US Centers for Disease Control confirms 5 new cases of Coronavirus

US Health Authorities on Sunday confirmed another case of deadly coronavirus taking the total of infected people to five. The deadly Coronavirus has killed 80 people in China and infected nearly 2,500 people since its outbreak. 

26 US States affected

Nancy Messonnier, Head of the Respiratory Disease Section at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that around 100 people across 26 US states are currently being examined for the virus. She went on to say that a total of five people have been confirmed to have the virus before revealing that all of them had travelled to Wuhan.

Read: As Of Now, No Indian In China Affected By Coronavirus Outbreak: MEA

She further stated that every case they had come across and confirmed in the US was someone who had direct contact with Wuhan. Apart from the recently confirmed case of a man from Arizona, others who have been affected include a man in Washington state, a Chicago woman, a man from Orange County, and a patient of Los Angeles County. 

Read: Coronavirus: Epicenter Wuhan Suspends Passport And Visa Services For Chinese Citizens

Meanwhile, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak, has suspended visa and passport services for Chinese citizens until January 30 in order to strengthen control over the virus outbreak, the city’s exit-entry bureau said in a statement on Monday. The Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday has called the outbreak a ‘grave situation’ after officials across China failed to contain the deadly viral infection.  

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The outbreak of the virus happening during a time when China celebrates the Lunar New Year has created an atmosphere of fear and dulled the festivities. The Chinese government has imposed travel restrictions on a number of cities in Hubei province and people have been asked to wear face masks in public places.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet classified the virus as an international emergency considering the low number of overseas cases. However, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called it 'an emergency in China'.

Read: China Extends Lunar New Year Holiday By 3 Days To Next Sunday In Effort To Contain Virus Spread

(With inputs from Agencies)