China efforts bear fruit as number of new cases falls for 3rd straight day
Print Edition
THE number of new cases from novel coronavirus epidemic dropped for a third consecutive day yesterday, as the World Health Organization chief warned it was “impossible” to predict how the outbreak would develop.
The death toll jumped to 1,665 in China’s mainland yesterday after 142 more people died from the virus. More than 68,000 people have now been infected — but the number of new cases of the COVID-19 strain continued to decline.
In hardest-hit Hubei Province, the number of new cases slowed for a third straight day and at 139, the number of deaths was level with Saturday’s toll. The number of new cases in other parts of the country has dropped for 12 straight days.
Mi Feng, National Health Commission spokesman, said yesterday the figures were a sign that China was controlling the outbreak.
“The effects of epidemic prevention and control in various parts of the country can already be seen,” he told reporters.
An international team of WHO experts will arrive in Beijing this week for a joint mission with Chinese counterparts.
The scale of the epidemic ballooned last Thursday after authorities in Hubei changed their criteria for counting cases, retroactively adding 14,000 cases in a single day.
Authorities have placed some 56 million people in Hubei and its capital Wuhan under quarantine, virtually sealing off the central province from the rest of the country in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus.
Hubei authorities yesterday announced a further tightening of movement across the province.
This includes broad instructions that residential compounds and villages are “sealed off” from unnecessary visitors, with tenants’ outings “strictly managed,” as well as recommending bulk purchases of daily necessities, according to a circular issued by the provincial government.
All non-essential public spaces will also be closed, and residential areas and workplaces with confirmed cases should implement a 14-day quarantine.
Also, companies should not resume production unless allowed by local epidemic prevention authorities. And those that have resumed work should follow strict virus prevention measures.
The biggest cluster outside China is on a quarantined cruise ship off Japan, with 355 infections confirmed among 1,219 people tested.
Americans began leaving the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan on Monday to board chartered flights home.
The evacuation came as Japanese authorities stepped up warnings over the deadly outbreak, urging citizens to avoid crowds and “non-essential gatherings.”
The Diamond Princess was placed in a 14-day quarantine in early February after a former passenger tested positive for the virus. There were almost 3,700 people on board.
Japan has not been able to test all those on board due to limited supplies of testing kits, facilities and manpower.
Canada and China’s Hong Kong also said they will evacuate their citizens from the ship.
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