The coronavirus is spreading in the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the world, while parts of China begin to lower their emergency response level as the number of new cases reported there continues to slow.
More deaths have been reported in Iran and Italy, while South Korea on Wednesday said an 11th person had died of the disease there. Globally, at least 80,000 people have been diagnosed with the illness.
Here are the latest updates:
Wednesday, 26 February
Brazil confirms first case in Latin America: health ministry
Brazil’s government confirmed that a 61-year-old Brazilian man who traveled to Italy this month has Latin America’s first confirmed case of the contagious new coronavirus.
“We will now see how this virus behaves in a tropical country in the middle of summer, how its behavior pattern will be,” Brazil’s Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said in a press conference.
The Brazilian man spent two weeks in northern Italy’s Lombardy region on a work trip, where he contracted the contagious virus, the health ministry said.
China to Russia: end discriminatory measures against Chinese
China’s embassy in Russia has demanded authorities in Moscow end what it said are discriminatory anti-coronavirus measures against Chinese nationals.
The complaint, detailed in an embassy letter to the city’s authorities, deplored what it called “ubiquitous monitoring” of Chinese nationals, including on public transport.
Authorities in Moscow have also been carrying out raids on potential carriers of the virus – individuals at their homes or hotels – and using facial recognition technology to enforce quarantine measures.
The letter followed unconfirmed local media reports that Mosgortrans, which runs Moscow’s vast bus, trolleybus and tram networks, had told drivers to try to identify Chinese passengers and inform police of their presence.
Coronavirus cases emerging faster outside China: WHO
There are now more new cases of the coronavirus reported each day outside China than inside the hardest-hit country, the World Health Organization said.
“Yesterday, the number of new cases reported outside China exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told diplomats in Geneva, according to a written version of his speech.
The UN health agency put the number of new cases in China at 411 on Tuesday and those registered outside the country stood at 427.
Japan to continue Olympics planning amid doubts
Japan vowed to continue preparing to host this year’s Olympics after an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member suggested the Games could be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto dismissed the member’s comment, saying at a parliamentary session that was not “the IOC’s official view”.
“All we can do is to prepare to host the Games with peace of mind and to be recognised by the IOC,” she said.
UK conducts coronavirus testing as part of early warning plan
Britain has started random tests for coronavirus on flu patients to have an early warning system in place in case the outbreak becomes more widespread, a senior health official said.
“We’re heightening our vigilance because of the apparent spread of the virus in countries outside mainland China,” Public Health England’s medical director, Paul Cosford, told BBC radio.
In Britain, random tests for the virus will be carried out at 11 hospitals and 100 general medical offices on people who have flu symptoms including a cough, plus shortness of breath and a fever.
Trump will hold White House news conference on Wednesday
US President Donald Trump said he will hold a news conference on the coronavirus at 6 pm (23:00 GMT) on Wednesday, as infections surge globally and US health officials urge Americans to prepare for it to spread in the US.
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad suspends flights to Hong Kong on low demand
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has suspended flights to Hong Kong until March 28, the airline said, citing a drop in demand.
The UAE suspended all flights to mainland China, except Beijing, on February 5 amid the coronavirus outbreak there.
Etihad has suspended flights to Hong Kong since February 21, it said.
Japan reports one new death
An man in his 80s died in Tokyo after catching the new coronavirus, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said, citing a government source.
This was Japan’s third fatality from the coronavirus, excluding those who were on the cruise ship “Diamond Princess”, NHK said.
Guests in locked down Tenerife hotel to stay in isolation for 14 days
Hundreds of guests who have been locked down in a hotel on the Spanish island of Tenerife after Italian tourists staying there were diagnosed with coronavirus, will remain in isolation for 14 days, a senior regional government official said.
Two more of the group of 10 Italian holidaymakers tested positive for the infection, but tests on the rest of the group have returned negative, the official, Maria Teresa Cruz Oval, told a news conference.
EU calls for coordinated European response to coronavirus
European Union countries should coordinate their responses to the outbreak of the coronavirus to avoid diverging approaches, the EU’s Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told reporters.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Rome with the health minister of Italy, Kyriakides said countries should not give in to panic and that the EU would issue information for travellers on the virus.
“All member states need to inform us of their preparedness plans,” she said. “Diverging approaches across the EU should be avoided,” she said, adding the EU executive was ready to coordinate responses.
Austria quarantined 12 people in close contact with a couple who were the country’s first coronavirus cases, one of whom works as a hotel receptionist, the local government in the province of Tyrol said.
Greece confirms first coronavirus case
Greece has confirmed its first coronavirus case, the health ministry said.
The patient is a 38-year-old Greek woman who had travelled from an area of northern Italy, said Sotiris Tsiodras, a representative of the Ministry of Health.
12th person dies in northern Italy of coronavirus
A 12th person has died in northern Italy of coronavirus, while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 374, an increase of more than 50 on the day before, the head of the Civil Protection agency said.
Angelo Borrelli told reporters that the dead man was 69. All those who have died so far in the outbreak, which came to light on Friday, have been elderly and most had underlying health problems.
Singapore charges man with coronavirus for lying
A Chinese man infected with coronavirus and his wife have been charged in Singapore for lying to health authorities investigating whether they had passed the illness to others, officials said.
The couple faces a fine of up to $7,150 and six-month imprisonment if convicted.
Iran reports 19 new deaths
Iran’s state television says 19 more people were killed by the coronavirus and the total number of confirmed cases rose to 139.
The official cited in the report urged limiting nonessential travel.
Kuwait says more coronavirus cases confirmed, tally now 26
Kuwait’s health ministry said that the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in the country rose to 26 after 14 more cases were confirmed, the state news agency reported.
The ministry also confirmed in a statement that the new cases were all Kuwaiti citizens “who are related to travel to Iran”.
France reports first French national death
France reported three new infections, including one new death, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 17 and the death toll to two.
The latest victim was a 60-year-old man, the first French national to die of the disease, the health ministry said. The first victim was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist, who died in mid-February.
Bahrain reports three new cases
Bahrain’s number of infections rose to 26 after three Bahraini women who arrived from Iran were confirmed to have the coronavirus, according to the health ministry.
About 3,000 Hong Kong people seek help in Hubei
The Hong Kong government says it has been contacted by about 3,000 Hong Kong people in mainland China’s Hubei province, including 532 in Wuhan city, seeking help.
It says those affected in Hubei need to register by February 28 in order to return to Hong Kong.
Mongolia restricts travel from capital to curb risks
Mongolia, China’s landlocked northern neighbour, will restrict travel from its capital Ulaanbaatar to other provinces until March 3 in a bid to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, a minister said.
Mongolia, which has not reported any infections, has suspended all flights from Japan, adding to previous restrictions on flights from China and South Korea.
It will also take precautions with other flights from Europe, Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan, said Enkh-Amgalan Byambasuren, the country’s road and transportation minister, during a briefing.
Algeria reports first coronavirus case
A 61-year-old Italian, who arrived in Algeria on February 17 from Italy, tested positive for the coronavirus, Algeria’s health ministry said. He is being monitored in the southern Ouargla area, the ministry said.
The country is not contemplating a suspension in flights, but will reinforce controls on planes from Italy, the ministry said.
Egyptair postpones resumption of flights to China
Egyptair said it would postpone the resumption of its flights to and from China because of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The Egyptian national airliner first suspended its flights to China on February 1, and had said it would resume services from Thursday.
South Korea reports 115 more cases
South Korea has reported 115 new cases, bringing the total to 1,261, according to Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
KCDC said the 169 coronavirus cases announced earlier included a US soldier.
Guatemala on ‘maximum alert’ over coronavirus
Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei has declared a “maximum alert” over the possible arrival of coronavirus to the country, saying medicinal supplies are fully available at local hospitals.
Giammattei also confirmed that there are no infected cases at the moment, although he said a family was in quarantine after returning to Guatemala from South Korea.
“Better safe than sorry,” Giammattei said.
Philippines imposes travel ban on S Korea’s North Gyeongsang
The Philippines barred travellers from South Korea’s coronavirus-impacted North Gyeongsang province from entering the country.
Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a media briefing the government would also conduct a risk assessment within 48 hours to determine whether the travel ban should be expanded to other parts of South Korea.
El Salvador to bar entry of foreign nationals from Italy, S Korea
El Salvador will bar the entry of foreign nationals arriving from Italy and South Korea to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than two thousand people worldwide, President Nayib Bukele said.
Salvadoran nationals and diplomats who arrive from these countries will have to spend 30 days in quarantine, Bukele wrote on his Twitter account.
Iran: Virus could spread across the nation
Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told reporters in Tehran the outbreak was “likely” to spread to unaffected provinces “soon”.
He said Iran hoped to contain the virus before the Persian new year, which starts on March 20.
“A more pessimistic prospect is that we will reach the containment phase by late April,” Jahanpour added.
Kazakhstan to suspend Iran flights
Kazakhstan plans to suspend flights to and from Iran from March 1 because of the spread of coronavirus in the Gulf nation, Kazakhstan’s chief sanitary doctor, Zhandarbek Bekshin.
Kazakhstan will also reduce the number of flights to and from South Korea, another country with a large number of coronavirus cases, he told a briefing.
No coronavirus in Turkish citizens returning from Iran
Turkish citizens returning from Iran amid coronavirus fears tested negative for infection, said the health minister.
A total of 132 Turkish citizens arrived in Ankara, the Turkish capital, on Tuesday after they were evacuated from Iran where 15 deaths from coronavirus were confirmed so far. The evacuees are in 14-day quarantine in a hospital.
Addressing a news conference, Koca said there are no confirmed coronavirus cases in Turkey so far thanks to effective measures against the disease.
UAE says it is equipped for ‘worst-case scenarios’
The United Arab Emirates, which reported 13 cases, is “well prepared and equipped for the worst-case scenarios” as the coronavirus spreads in the Middle East, an official from the UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority told Reuters news agency.
The UAE has enough facilities to quarantine patients and relevant bodies have been instructed to undertake “complete surveillance of all people entering the country”, the official said.
Pompeo: Iran may have suppressed vital COVID-19 details
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that Iran may have covered up information about the spread of coronavirus there, and accused China of mishandling the epidemic through its “censorship” of media and medical professionals.
“The United States is deeply concerned by information indicating the Iranian regime may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in that country,” Pompeo told reporters as Iran’s coronavirus death toll rose to 16, “all nations, including Iran, should tell the truth about the coronavirus and cooperate with international aid organizations.”
Qatar Airways lowers Iran flight frequency
Qatar Airways said on Twitter that it has lowered the frequency of its flights to Iran.
Brazil reports first possible case of coronavirus
A 61-year-old man from Sao Paolo who recently returned from Italy is being tested for coronavirus, Brazil’s health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The man travelled to Lombardy – the epicentre of the Italian outbreak – from February 9 to 21- and had developed symptoms including a sore throat and fever, the ministry said.
If the case is confirmed, it will be the first in South America.
Thailand reports three new coronavirus cases
Thailand reported three new cases of a coronavirus on Wednesday, taking total infections to 40, a health ministry official said.
Two of the new patients, all Thai nationals, had returned from holidays in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and came into contact with the third, said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary at the ministry.
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