Coronavirus wrap: Chinese doctor who first warned about virus outbreak dies

Coronavirus has sent ripples of fear across the world, especially in Asia. The death toll has now risen to 564 in China. Catch LIVE updates on Coronavirus outbreak

9:16 PM

India should be cautious about importing agri, food, marine items from China: Trade experts

India should be cautious at ports about imports of agri, food and marine products from China amid outbreak of deadly coronavirus in the neighbouring country, trade experts say.

 

The experts said port authorities should follow properly all the protocols related with sanitary (related to animals) standards.

 

"As this deadly coronavirus is spreading at a fast pace, India should be cautious while importing agri, food and marine products rom China," Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said.

9:12 PM

WHO chief says 80% of China virus cases are in Hubei province

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that 80% of China's coronavirus cases are in the central Hubei province, and that not all provinces have been affected.

 

He said there were 24,363 confirmed cases in China and 490 deaths. The last 24-hour period of monitoring saw the most cases in a single day, he said.

 

Some 99% of all the cases worldwide are in China, he said.

9:09 PM

104 people kept at ITBP facility in Delhi test negative

A total of 104 people kept at an ITBP facility here have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, while results for over 300 inmates are awaited, a force spokesperson said on Wednesday.

 

As many as 406 people have been quarantined at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility in Delhi's Chhawla area since last week after they were brought in two batches from Wuhan in China onboard separate Air India flights.

9:07 PM

Fresh coronavirus advisory: Govt invalidates existing visas for foreigners travelling from China

In view of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the government on Wednesday issued an updated travel advisory saying the existing visas (including e-visa already issued) are no longer valid for any foreign national travelling from China.

 

In the travel advisory, the Health Ministry again asked people to refrain from travelling to China in view of the coronavirus outbreak in its Hubei province and said travellers on return from the neighbouring country could be quarantined.

 

The coronavirus outbreak had claimed 491 lives in China till Tuesday, while the total number of those affected by the deadly virus stood at 24,324, according to Chinese health officials.

 

9:06 PM

Coronavirus: Mother-daughter duo admitted to Amritsar hospital

A mother-daughter duo suspected of suffering from coronavirus was admitted to the isolation ward of a government hospital here on Wednesday.

 

They had arrived Amritsar from New Zealand via China, officials said.

 

They had complained of severe pain in their throat after which they were taken to the hospital and their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing, they said.

 

8:33 PM

China claims drop in number of new suspected coronavirus cases even as toll soars to 491

China on Wednesday claimed a drop in the number of new suspected cases of coronavirus in the last two days, raising hopes that its strong measures may help to contain the outbreak, even as the death toll rose to nearly 500.

 

As the death toll rose, Hong Kong announced on Wednesday a mandatory two-week quarantine for all travellers from mainland China to stop more cases of the deadly new coronavirus.

 

The death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak rose to 491 on Tuesday while the total number of confirmed cases mounted to 24,324, Chinese health officials announced on Wednesday.

8:11 PM

Hong Kong announces quarantines for mainland China arrivals

Hong Kong announced Wednesday a mandatory two-week quarantine for all travellers from mainland China, in a bid to stop more cases of the deadly new coronavirus.

 

The quarantine order, which will come into force on Saturday, will apply to Hong Kong residents and foreigners, chief executive Carrie Lam told reporters.

 

Lam gave few other details about how the quarantine would be implemented, such as where and how arrivals would be isolated, but said it was designed to stop them coming.

8:04 PM

Singapore's virus tally hits 28 with six-month-old baby infected

Singapore's health ministry confirmed four more coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including a six-month-old baby, taking its tally to 28.

 

Both parents of the infant, a Singapore citizen, have also been infected, the ministry said.

8:03 PM

Preacautionary measures stepped up at port, airport

With three novel coronavirus cases reported from neighbouring Kerala, authorities have stepped up preacautionary measures including screening passengers at the harbour and international airport here.

 

The New Mangalore Port has implemented the Centre's Standard Operating Procedure by screening crew of cargo ships and passengers of cruise vessels for the virus.

 

Port sources said screening was being carried out at the harbour in the last few days.

8:00 PM

China working hard to ensure safety of Indians in country, says ambassador

China on Monday hoped that India will not put trade restrictions and limit movement of people to the country in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic in its Hubei province.

 

In an interview to PTI, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said China's foreign ministry and local governments are working hard to ensure the safety of Indians and people working in Indian diplomatic missions in China.

 

Admitting that there could be a short-term impact of the epidemic on China's economy, he said the country's internal resilience is growing and it has ample resources and policy tools to cope with economic volatility.

7:47 PM

DGCI approves 'restricted use' of anti-HIV drugs on nCoV patients

The Drug Controller General of India has approved the "restricted use" of a combination of drugs used widely for controlling HIV infection in public health emergency for treating those affected by novel coronavirus (nCoV), official sources said on Wednesday.

 

According to government sources, apex health research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had sought an emergency approval from the DCGI for the "restricted use" of the combination of two medications -- lopinavir and ritonavir -- for treatment of this respiratory ailment.

7:46 PM

'Fragile' Africa prepares for high risk of coronavirus spread

An isolation ward stands ready at a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Laboratories in Senegal and Madagascar have the testing equipment they need. Passengers arriving at airports in Gambia, Cameroon and Guinea are being screened for fever and other viral symptoms.

 

Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says it has activated its emergency operation centre in the face of what global health officials say is a high risk the coronavirus disease epidemic that began in China will spread to its borders.

 

On a poor continent where healthcare capacity is limited, early detection of any outbreak will be crucial.

7:44 PM

About 350 US evacuees from virus-hit Chinese city land at California air base: Reports

About 350 Americans who left Wuhan, China, aboard two planes arrived at a US military base in California on Wednesday, in Washington's latest effort to fly its citizens away from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

 

The US travelers on two State Department-chartered flights will be quarantined for 14 days after landing, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement.

 

7:35 PM

Over 5,900 passengers screened at Jaipur International Airport for coronavirus

Over 5,900 passengers from 41 flights have been screened for the novel coronavirus at the Jaipur International Airport and till now, no positive case has been found in Rajasthan, officials said on Wednesday.

 

Blood samples of 44 suspects have been taken for examination till date, of which 26 have been found negative and report of remaining 18 suspects is yet to come, Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.

7:33 PM

Delhi govt issues health advisory on coronavirus, sets up 24x7 control room

The Delhi government on Wednesday issued a health advisory on the novel coronavirus (nCov) and prescribed do's and dont's for the public to ward off any infection, officials said.

 

A round-the-clock control room has also been set up at the Directorate General of Health Services' headquarters to address queries related to the virus.

 

India has so far reported three positive cases of nCoV from Kerala, after its outbreak in China's Wuhan city.