Latest: 3,123 deaths, over 80,904 cases confirmed in China
SUMMARY
A pneumonia outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province in December. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus that has since spread across China and abroad.
Here is what we know so far:
In China: 80,904 confirmed cases; 3,123 deaths (including two in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan); 58,684 recovered
Outside of China: At least 25,208 confirmed cases, over 700 deaths
Countries on alert:
Italy on early Sunday imposed a lockdown on large parts of its north and it became the worst-hit country outside of China. It reported 133 new deaths and confirmed 1,492 more new cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 7,375.
South Korea has confirmed more than 7,300 cases as of Sunday, death toll at 50.
Iran has reported 6,566 infections and 194 deaths. One of the country's female MPs died of COVID-19.
U.S. cases now total at 521 and 21 people have died. The hardest-hit states include Washington, New York and California.
TIMELINE
09:38, 09-Mar-2020
China reports zero new domestic COVID-19 cases outside Hubei for second consecutive day
Forty new cases of novel coronavirus were detected in the past 24 hours as of Sunday in China. Thirty-six of the cases were from Hubei Province, while another four cases originated overseas.
It was the second consecutive day the country detected zero new cases domestically outside Hubei Province, the number on Saturday was three.
According to China's National Health Commission, those four cases from Sunday were registered in northwest China's Gansu Province, but authorities are yet to provide information on which countries the passengers returned from.
09:27, 09-Mar-2020
South Korea reports 248 new coronavirus cases, one new death
The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported one more death and 248 new coronavirus cases on Sunday.
The total number of confirmed cases surged to 7,382, and the death toll is now at 51, according to the KCDC.
Meanwhile, 166 people were discharged from hospitals.
10:33, 06-Mar-2020
Japan confirmed a total of 1,057 cases of novel coronavirus, according to the country’s health authority, with 12 deaths reported as of 10:30 a.m. local time Friday.
The numbers includes 696 confirmed cases and six deaths on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
10:16, 06-Mar-2020
Coronavirus testing has begun on cruise ship passengers near California
The coronavirus testing for passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship near California is underway.
The ship was banned by California authorities from docking in San Francisco, after one of its former passengers died from the COVID-19 Wednesday.
Nearly 100 passengers have been identified as needing to be tested, including guests and staff, Grand Princess representatives said in an earlier statement.
Test kits were delivered earlier to the ship via helicopters.
09:36, 05-Mar-2020
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said they have not discussed either cancelling or postponing the Tokyo Olympics at a key meeting in Lausanne on Wednesday despite the global spread of the deadly coronavirus.
"Neither the word cancellation nor postponement was mentioned today during the Executive Board meeting," Bach told reporters.
"I will not add fuel to the flames of speculation. Our statement from yesterday is very clear – we are fully committed to the success of the Tokyo Games," he said.
09:33, 05-Mar-2020
Army men wearing protective suits spray disinfectant against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2020. /AP
South Korea Thursday reported 438 news cases of COVID-19, taking its total to 5,766.
The country's disease prevention and control department also said three more people have died from COVID-19. The death toll now stands at 35.
08:35, 04-Mar-2020
The number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Japan reached 1,000 on Wednesday, Kyodo News reported, citing the country's health ministry.
The tally included more than 700 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo.
08:21, 04-Mar-2020
The World Bank Group on Tuesday announced it will provide up to 12 billion U.S. dollars in immediate support for countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus.
"The World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies," said the World Bank in a statement.
09:27, 03-Mar-2020
South Korea confirmed 477 more cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, raising the total number of infections to 4,812, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
09:06, 03-Mar-2020
The 43rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council is being held in Geneva while China is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak with "the most comprehensive, the strictest, the most thorough measures" as the authorities said.
As the virus can pass from person to person in close proximity, mandatory 14-day quarantines, roadblocks, checkpoints and even lockdown measures are required in much of the country to contain the spread, which have incurred attacks criticizing that human rights have been ignored during the process.
On the contrary. The fact is, China's experience on human rights protection in the fight proves once again there is no one-size-fits-all approach in human rights protection and countries can find their own models of human rights protection in light of their national conditions and people's needs.
08:20, 03-Mar-2020
In the past 24 hours, 1,598 more cases were reported by 64 countries outside China, with 24 more deaths, according to the report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.
As of 9:00 a.m. GMT on Monday, a total of 88,948 cases have been reported so far globally, with 8,774 outside China.
Six new member states (Armenia, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iceland and Indonesia) reported COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, said the WHO.
08:39, 02-Mar-2020
Central China's Hubei Province reported 196 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 67,103.
It marks the first time that daily new infections in the province were below 200 since January 25. Meanwhile, daily new cases outside Hubei were less than 10 for the fourth consecutive day.
On the same day, 42 deaths were reported in Hubei while 2,570 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
07:15, 02-Mar-2020
Italy reported 566 new cases of novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the total number to 1,694, the Civil Protection Agency said, with the death toll rising to 34.
The head of the agency said that of those infected, 83 had recovered.
22:42, 01-Mar-2020
U.S. President Donald Trump announced new screening procedures for the novel coronavirus outbreak on Sunday.
In a tweet, President Trump said that in addition to screening travelers "prior to boarding" from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries, they will also be screened when they arrive in America.
The country has recorded its first coronavirus death, and the number of confirmed cases has reached over 60.
Officials in Washington State on Saturday said they were investigating a possible outbreak of the coronavirus at a local nursing home.
There were two cases associated with the long-term care facility Life Care Center of Kirkland - one healthcare worker and the other a resident in her 70s, according to the officials. About 27 residents and 25 staff members at the center had "some sort of symptoms".
Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, February 27, 2020. /AP
At least 52 countries are restricting the entry of travelers from South Korea with bans or tougher quarantine procedures amid the country's novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Yonhap News on Friday.
Indonesia on the same day announced to temporarily close its embassy in Seoul and counters providing visa, passport and consular services were also suspended due to the safety concerns.
As of Friday, South Korea reported 256 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections to 2,022.
09:31, 27-Feb-2020
At least 334 new cases of novel coronavirus disease have been confirmed in South Korea on Thursday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 1,595, according to local authorities.
On the same day, South Korea and the U.S. decided to postpone the joint military exercises over growing health concerns due to the coronavirus outbreak, said the Combined Forces Command.
09:31, 27-Feb-2020
WHO Chief: novel coronavirus can be contained
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the novel coronavirus "can be contained."
He noted that the number of new cases reported outside China exceeded that in China for the first time.
"A WHO team will travel to Iran this weekend to provide support," he said.
On the same day, he tweeted that every country should be ready to detect COVID-19 cases early.
09:12, 26-Feb-2020
South Korea on Wednesday reported 169 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total number to 1,146, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Eleven people in South Korea have died of the disease, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More people wear masks commuting in Milan, Italy, February 24, 2020. /Reuters
A total of 323 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were reported in Italy on Tuesday, with 11 deaths, according to the country's ministry of health.
The four Italian regions of Trentino-South Tyrol, Liguria, Tuscany and Sicily all reported their first confirmed cases on Tuesday, and the virus has spread to nine regions.
14:22, 25-Feb-2020
China, Russia making progress in COVID-19 vaccine development: ambassador
Chinese and Russian experts are making progress in jointly developing drugs and vaccines for the COVID-19 as the outbreak continues to impact China and the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said Moscow sent a team of experts to China earlier this month and is working with their Chinese counterparts to develop drugs for the virus. The work is "making initial progress," he said.
11:14, 24-Feb-2020
Hubei Province reports 398 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 398 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 64,287.
On the same day, 149 deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,439 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
10:38, 21-Feb-2020
Two Australian passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for the novel coronavirus after returning to Australia, according to the country's Department of Health on Friday.
Both patients are in stable condition, while six other Australian passengers have shown mild symptoms.
A total of 164 Australians aboard the cruise ship have been evacuated by the Australian government. They will be put into quarantine for 14 days.
09:17, 21-Feb-2020
South Korea reported 52 more cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the total number in the country to 156, according to Yonhap news agency citing health authorities on Friday.
10:18, 20-Feb-2020
South Korea, on Thursday, reported 31 more confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia, bringing the total number to 82 in the country, according to national health authorities.
Of the 31 new confirmed cases, 30 were in the southern city of Daegu and surrounding regions. Preliminary epidemiological investigations suggest that the rapidly increasing number of confirmed infections in the area is linked to the first local case.
09:24, 20-Feb-2020
Wang Yi meets ASEAN official, Philippine, Singapore FMs on virus fight
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the ASEAN Secretary-General and foreign ministers from the Philippines and Singapore on Wednesday night to discuss the joint fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.
During his meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, Wang said the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Coronavirus Disease to be held on Thursday will send a positive signal that China and ASEAN countries are fighting the COVID-19 epidemic together, and China-ASEAN relations will further develop.
Public health is a common cause crossing national borders, and China is willing to enhance cooperation with ASEAN in this area, so as to inject new content into China-ASEAN relations, Wang said.
The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped for 15 consecutive days since February 3, according to the National Health Commission on Wednesday.
China confirmed 56 new coronavirus cases in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on Tuesday, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 79 on February 16.
Still, the number of the newly-discharged cases in China has exceeded those newly confirmed for the first time.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 1,693 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 61,682 in the province.
08:53, 18-Feb-2020
The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped for 14 consecutive days since February 3, according to the National Health Commission's latest data on Tuesday.
China confirmed 79 new coronavirus cases in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on Monday, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 115 on February 16.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 1,807 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 59,989.
08:18, 19-Feb-2020
A total of 1,749 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday and 136 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 74,185 and the cumulative death toll is 2,004.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,824 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 14,376.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 62 (one dead, four recovered)
Macao: 10 (five recovered)
Taiwan: 22 (one dead, two recovered)
21:20, 17-Feb-2020
Huangshi City in Hubei Province, one of the worst-hit areas by the novel coronavirus, has managed to get a cure rate of 20.96 percent and a mortality rate of just 1.53 percent, both better than the average rates of the province at the epicenter of the epidemic outbreak.
As of Sunday, the cure rate in Hubei reached 11.4 percent and the mortality rate at around 2.9 percent.
Ai Yiming, deputy head of the expert team set up by the Huangshi municipal government to control the epidemic, has introduced the measures that have been taken to achieve that on Monday at a press briefing.
Firstly, the municipal government has centralized the whole city's medical resources for unified allocation. A total of 1,955 beds have been set up for the confirmed cases and 3,280 medical personnel have arrived in the city from elsewhere in China.
The patients are divided into three categories based on the severity of their condition: mild, severe and critical, with each admitted to a different designation of hospital.
Secondly, a mechanism has been established to allow the city's top health experts to treat different patients with different methods.
For mild patients, the experts carry out periodic inspections and on-site guidance. Special attention is paid to elderly patients and those with underlying diseases, so as to detect early signs if their condition deteriorates and reduce the occurrence of transitions from mild to severe.
For severe patients, the experts conduct hospital rounds and consultations on a daily basis to prevent conditions from worsening.
For the critically ill, medical experts and experts on underlying diseases are gathered to offer personalized treatment to minimize fatalities.
09:26, 17-Feb-2020
An additional 2,600 military medics sent by the People's Liberation Army to help fight the novel coronavirus epidemic have all arrived in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, after the final batch of 1,200 military medics arrived on Monday.
China approved sending 2,600 additional medical personnel on February 13 to Wuhan. The first team of 1,400 medics arrived last Thursday.
Medical personnel and sanitary supplies were transported by air and rail.
The medics will be tasked with treating confirmed patients of novel coronavirus infection in Taikang Tongji Hospital and a branch of Hubei's Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital.
09:02, 17-Feb-2020
International experts, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), arrived in Beijing on Sunday and began meeting with their counterparts in China over the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the WHO said Sunday.
One of the goals of the joint mission is to provide suggestions on the prevention and control of the coronavirus outbreak in China and globally.
10:09, 16-Feb-2020
People wearing masks wait in the snow at a bus stop amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Beijing, China, February 6, 2020. /Reuters Photo
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China outside of Hubei Province has declined for 12 consecutive days since February 3, according to data released by the National Health Commission.
A total of 166 new confirmed cases were reported on Saturday in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 221 on February 14.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic, reported 1,843 new confirmed cases, including 888 clinically confirmed on Saturday, bringing the total number in the province to 56,249.
09:06, 16-Feb-2020
The director-general of the World Health Organization says the coronavirus outbreak is still an emergency for China and it is impossible to tell where the epidemic will spread. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the Munich Security Conference in Germany that he was encouraged by actions China had taken to slow the spread of the virus.
16:44, 13-Feb-2020
China on Wednesday confirmed 15,152 new coronavirus cases, including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan in Hubei Province, with 254 new deaths reported.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 59,804 and the cumulative death toll to 1,367.
On the same day, the country said 1,171 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total of recovered cases to 5,911.
15:02, 13-Feb-2020
Over 20,000 medical workers dispatched to Hubei Province
China Health Commission on Thursday said as of Wednesday it has dispatched 189 teams of 21,569 medical staff to Hubei Province to provide medical care to patients infected with novel coronavirus.
On Wednesday alone, a total of 2,897 medics from 17 provinces and municipalities were sent to Hubei.
12:24, 13-Feb-2020
Other novel coronavirus-hit areas in central China's Hubei Province should adopt the same epidemic prevention and control measures as the provincial capital city of Wuhan, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday evening.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 14,840 new cases (including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan) of infection on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 48,206 in the province.
The NHC emphasized three main measures in the ongoing efforts to control the novel coronavirus pneumonia. Other places in China, especially those densely populated provinces and cities, need to monitor the health of returnees. Epidemic prevention needs to be implemented in different regions, but Hubei Province is still a nationwide priority, the national health authorities stressed.
Secondly, all-out efforts need to be made to save infected patients, raise the recovery rate and reduce the fatality rate. Severe cases need to be transferred to the designated hospitals to avoid further infections.
Thirdly, attention should be paid to the overall situation of economic and social development. It's important to prevent and control the novel coronavirus at present, and try to restore the economic and social order in the long term.
08:01, 13-Feb-2020
Hubei reports 14,840 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 12
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 14,840 new cases (including 13,332 clinical cases) of infection on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 48,206 in the province.
On Wednesday, 242 more deaths were reported in Hubei.
As of Tuesday, a total of 1,310 people have died from the virus in Hubei, and 3,441 patients were discharged from hospitals.
23:31, 12-Feb-2020
President Xi stresses economic development in fight against COVID-19
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on party committees and governments at all levels to work hard to win the battle against the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), while striving to achieve this year's economic and social development goals.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement when presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Wednesday.
The president said stronger measures should be taken to contain the virus, especially in areas with severe or high-risks, as the fight has entered a crucial stage.
10:31, 12-Feb-2020
A total of 44,653 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday, with 1,113 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures follow 97 new deaths and 2,015 new cases that were reported on Tuesday.
There were also 744 more recovered cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 4,740.
The new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia outside Hubei Province has been dropping for eight consecutive days.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 49 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (1 recovered)
09:52, 12-Feb-2020
WHO: Chinese, external expert groups work to identify animal source of COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Twitter that both Chinese and external expert groups are trying to identify the animal source of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). WHO noted that "identifying it would help to ensure that there will be no further similar outbreaks & will also help to understand the initial spread of COVID-19 in the Wuhan area."
Meanwhile, WHO said the start of the coronavirus outbreak still remains unclear and the current most likely hypothesis is that an intermediary host animal has played a role in the transmission.
08:43, 12-Feb-2020
Thirty-nine more cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 174, according to Japan's health ministry.
These cases were detected in 53 new test results.
07:22, 12-Feb-2020
Hubei reports 1,638 new coronavirus cases, Feb. 11
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,638 new cases of infection on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33,366 in the province.
The number of the new confirmed cases in the province fell below 2,000 for the first time in 10 days on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, 94 more deaths were reported in Hubei and 417 people were discharged from hospitals.
As of Tuesday, a total of 1,068 people have died from the virus in Hubei.
06:34, 12-Feb-2020
China's lead epidemiologist predicts the coronavirus might peak and plateau this month and then decrease.
Zhong Nanshan, who gained International fame during the SARS epidemic, says the number of new cases is declining in some areas.
Zhong says China needs to improve its response to disease control and applauds the late Dr. Li Wenliang for his efforts to warn the medical community about the new coronavirus.
Dr. Li sent an alert to fellow medics, warning them to wear protective clothing.
He caught the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital and died February 7th.
Dr. Zhong considers Li a hero. "I'm so proud of him, he told people the truth." Zhong also notes the importance of Wuhan's containment measures. "We don't know why it's so contagious, so that's a big problem," he said.
00:09, 12-Feb-2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the deadly coronavirus as COVID-19.
The announcement was made in Geneva on Tuesday by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who underlined the importance of having an official name for viruses.
"Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks," Dr. Adhanom said.
The WHO chief noted that as of Tuesday, deaths caused by COVID-19 had surpassed 1000.
"As of 6am Geneva time this morning, there were 42,708 confirmed COVID19 cases reported in China and tragically we have now surpassed 1000 deaths - 1017 people in have lost their lives to this virus. Outside China, there are 393 cases in 24 countries, with 1 death," he said.
The WHO announcement came the organization hosts a meeting of more than 400 scientists from around the world to explore ways of tackling the virus.
As China continues to lead the fight against the virus, President Xi Jinping expressed optimism that his country will emerge victorious.
In a telephone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday, President Xi stressed that China has the ability and confidence to not only thoroughly defeat the epidemic, but also complete the tasks set for economic and social development.
Source(s): World Health Organization (WHO) Twitter
23:17, 11-Feb-2020
UK businessman linked to coronavirus cases says he 'recovered'
Steve Walsh, who's linked to 11 coronavirus cases, said in a statement Tuesday he has "fully recovered" from the coronavirus infection, adding his thoughts were with the others who had contracted the potentially deadly illness.
The British man unknowingly contracted the disease at a sales conference in Singapore sometime between January 20 and 22 and then went on a ski trip to the French Alps before returning home.