Published 11:23 IST, February 19th 2020
Coronavirus outbreak: Death toll surpasses 2,000 in China with 136 new fatalities
coronavirus dubbed as COVID19 first originated in Hubei province, the epicenter of the disease in late December 2019, the disease has spread to over 20 nations.
The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak has reportedly climbed to 2,004 in China. Over 136 new fatalities in mainland China have been confirmed in the past 24 hours, China’s state health committee officials confirmed. The confirmed cases of COVID-19 have soared by 1,749 and the total global figure has reached 74,185 as of February 19.
According to the reports, the number of people that have been successfully treated has risen by 1,824. This has spiked the total number of recovered patients to 14,376. The novel coronavirus dubbed as COVID-19 first originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicentre of the disease in late December 2019. The disease has spread to more than 20 countries worldwide since the outbreak.
Guidelines for citizens issued
Japan has reportedly confirmed seven new cases of the coronavirus. It includes a male doctor in his 30s who was onboard the quarantined cruise liner Diamond princess docked off on the coast of Yokohama, south of Japan. Health ministry issued guidelines in Japan for citizens showing symptoms similar to coronavirus, said reports. Citizens have been provided with specific hotlines to call in case of a health emergency.
Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong are the countries with most diagnosed cases of the coronavirus globally, according to reports. Singapore has 81 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19, while Hong Kong has reported 62. Meanwhile, a chartered plane is reportedly on its way to Japan to evacuate its citizens from Diamond Princess vessel in Japan, confirmed Global Affairs officials in Canada.
The nations worldwide have urged China to maintain transparency amid the ongoing crisis. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly said that the US is “hopeful” that China will increase its transparency in sharing information about the virus. China had earlier confirmed 121 new deaths but had also removed 108 fatalities from the total, as per reports. However, China’s National Health Commission had told the media that those were “duplicate statistics”.
Updated 18:23 IST, February 19th 2020