Coronavirus wrap: India reports second patient; China death toll over 300

The novel virus has sent ripples of fear across the world, especially in Asia. The death toll has now risen to 259 in China. Catch LIVE updates on Coronavirus outbreak

9:12 PM

Maldives thanks India for evacuating its seven citizens from coronavirus-hit Wuhan

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday thanked India for expeditiously evacuating seven Maldivians from Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, saying it was an example of the "outstanding" friendship and camaraderie between the two countries.

 

India has evacuated 647 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens by special flights from Wuhan city. Air India's jumbo B747 made two flights to Wuhan - the ground zero of the coronavirus epidemic. In the first flight on Saturday, 324 Indians were evacuated and on Sunday another 323 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens were flown back.

9:10 PM

Govt issues fresh advisory, says anyone with travel history of China since Jan 15 can be quarantined

The government on Sunday issued a new travel advisory asking people to refrain from travelling to China in view of coronavirus outbreak in its Hubei province and said travellers on return from the neighbouring country could be quarantined.

 

In its advisory, the Health Ministry also said anyone with travel history of China since January 15 could be quarantined.

 

The decision of issuing a new travel advisory was taken at a high-level review meeting held by the Cabinet Secretary on the preparedness to deal with novel coronavirus which has now spread to 25 countries.

7:40 PM

Situation in China's virus-hit Hubei province "severe and complicated", says vice governor

The situation in Hubei province, the centre of China's virus outbreak, remains "severe and complicated" and medical resources at county level are relatively weak, vice governor Xiao Juhua told a news conference on Sunday.

 

Wang Wei, director of Hubei's science and technology department, told the briefing that the time needed to confirm cases with test kits had halved to no more than two hours, and that the kits' accuracy had improved.

7:38 PM

Pakistan acquires testing kits from China for coronavirus diagnosis

Pakistan said on Sunday that it had acquired nearly 1,000 coronavirus testing kits from its all-weather ally China to boost the country's capability of diagnosing the disease which has claimed over 300 lives.

 

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza took to Twitter to share the development in the wake of concerns that Pakistan lacked capacity to test the deadly virus.

6:42 PM

Coronavirus: One patient tests negative in Haryana, report of four others awaited

Of the five patients suspected to have symptoms of coronavirus in Haryana in recent days, one test result has come out as negative, a senior health department official said here on Sunday.

 

Out of these five, one patient has been admitted in the isolation ward at Kalpana  Chawla Government Medical College in Karnal.

 

 

6:34 PM

Cocktail of flu, HIV drugs appears to help fight coronavirus: Thai doctors

Thai doctors have seen success in treating severe cases of the new coronavirus with combination of medications for flu and HIV, with initial results showing vast improvement 48 hours after applying the treatment, they said on Sunday.

 

The doctors from Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok said a new approach in coronavirus treatment had improved the condition of several patients under their care, including one 70-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who tested positive for the coronavirus for 10 days.

6:24 PM

Chinese FM shifts media briefings online as Coronavirus death toll crosses 300

As the coronavirus outbreak turns virulent in China with the death toll crossing over 300, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced that it will hold its daily media briefings online.

 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry holds the media briefings all weekdays. The briefings remain suspended since January 24 due to Chinese New Year/Spring festival holidays and are due to resume on Monday.

5:23 PM

Indonesia bars entry to visitors from China amid evacuation protest

Indonesia on Sunday barred entry to visitors who have been in China for 14 days over concern about coronavirus, as citizens evacuated from Hubei province faced protests by some residents on their return home.

 

There have not been any confirmed cases of coronavirus in Indonesia, but neighbouring Philippines on Sunday reported the first death from the virus outside China.

5:22 PM

China intensifies efforts to combat coronavirus as death toll rises to 305

Beijing/Wuhan, Feb 2 (PTI) China on Sunday resorted to more drastic measures like isolating coronavirus patients to designated areas and restricting the movement of residents in regions hit by the rapid spreading virus that has killed 305 people and infected over 14,000 others.

 

The Philippines on Sunday reported the first death outside China from the deadly virus that has spread to 25 countries, including India, taking the total toll to 305.

4:25 PM

Coronavirus kills Chinese man in Philippines, first death outside China

The Philippines on Sunday said that a 44-year-old Chinese man had died of the new coronavirus, the first fatality outside of China, prompting tighter travel restrictions for both Filipinos and foreigners. The man, who was admitted to a government hospital in Manila on Jan. 25, had developed severe pneumonia, the department said, according to Reuters.

3:06 PM

India suspends e-visa for China travellers

India on Sunday suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 300 

people, infected 14,562 others and spread to 25 at least countries. The decision “applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China. Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid," said the Indian Embassy, according to news agency PTI.

1:47 PM

China's central bank says will ensure liquidity

China's central bank says it will inject 1.2 trillion yuan ($173.8 billion) worth of liquidity into the markets via reverse repo operations on Monday, as the country battles a new coronavirus outbreak. The People's Bank of China also said that the total liquidity in the banking system will be 900 billion yuan higher than the same period in 2019, reported Reuters.

12:31 PM

South Korea imposes entry restrictions

South Korea will bar entry by foreigners who have visited Hubei Province, the epicentre of a new coronavirus outbreak in China, South Korea's prime minister said on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency. The entry ban will go into effect on Tuesday, Yonhap reported, citing Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.

12:30 PM

Japan confirms 3 more virus patients

Japan confirmed an additional three cases of the new coronavirus among evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan, including one who initially tested negative, the health ministry said on Saturday, bringing the country's total to 20 cases. One of the three, a man in his 40s who had symptoms such as fever and coughing, first tested negative for coronavirus, Reuters reported quoting the the ministry.

11:41 AM

India flies home more citizens from Wuhan

India on Sunday airlifted a second batch of 323 stranded Indians and seven Maldivian citizens from China's coronavirus-hit Wuhan city, taking the total number of people evacuated to 654. Air India's jumbo B747 made two flights to Wuhan city.