NE NEWS SERVICE
BEIJING/SHANGHAI, FEB 8
The death of a Chinese doctor who was reprimanded for warning against a “SARS-like” coronavirus before it was officially recognised triggered a wave of mourning in China and rare online expressions of anger towards the government.
Li Wenliang’s death came as Chinese President Xi Jinping assured the US that China was doing all it could to contain the virus.
Li, 34, was among eight people reprimanded by police in Wuhan, the virus epicentre, for spreading “illegal and false” information. His social media warnings of a new SARS-like coronavirus, which killed almost 800 people around the world in 2002-2003 after originating in China, had angered the police. China was accused of trying to cover up SARS. Li was forced to sign a letter on January 3, saying he had “severely disrupted social order” and was threatened with charges.
Social media users called Li a hero, accusing authorities of incompetence. “Wuhan indeed owes Li Wenliang an apology,” said Hu Xijin, editor of the government-backed Global Times tabloid.
The death toll in mainland China reached 637 on Friday, with a total of 31,211 cases, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
61 infected on cruise ship in Japan, six Indians on board
Ocean Liner Quarantined Off Japan Port
Six Indians are among about 3,700 passengers and crew on Japanese cruise liner Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined at Yokohama port in Japan for the past few days due to coronavirus fears.
Princess Cruises, the ship’s operator, said on Friday that “quarantine end date will be February 19, unless there are unforeseen developments”. So far, 61 people on board — none of them Indians — have tested positive for the deadly virus and have been moved to hospitals. The ship is currently believed to be the largest known cluster of coronavirus infection outside China. “As of February 6 at 7.25pm (Japan local time), no Indians have tested positive for coronavirus. The Japanese ministry of health has confirmed this is the last batch to be tested… The Japanese government is also providing our ship and team members additional manpower support,” said a statement by the operator. Almost half the guests are Japanese.
Public spaces shut and passengers have been restricted to their cabins in the ship
An 80-year-old passenger, who had disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25 after spending five days in the cruise liner, had later tested positive for coronavirus. The ship was quarantined when it returned to Yokohama port this Monday.
First 20 people on board tested positive, followed by 41 more. Passengers have been given thermometers and asked to alert crew if their body temperature rises beyond 99.6°F.
Public spaces on the ship have been shut down and passengers have to spend their time almost entirely in their cabins. “During the remainder of the time on board, guests will continue to be provided complimentary internet and telephone service to stay in contact with their family and loved ones.
In addition, we have added additional live TV channels and a large selection of in-room movies available in multiple languages. The cruise activities staff is packaging games, puzzles and trivia and delivering them to guest staterooms,” the cruise operator said.
Princess Cruises said there are 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members currently on board from a range of nationalities. Almost half the guests are Japanese.
80 Indian students in Wuhan: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar
An estimated 80 Indian students are still living in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Friday, adding that 70 of them chose to stay behind at the time of the evacuation operation
Chinese man vomits on AI flight, isolated
A Chinese national aboard a New Delhi-Pune Air India flight was admitted to Naidu Hospital in Pune to rule out novel coronavirus infection after he complained of uneasiness and vomited mid-air.
World’s most productive car plant falls silent
Hyundai suspended operations at the Ulsan complex in South Korea, the world’s most productive car factory, on Friday. The firm has been hamstrung by a lack of parts after the coronavirus outbreak crippled China’s industrial output. The five-plant network can make 1.4 million vehicles annually. Hyundai is not the only casualty: Kia will suspend three plants for a day on Monday, Renault is considering stopping its factory in Busan next week, and Fiat Chrysler could halt one of its European factories.
Pink slip to 400 staff
Hong Kong Airlines said it will slash400 jobs and ask the rest of the staff to take unpaid leave as the virus compounded problems at the already-struggling firm. A number of countries have blocked flights to and from Hong Kong owing to the virus.
Pangolin may be a host
The endangered pangolin may be the link that facilitated the spread of the novel coronavirus across China, scientists said. It was so far suspected that the virus originated in bats but was passed from an animal to a human. AGENCIES
