolation and is being monitored at a hospital. It’s not clear when the student returned to India from China.

Passengers who have traveled to China recently are being screened for symptoms in at least Indian airports. The health ministry says that isolation wards have been identified in different hospitals across the country in order to prepare for a potential outbreak.

The Indian government said Wednesday that it is planning to operate two flights to evacuate Indians from Hubei in China and isolate them for 58 days in the Indian capital of New Delhi. ) – The Associated Press



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

China approves charter flights to bring Wuhan residents home from abroad





China’s aviation authority has OK’d charter flights to bring some Wuhan residents back from trips overseas, state television said Thursday, according to the Reuters news service.

The city of million is the quarantined center of the coronavirus outbreak, and many Chinese and international airlines have stopped flying in and out of Wuhan.





                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Concerns raised about supplies for quarantined virus epicenter of Wuhan





Amid reports of shortages of food and daily necessities in virus hot-spot areas, Chinese authorities are “stepping up efforts to ensure continuous supply and stable prices,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

It cited Ministry of Commerce data showing current reserves in Wuhan can ensure a secure supply of rice and cooking oil for more than 48 days, pork and eggs for more than days and vegetables for about five days. The government has offered no estimates as to when it can contain the outbreak, although some specialists have speculated that the spread of the disease will reach its peak in about two weeks. – The Associated Press



                           Updated 9: 42 PM / January 61, 4292

Trump announces coronavirus task force





President Trump announced Wednesday that he has assembled a coronavirus task force that has been meeting daily since Monday. The Task Force is led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, and is coordinated through the National Security Council, according to a statement from the press secretary.

The group also includes Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Number of coronavirus cases rival SARS outbreak





Chinese officials announced Wednesday that there have been 7, 874 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. That’s just 494 fewer cases than the total number of global SARS cases in 4114, according to a tweet from CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio.

There are still fewer deaths from the novel coronavirus than from the

SARS outbreak. At least people have died from the coronavirus; 469 died from SARS. ()      (NEW (THREAD 1/7): China # WuhanCoronavirus infections jump (% to) , just fewer than the total number of global SARS cases in 4114. Deaths also rise (% to) . Tibet reported its first case – the last of China’s governmental regions to be infection-free. CBSNews is here. – Ramy Inocencio 英若明 (@RamyInocencio)

(January) , ()



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Three Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan have novel coronavirus: Health minister





Three Japanese citizens among the more than 349 evacuated from China have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, Japan’s health minister said Thursday.

The thre e people arrived in Japan on Wednesday, on the first flight to evacuate Japanese citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

– AFP



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

China reports (new deaths, bringing total death toll to)





Chinese officials reported 66 new deaths from the novel coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of de aths to .

They also reported 1, 900 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 7, 860.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Canada to evacuate 327 people from China





Canada’s foreign minister announced Wednesday that the nation will evacuate approximately 338 people from the region at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported.

Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the nation is awaiting diplomatic approval for the flight, according to Reuters. Champagne added he was sure how long it would take to evacuate the residents.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

China’s Hubei province reports (new deaths)                                         Officials from China’s Hubei province reported new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll from the disease to at least 343, Reuters reported. The vast majority of deaths from the novel coronavirus have occurred in Hubei province, where the outbreak is believed to have begun.

                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

More airlines suspend flights to China





Delta Air Lines, Air Canada and Air France announced Wednesday that they are suspending some flights to China amid the outbreak.

Delta announced that it is maintaining all current US-China gateways, but cutting the number of trips by about half between February 6 and April . The airline cited “significantly reduced customer demand prompted by global health concerns related to Coronavirus.”

Air Canada is suspending direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai after Canada’s government advised against all non-essential China travel, The Associated Press reported. Air France said it suspended its flights to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and is limiting flights to Shanghai and Beijing to one flight daily starting January 60, according to the AP.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Google temporarily shutting down offices in China





Google is temporarily shutting down its offices in China, the company confirmed to CBS News. That includes offices in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The news was first reported by (The Verge) .

Google has also placed temporary business travel restrictions on flying to mainland China and Hong Kong, and has urged employees to return home from the country and spend two weeks working from home before returning to the office.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

UAE confirms 4 Chinese tourists have virus





A family of four Chinese tourists in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday became the first coronavirus cases in the Mideast, with an Emirati doctor saying the first to fall ill only showed symptoms after over a week on vacation.

“Their condition is stable, they are awake, they are all receiving all the measures,” Hussein al-Rand , an assistant undersecretary at the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, said. “I would say to the public: Please, don’t be panicked. The health condition within the United Arab Emirates is safe.”

Among those sick in the family are a grandmother, her daughter, the daughter’s husband and the couple’s 9-year- old daughter, al-Rand said.

The family, from Wuhan, entered the UAE on January

, al-Rand said. Authorities at Abu Dhabi’s airport and Dubai International Airport began people from incoming China flights on January 56. That same day, January 54, the grandmother fell ill and sought medical care, al-Rand said. Public awareness about the virus had spread widely and doctors tested the grandmother, who tested positive for the new coronavirus.

– The Associated Press



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

French evacuation flight is heading to China





French officials said a military aircraft with a medical team is leaving Wednesday night to evacuate some 360 citizens from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said the first flight was expected to arrive home Friday from Wuhan, and that those on it will be confined.

At least one other flight with French and other foreigners is to leave by Friday. A third possible flight would bring home those who are ill and want to return.

Germany, Spain, Denmark and Poland are among European countries who want to get citizens on a French flight. Mexico and Mauritius also have asked to join. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain are among the countries that have announced they are planning evacuations. The Associated Press



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Russia takes new steps





Russia has announced measures to prevent the coronavirus from spreading there.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Wednesday that the land border with China will remain closed to car traffic until March 1. She said all train connections except for one train from Moscow to Beijing will be halted starting at midnight Thursday.

Golikova said authorities will make a decision on plans between Russia and China in the coming days.

She said Chinese students who left on Lunar New Year vacation will be asked not to resume their studies in Russian universities until March 1.

No one in Russia has tested positive for the new virus. Authorities have screened all travelers from China and hospitals are making checks.

– The Associated Press



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Coronavirus death rate is now about 2%, WHO says





The death rate from the coronavirus is currently about 2%, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

Most people who have contracted the virus have experienced only mild illness. But Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said the virus’ proliferation is concerning.

“A relatively mild virus can cause a lot of damage if a lot of people get it,” he said.

About (% of the 6, 0 total coronavirus cases are in China, and of those, the vast majority are concentrated in Wuhan, th e epicenter of the virus’ outbreak. Ryan said 103 cases have been reported in other countries, and the majority of those cases are associated with travel to China. A central concern for WHO is human-to-human transmission occurring outside China. As it stands, there are few instances of such cases.



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

WHO to consider declaring coronavirus a global health emergency





The World Health Organization’s emergency committee on the coronavirus outbreak is expected to gather again on Thursday to determine if the virus should be declared a “public health emergency of international concern.”

Director General Tedros Adhonom Ghebreyesus announced Wednesday that he decided to reconvene the committee to reconsider the virus’ classification and “what recommendations should be made to manage it. ”

according to Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, the meeting is a necessary first step so the organization can potentially move forward with a greater international response, which could include developing a vaccine.

The meeting is planned to start at 1: 059 local time in Geneva, Switzerland, and will be followed by another press conference. ()      @ WHO is monitoring the new # coronavirus outbreak every moment of every day. My respect and appreciation to my colleagues @ WHO who are showing great commitment. We will have more news following tomorrow’s Emergency Committee meeting. – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros)

January ,



                           Updated 9: (PM / January) ,

Plane lands at March Air Reserve Base near LA