SINGAPORE, 24 January 2020: China reported more than 600 Novel Coronavirus cases on Thursday with 18 fatalities.
The outbreak occurred first in the Chinese city of Wuhan in a seafood market. Cases have now been reported in Hong Kong, the US, South Korea, Japan and Thailand. Singapore reported its first case on Thursday, a Chinese traveller and resident of Wuhan, who was staying with his family at the Shangri-La Sentosa.
The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first isolated from a patient with pneumonia. Genetic analysis revealed that it is closely related to SARS-CoV, and there is now evidence of human to human transmission.
The World Health Organisation’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, issued a statement Thursday confirming the WHO emergency committee had stopped short of declaring an international emergency.
Meanwhile, China closed down Wuhan’s public transport, and all airline services in a move restrict the travel movements of the city’s 11 million residents.
Officials in Wuhan also suspended train services and closed subways, as well as banning large public events just days before the Chinese New Year holiday week gets underway.
Millions of people are travelling within China and to destinations worldwide for the Chinese New Year holiday, which starts on Friday.
Confirmed cases (24 January)
China; 600
Thailand; 4
Hong Kong; 1
Japan; 1
Macau; 1
Singapore; 1
South Korea; 1
Taiwan; 1
US; 1
The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
(Source: WHO, news services)
