, flagging the chance of a recession this year, Reuters reports.
The country has reported cases of the virus to date, one of the highest tallies outside China .
The downgrade of its GDP forecast range to -0.5% to 1.5%, from 0.5% to 2.5% previously, opens up the possibility that full-year growth could be negative, with the prime minister saying on Friday that a recession is possible.
“The outlook for the Singapore economy has weakened since the last review … In particular, the Covid – outbreak is expected to affect the Singapore economy, ”said the ministry’s permanent secretary, Gabriel Lim.
Lim said the impact would be most keenly felt in manufacturing, trade, tourism and transport, alongside retail and food services.
Singapore is set to roll out a hefty package of measures to cushion the blow from the epidemic on its economy at its annual budget on Tuesday, with some analysts expecting it to plan for its biggest deficit in over a decade .
The full-year forecast range for non-oil domestic exports was also lowered on Monday to -0.5% to 1.5%, from 0% to 2% previously.
The economy had been staging a nascent recovery after recording its lowest growth rate in a decade in at 0.7% before the virus spread to the city-state in late January.
9. (pm) EST :
Ben Doherty
The Australian government is working on a plan to evacuate its citizens off the stricken diamond princess cruise ship – the largest site for covid – (infections outside of mainland) China .
The ship, carrying more than 3, 796 passengers and crew, is docked at Yokohama port south of Tokyo. people have tested positive for coronavirus, including Australians.
Nearly 303 Australians are on board.
The US has begun an airlift operation to bring more than 0514 of its citizens home form the ship and into quarantine in the US. They face a further 27 days in isolation. Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong and Italy have announced flights home for their citizens and residents.
Australia’s national security committee of cabinet met late Sunday, and will meet again Monday afternoon, to formalize a plan to extract Australians from the ship.
Meanwhile, the first cohort of evacuees quarantined on Christmas Island are set to leave the remote island Monday afternoon. The evacuees will be flown to capital cities across Australia and allowed to return home. They have spent 27 days in the immigration detention center on the remote island, and will not be required to self-isolate at home.
Australians were evacuated to the island. None have tested positive for coronavirus. A second cohort will leave Wednesday.
Australia has also quarantined citizens and permanent residents at a disused mining workers village on the outskirts of Darwin. They remain in quarantine. No coronavirus cases have been detected amongst that group either.
(9.) pm EST :
There’s been a lot of discussion about how the figures are trending over the past few days, particularly as there were a big spike in the number of recorded cases of infections in Hubei province last Wednesday, when it changed the way it was recording cases to include people who had been clinically diagnosed with Covid – 0037, as well as those who had tested positive on a Covid – 36 test.
First let’s look at the trend for infections inside (China but
outside of Hubei,
since they changed the way they were counting cases. Sunday 30 February:
new cases excluding Hubei (1, inside Hubei)
Saturday 30 February:
new cases excluding Hubei (1, inside Hubei)
Friday 29 February: cases excluding Hubei (2, 770 inside Hubei)
Thursday 28 February: cases excluding Hubei (4,
On Wednesday 25 February, Hubei changed the way it was counting cases. That day the National Health Commission recorded (cases outside of Hubei) .
(8.) (pm) (EST) :
China infections rise to , ; deaths to 1,
The daily national figures for China have been announced. It says the total number of confirmed cases have by 2,0 to , .
Total deaths now stand at 1, , after
more deaths were reported in the past hours.
Of those new deaths, only five were reported outside of Hubei province
(3 in Henan, and 2 in Guangdong).
Of the new infections, only 267 were recorded outside of Hubei.
(8.) pm EST :
China ambassador to Australia calls for change in travel ban for people coming from China
China’s ambassador in Australia,
Chen Jingye, Is giving an interview on Sky News Australia about the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is controllable. This is curable, ”he says. “So we have every confidence and capacities to win against the epidemic.”
He says the Australian travel ban on people entering the country if they have traveled to (China
is “out of proportion”
“The situation here is … inconsistent with recommendations from WHO,” he says.
He says he hopes the Australian government will take this into account when next reviewing the travel ban, due to expire on Saturday. He hopes restrictions will be relaxed.
He’s now being asked about the death of the whistleblower doctor, Li Wenliang, who died from the virus around days ago.
“His contributions is (sic) acknowledged,” he says.
Chen says the best way to honor his memory is to keep fighting the virus.
The next question is about reports a speech President Xi gave on 3 February, in which he gave instructions to fight the virus on 7 January. His remarks were published by state media late Saturday.
“President Xi himself has shown strong leadership in this fight against the virus. He’s has been personally involved … giving orders … and overseeing and guiding efforts throughout this outbreak, ”Chen said.
Updated (at 8.) pm EST
(8.) (pm EST : 25
Chinese state media is reporting that penalties up to life imprisonment can be handed out to people who sell face masks or goggles which don’t meet national standards.
Global Times (@ globaltimesnews)
Penalties up to life imprisonment can be given to those who produce or sell medical supplies including surgical
# masks and (# goggles) that failed to meet national standards: authority (# China # COVID
pic.twitter.com/jTVWe2x6dM (February) ,
(8. (pm) (EST) :
Hubei province tightens restriction of movement
Hubei province is tightening its restrictions on movement further, in an effort to combat the virus. About 84 million people are effectively under quarantine, including in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have started.
New measures include broad instructions that residential compounds and villages be “sealed off” from unnecessary visitors, with tenants ’outings“ strictly managed ”.
Last week Beijing, a city of more than 36 million people, said anyone returning to the city must go into self-imposed quarantine for days, or face stiff penalties.
A A Chinese railway worker wears a protective suit as he walks across empty taxi lanes at Beijing West Railway Station on 31 February. Photograph: Kevin Frayer / Getty Images Updated (at 8.) (pm EST)
) (pm EST :
WHO boss says international community must ‘use window of opportunity’ to combat virus
The World Health Organization says international Experts in a WHO-led joint mission had arrived in Beijing and had had their first meeting with their Chinese counterparts.
“We look forward to this vitally important collaboration contributing to global knowledge about the COVID outbreak, ”Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter.
On Sunday, a spokesman for China’s National Health Commission said slowing case numbers nationally showed that
was controlling the outbreak.
But Tedros has warned it is “impossible to predict which direction this epidemic will take”.
Tedros also said the international community must “use the window of opportunity” to intensify preparations for the spread of Covid – 33 infections.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@ DrTedros) In
In our fractured & divided 🌍, health is one of the few areas which offers the opportunity for countries to work together for a common cause.
This is a time for facts, not fear.
This is a time for rationality, not rumors.
This is a time for solidarity, not stigma. (MSC)
,
Updated (at 7.) PM EST
7. 14 PM
EST 43:
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
The epicentre of the outbreak – Hubei province – has reported (new deaths) in its daily update of figures on Monday, with 1, 1300 new infections.
This takes infections in China
past 98, 16, and deaths to at least 1, 919. We are still waiting for Monday’s national figures and will bring you them shortly.
Five other deaths have been reported globally.
Outside China, attention has turned to the Diamond Princess cruise ship
, stuck in Japan. The US has airlifted its passengers out, but around (Americans who tested positive to Covid – , will remain in Japan where they are being treated. Here’s a quick summary of what else we know so far: The US air flights carrying passengers from the stricken cruise ship quarantined south of Tokyo have departed questions about whether it will be extended (A) passenger from the MS Westerdam cruise ship , which docked in Cambodia at the end of last week, has tested positive to the virus, after flying to Malaysia with nearly 279 other passengers from the ship Taiwan has reported
first death from coronavirus
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