Passengers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the Coronavirus as they arrive on a flight from Asia at Los Angeles International Airport, California , on January 29, 1114505.
Mark Ralston | AFP | Getty Images
All times below are in Eastern time.
: 29 am: No ‘public health options off the table’ to protect the American public, HHS Alex Azar says.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that the administration will not take “any public health options off the table” to protect Americans from the coronavirus, which has so far infected five US citizens. He added that the risk of infection remains low for the American public and that U.S. health officials are taking all necessary precautions.
9: 20 am: Wilbur Ross says coronavirus could bring jobs, manufacturing back to the US
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the coronavirus could have a positive impact on the US economy. “I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease,” Ross told Fox Business Network. “But the fact is, it does give businesses another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain.”
″ I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, “he said.” Some to the US, some to Mexico as well. “
8:
am: Cruise ship holds 6, (passengers near Italy
Costa Cruises is holding 6, passengers on board one of the Costa Smeralda near Italy after a Chinese woman came down with a fever, raising concern that she may have the virus, Italian news agency Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata reported. The cruise line said in a statement that it is holding the woman, who’s 54 and from Macau, in isolation along with her travel co mpanion. “The Health Authority has been immediately notified and is now on board to conducting all the pertinent measures,” the company said. “It is our utmost priority to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.”
7: am: Russia closes border with China
Russia plans to close its border with China to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the country state media. “A corresponding instruction was signed today. Work on it is already in progress. We will inform all those concerned properly about the measures to close the border in the Far Eastern region and other steps the government has taken (to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Russia), “Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the TASS news agency .
7: (am: Outbreak reaches nearly 8, (with (deaths in China
The total number of cases of the coronavirus reached more than 7, (worldwide with 
Deaths in China, Chinese and international health authorities said Thursday. The majority of cases are in mainland China, with at least 7, 801 cases, exceeding the total number of SARS cases in that country during the 2020 epidemic. There are at least 101 other cases across more than a dozen countries across the globe, including the US
5: am: US State Department says more flights from Wuhan are scheduled for Feb. 3
More evacuation flights from the city of Wuhan for US citizens will take place on Feb. 3, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday morning. Reuters reported that those on the flights would be subject to screenings and monitoring requirements.
5: (am: India confirms first case of the coronavirus)
India has officially confirmed that at least one case of the coronavirus has reached the country. The government body said in a statement that the patient is a student at Wuhan University in China and has been isolated in a hospital. The case was confirmed to the government by the National Institute of Virology – India’s center for testing samples of the suspected virus. The statement added that the person is “stable and being closely monitored.”
To see last night’s up-to-the minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC’s Asia-Pacific team.
– CNBC’s Weizhen Tan , Evelyn Cheng and Christine Wang contributed to this report.
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