Coronavirus death toll passes 3,000 worldwide as second person dies in US - MW
The global death toll from the coronavirus epidemic surpassed 3,000 on Monday, when South Korea reported nearly 500 new cases and a second died in the United States.
Covid-19 has infected more than 88,000 people and has spread to more than 60 countries after it first appeared in China late last year. Indonesia, which claimed to be virus-free, registered its first two cases on Monday.
More than two months have passed, most new cases and deaths remain confined to China, the health committee reported 202 new cases on Monday - the lowest daily increase since late January - and 42 new deaths. Hubei Province, where the epidemic was concentrated, registered 196 of the 202 new cases and all new deaths.
The death toll in China has risen to 2,912, but is also increasing in other countries. Iran has the second highest death toll, with 54, Australia reported the first death of Covid-19 over the weekend. Infection almost doubled over the weekend in Italy - the hardest hit country in Europe with nearly 1,700 cases.
In the United States, the number of cases has risen to at least 76 with two deaths, including in Washington State. The second victim was a man in his 60s who died Saturday in a retirement home where others were infected, local health officials said.
The governor of New York has confirmed his first positive coronavirus test, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday evening, tweeting that a woman in her thirties had respiratory illness during a recent trip to Iran. and quarantine at home. He did not say where the woman lived, but the New York Times, citing anonymous government officials, said her home was in New York.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has attempted to quell criticism of the Trump administration that is managing the epidemic, promising to make up for the lack of test kits. We may have more sad news, but Americans should know that the risk to the average American remains low, Pence Pence told CNN.
The number of South Korean cases is expected to increase as more than 260,000 people involved in a religious sect are tested. More than half of the infections in South Korea are linked to the Church of Jesus in Shincheonji, in the southeastern city of Daegu.
The Seoul metropolitan government on Monday urged sectarian leaders, including founder Lee Man-hee, to be investigated for murder, accusing them of refusing to cooperate in efforts to stop the spread of the disease.
Concerned about a growing pandemic, the World Health Organization has called on all countries to reserve important respirators for the treatment of patients with severe symptoms.
The rapid spread of the coronavirus has raised concerns about its impact on the global economy, causing the global market to post the worst losses since the 2008 financial crisis.
Covid-19 disrupted markets across Asia, prompting Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda to announce on Monday that the central bank will take steps to stabilize the market. Kuroda's comment, released a few days after a similar decision by the president of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
Markets welcomed signs that the world’s biggest central banks were moving towards coordinated policy action, with Asian shares steadying after early losses on Monday. The rout had deepened earlier in the day with new figures showing Chinese manufacturing activity collapsed in February, raising fears of a global recession from the coronavirus.
Concern over a possible Covid-19 pandemic wiped more than $5 trillion from global share values last week, as stocks recorded their steepest slump in more than a decade.
The virus outbreak has heightened fears of recession in Japan – the world’s third-biggest economy – due to disruption to supply chains, a sharp drop in the number of overseas tourists and sports and event cancellations.
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said the government would announce a second batch of measures around March 10 to prevent the spread of the virus and mitigate its damage to the economy.
Japan has more than 940 virus cases, including 705 from the Diamond Princess cruise liner, which was quarantined near Tokyo this month, according to public broadcaster NHK. Eleven people have died in Japan, including six former Diamond Princess passengers.
Abe has promised to alleviate the pressure on parents amid criticism of his decision last week to call for nationwide school closures.
The government plans to create a fund to help companies pay subsidies to workers who need to take days off to look after their children while schools are closed until the new academic year starts in early April, the Nikkei business daily reported.
MW
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