Passengers wearing masks and covered with plastic bags walk outside the Shanghai railway station in Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
Paris: More deaths than SARS. A slowdown in contamination rates in China. OPEC calls for oil output cuts. Here are the worldwide developments in the coronavirus crisis over the past 24 hours.
811 dead
In China the death toll from the coronavirus reaches 811, overtaking global fatalities in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.
Outside the mainland, more than 350 infections have now been reported in nearly 30 places. There have also been two deaths, one in the Philippines and the other in Hong Kong.
'Good news'
According to the latest figures from China, 37,198 people have now been infected across the mainland, the majority in and around Wuhan.
The World Health Organization says there has been "some stabilising" in the last four days in the numbers of new cases of the coronavirus in China.
The UN health agency says this is "good news" and "may reflect the impact of the control measures" but cautions it is too early to make any predictions about whether the virus might have peaked.
Oil production cuts
Fearing the virus could cause an economic slowdown in China, the world's leading oil importer and consumer, a committee appointed by the OPEC club of petroleum-producing countries recommends cuts in oil output to support prices.
"The coronavirus epidemic has had a negative impact on economic activity, notably in transport, tourism and industry, particularly in China," it says.
Infections rise aboard cruise ship
The number of passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan's coast rises to 64. Some 3,700 passengers remain on the ship and have been asked to stay inside their cabins.
In Hong Kong meanwhile thousands of people stranded aboard another cruise ship for five days are allowed to disembark after its 1,800 crew test negative for the virus.
Fourth case in Britain
A fourth case of the new coronavirus has been diagnosed in Britain after a patient contracted the illness from a previously confirmed British case while in France, health officials said on Sunday.
Last week a British national tested positive after returning to Britain from Singapore, becoming the third confirmed case of the virus. He is believed to have stayed in France for a few days on his way home, passing the virus on to others there.
China boosts funding
China said it’s spent 31.55 billion yuan of the 71.85 billion yuan allocated to fight the outbreak, according to Xinhua, which cited Finance Minister Liu Kun. Liu said authorities will make moves to support bringing the epidemic under control, and urged local and regional officials to look out for small businesses that have been hurt.
China’s central bank will provide the first batch of special re-lending funds for combating the coronavirus on Monday, and will offer the facility weekly to banks later this month.
Singapore revokes work permits
Singapore authorities revoked the work permits of four foreigners and immediately repatriated them after a breach of quarantine orders. Along with two permanent residents, they were caught working at their various places of employment during a leave-of-absence period that’s mandatory for those who had recently returned from China.
Six employers had their foreign hiring privileges suspended for two years for not ensuring their workers stay home, the manpower ministry said.
(AFP / Reuters / Bloomberg)
