Coronavirus wrap: Toll crosses 1,000; 'public enemy number 1', says WHO

The death toll from the novel coronavirus in China jumped to 811 on Saturday, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 34,646. Catch LIVE update

The death toll in China due to the novel coronavirus epidemic rose to 1,016 on Tuesday, while 108 new deaths were reported in the worst-affected Hubei province. The confirmed cases of infection soared to 42,638, 

Among the deaths, 103 were in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, and one each in Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Anhui and Henan, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the commission as saying.

The new virus is believed to have emerged last year in a market that sells wild animals in Hubei's capital Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, before spreading across the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) said Saturday that the number of cases being reported daily in China was "stabilising", although the health body warned it was too early to say if the virus had peaked.

With coronavirus getting a tighter grip on the China and impacting world trade, most analysts have started lowering global growth forecasts for the first quarter of calendar year 2020 (Q1-2020). Those at UBS, for instance, expect this would be the weakest quarter for global growth since the global financial crisis (GFC) and on par with the Asian crisis in the late 1990s.

Authorities are fighting to stop it from spreading as millions travel for Chinese New Year, and scientists are trying to understand the virus, which has not been seen by humans before, and its effects.

3:11 AM

How the coronavirus outbreak could kill steel's fragile recovery

As steel production in China in 2019 was up by an impressive, but so­mewhat unexpected 8.3 per cent to 996.3 million tonnes (mt), the country’s share of the world output of 1.87 billion tonnes (bt) rose to 53.9 per cent from 50.9 per cent in 2018. In aluminium and copper too, the world’s second largest economy has a predominantly big share of global production and consumption. What is more, with the country being ag­gressively engaged in infrastructure bui­lding and construction ac­tivities with stimulus often provided by Beijing, most of its metal production is consumed locally. Read more.

3:10 AM

Coronavirus crisis credit negative for Asia-Pacific port operators: Moody's

The outbreak of coronavirus in China is credit-negative for Asia-Pacific’s (APAC’s) port operators, given that it has disrupted domestic and global supply chains and has lowered discretionary consumer spending. This will lead to reduced throughput growth of APAC’s ports in 2020. Read more.

3:08 AM

Beijing's dangerous groupthink epidemic

The eruption of anger on China’s so­cial media platforms after the death late last week of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who raised the alarm about the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia-like virus witnessed at the city’s hospitals several weeks before the local and national government declared an emergency on January 22, has been so unrestrained that it appeared as if Communist censors have gone on strike. Read more.

3:06 AM

'Sick' pharma PSU offers to step in to reduce China drug dependence

The coronavirus outbreak has exposed India’s vulnerability when it comes to sourcing crucial raw materials for medicines from China, which meets about 70 per cent of the country's bulk drugs, or active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), requirement. Read more.

11:24 PM

Vaccine for new coronavirus could be ready in 18 months: WHO

The first vaccine targeting China's coronavirus could be available in 18 months, "so we have to do everything today using available weapons", World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Tuesday.
 

He said the virus had been named COVID-19, explaining that it was important to avoid stigma and that other names could be inaccurate.

11:20 PM

Coronavirus emergency is 'public enemy number 1': WHO

China's coronavirus outbreak poses a "very grave threat for the rest of the world" and should be viewed as "Public Enemy Number 1", the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
 

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to step up measures to detect and contain the virus, especially in at least 30 countries with weaker health systems, where it could "create havoc".

11:19 PM

Cisco, Facebook, Sprint pull out of Barcelona meet over coronavirus fears

Cisco Systems Inc, Sprint Corp and Facebook Inc on Tuesday became the latest US technology companies to pull out of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona due to the coronavirus outbreak.
 

A number of companies ranging from Japan's NTT Docomo and Sony Corp to US chipmakers Intel Corp and Nvidia have already dropped out of the four-day international telecoms conference that draws in more than 100,000 visitors.

11:14 PM

Three under observation in Maharashtra; 25,782 screened

Three patients are under observation in hosptials in Maharashtra for the novel coronavirus and nearly 25,800 passengers have been screened at the airport in Mumbai since January 18 for possible exposure to the infection, state health officials said on Tuesday.
 

Of these patients, who showed symptoms similar to the coronavirus (2019-nCoV), two are in Pune-based Naidu Hospital, while one is in Mumbai's civic-run Kasturba Hospital, they said.
 

No confirmed case of the viral infection, which originated in China, has been found in the state so far.

11:13 PM

Maharashtra woman appeals for rescue from Wuhan in China

A woman from Satara district of Maharashtra stranded in Wuhan in China due to the novel coronavirus outbreak there has appealed to the Centre through social media to airlift her and several compatriots facing a similar situation.
 

Ashini Avinash Patil, in a video being circulated on social media, claimed she was stuck in Wuhan, one of the worst-hit cities in China, along with 70-80 other Indians.

11:11 PM

Smartphone industry feels impact of supply disruption due to coronavirus outbreak in China

The Indian smartphone industry, which relies heavily on China for components and sub-assemblies, has started feeling the impact of supply disruptions in certain product categories due to the coronavirus outbreak, market watchers said on Tuesday.
 

The industry is keeping a close watch to see if shuttered factories in China reopen in the coming days and supplies resume sometime this week.
 

"Yes, the industry is already feeling the impact and some products and models have been impacted. It is still early to draw any conclusion as select factories are slated to resume production in a phased manner," India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo told PTI.

11:10 PM

First new coronavirus case found among evacuees from China to US

The first confirmed case of novel coronavirus has been found among hundreds of people who were evacuated from China to military bases around the United States, it was reported Monday.
 

The adult and three other evacuees had been in hospital isolation after showing symptoms of the virus but on Sunday, federal health officials said they had tested negative and they were sent back to the base, where they joined more than 200 people who are under a 14-day quarantine.

11:08 PM

Novel coronavirus named 'Covid-19': UN health agency

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday said "Covid-19" would be the new official name for the deadly coronavirus that was first identified in China on December 31.
 

"We now have a name for the disease and it's Covid-19," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva, explaining that "co" stood for "corona", "vi" for "virus" and "d" for "disease".

8:49 PM

Cruise ship Diamond Princess expected to remain in quarantine until at least February 19

People on board the ship on Tuesday tweeted that medicines were being delivered to passengers, and that the ship's captain had announced the vessel would head out to sea overnight to produce fresh water and other operations.
 

Japan has evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Wuhan since the outbreak began. They have been asked to self-quarantine, with most staying in government-appointed hotels for a period of 14 days.
 

Evacuees from the first flight, which landed January 29, are expected to be released from self-quarantine this week after undergoing an additional test for the virus, officials said.

 

8:47 PM

Cruise ship Diamond Princess at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama

So far, 135 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the virus since it arrived off Japan on Monday. Authorities on Tuesday were removing from the ship the most recently diagnosed 65 crew and passengers.
 

The ship was carrying 3,711 people when it arrived off Japan on the evening of February 3, and was officially placed into quarantine two days later. Only those diagnosed with the virus or suffering other serious health conditions have been allowed off the boat, which is expected to remain in quarantine until at least February 19.

8:41 PM

Two Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan diagnosed with coronavirus

Two Japanese citizens evacuated from the epicentre of a novel coronavirus outbreak have been diagnosed with the infection after initially testing negative, the health ministry said on Tuesday.