NE NEWS SERVICE
TOKYO, FEB 6
Large white sheets covering them head-to-knee, people infected with a new virus were led by gloved and masked officials on Wednesday off a Japanese cruise ship, while the rest of the 3,700 people on board faced a two-week quarantine in their cabins. In Hong Kong, more than 3,600 people on another cruise ship were to be screened after it was banned by Taiwan amid growing worry about the spread of an outbreak.
The ships are caught up in a global health emergency that seems to worsen by the day. China’s National Health Commission said another 65 people had died as of Tuesday, a new daily record, taking the toll on the mainland to 490, most in and around the lockeddown Wuhan, where the virus emerged late last year.
As thousands of hospital workers in Hong Kong went on strike to demand the border with mainland China be closed completely, the city announced that all people entering from the mainland, including Hong Kong residents, must be quarantined for 14 days. Tokyo Olympics organisers, meanwhile, said they are increasingly worried about the disruption the virus is causing ahead of the games, which open in less than six months.
The director-general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked for $675 million to help countries address the expected spread of the virus. He acknowledged that the sum is a lot, but told a news briefing that “it’s much less than the bill we will face if we do not invest in preparedness now”. Tedros said in the last 24 hours, the UN health agency has seen the biggest jump in cases since the start of the epidemic. The number of new cases increased to 24,363, a rise of 3,887 from the previous day. Outside mainland China, at least 230 cases have been confirmed, including two fatalities, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines.
China has strongly defended its epidemic control measures and called on other nations not to go overboard in their responses. Countries “can assess the epidemic situation in an objective, fair, calm and rational manner, respect authoritative and professional WHO recommendations, understand and support China’s epidemic control efforts”, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said. “Fear is worse than any virus.”
To reduce the danger of exposure for health workers, Beijing is seeking to develop a robot to administer throat tests. Separately, Shanghai announced that all schools will delay reopening until at least the end of February, rather than the middle of the month as originally planned. The exact date will depend on how the outbreak develops.
In the port city of Yokohama, just outside Tokyo, health workers, some in protective white jumpsuits, transferred 10 patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship to a Japanese coast guard boat next to it. The 10, covered in sheets to protect their identities from cameras, were taken to a dock and put on ambulances bound for hospitals for treatment in isolation. Health minister Katsunobu Kato said all of the people on board will be quarantined on the ship for up to 14 days. The ship had 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members. Tests were pending on 273 people who had symptoms or had contact with a man who was diagnosed with the virus. The infections on the ship raised Japan’s total to 34 cases. South Korea and Thailand reported recent cases among people who had not been to China, raising concerns about how easily virus might be spreading.
The Hong Kong ship passengers were being screened after three passengers on a previous voyage were diagnosed with the virus. The territory’s beleaguered leader, Carrie Lam, also announced that two terminals — including the terminal where the cruise ship is currently quarantined — will be shut down. AP
Baby tests positive for China virus just 30 hours after birth
A baby in epidemic-hit Wuhan city has been diagnosed with the coronavirus just 30 hours after being born, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday. The infant is the youngest person recorded as being infected by the virus. CCTV quoted experts as saying it may be a case of “vertical transmission”, referring to infections passed from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or immediately after. The mother had tested positive for the virus before she gave birth. China’s national health commission said on Tuesday that the oldest person diagnosed with the virus is a 90-year-old, and that 80% of reported deaths have been of patients 60 years of age and older. AFP
Cathay Pacific asks staff to take unpaid leave due to virus
Cathay Pacific Airways asked its 27,000 employees on Wednesday to take three weeks of unpaid leave while the Hong Kong carrier struggles with plunging revenue due to China’s virus outbreak. In a video message to employees, CEO Augustus Tang said the situation is as grave as the 2009 financial crisis, The South China Morning Post reported. On Tuesday, Cathay announced a 90% reduction in flight capacity to mainland China. Employees were asked to take “special leave” some time between March 1and June 30. “Preserving cash is the key to protecting our business,” the airline said. The airline used similar “special leave” in 2009 and during the 2003 outbreak of SARS, which also led to cuts in flights. Courtesy: AFP
