Cases top 152,000 worldwide, rise in SE Asia and Europe: Virus update

Philippine police personnel man a checkpoint bordering nearby Cavite province and suburban Las Pinas in Manila on Sunday, as the government steps up efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. (AFP photo)

Fear closed the world in on itself as nations, from the US to much of Europe and Latin America, took measures to shield citizens from the coronavirus infection. That meant shutting borders, airports and, in France, its cafes and restaurants.

Cases in Thailand spiked by 32. Spain declared an emergency. Italy continued to be battered, reporting 175 new deaths to raise its total to 1,441.

Austria became the latest European country to severely restrict daily life. The UK will ask people over 70 to stay home, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said as he defended the government’s strategy to slow the spread of infections.

Confirmed cases for China and South Korea continue to show signs of stabilising.

Australia and South Korea called for meetings of leaders and finance chiefs from the world’s top industrial and emerging nations as the coronavirus outbreak triggers panic in global markets.

Key Developments:

- Thailand reports 32 new cases

- Malaysia cases increase to 428, most in Southeast Asia

- Cases rose beyond 152,000 worldwide, with deaths above 5,700

- China now has 80,844 confirmed coronavirus cases in total, its death toll rose by 10 on Saturday to 3,199

- Australia, South Korea call for G-20 meetings

Updates (latest first):

France limits domestic travel

France will gradually reduce domestic transport links by air, rail and bus in a bid to limit travel and fight the coronavirus epidemic. The move comes a day after the government closed restaurants, cafes and non-essential stores.

European cases climb

Belgium’s health ministry reported 197 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total of confirmed infections to 886. Finland, which has implemented tighter testing criteria, had 240 cases. Poland’s cases rose 63% from Friday to 111 cases of coronavirus and three deaths. The count is rising as the nation is now testing all those who are in quarantine. Full border controls are in place as of today, and cafes, restaurants and shopping malls are closed. Slovakia reported 54 cases, an increase of 10.

Austria bans all gatherings

Austria’s chancellor said the country is widening restrictions to ban all public gatherings of more than five people. “We’re aware those are massive restrictions but they are necessary,” Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter. Austrians are asked to isolate themselves and have no social contact outside their households. The number of confirmed cases jumped to 800 on Sunday, from 602 on Saturday. In neighbouring Slovenia, public transportation has been temporarily shut down.

EU medical exports eased

Germany and France will lift restrictions on the export of medical equipment, allowing for deliveries to Italy, the EU commissioner for the internal market said. Germany will send 1 million masks to Italy.

Beijing to quarantine visitors

Beijing will quarantine all visitors from overseas at designated locations for 14 days upon arrival, the People’s Daily reported, citing Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government. Inbound visitors are now the biggest group of new coronavirus cases in Beijing. The new measures will be implemented from Monday and travelers will be responsible for the costs of the quarantine.

UK to ask over 70s to stay home

The UK will ask people over the age of 70 to stay home in the coming weeks, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.

It’s more important for people with symptoms to stay home than to ban gatherings, Hancock said. The UK’s strategy is working in slowing the rate of infection and the government will publish the science behind its plan, he said.

Malaysia cases jump

Malaysia confirmed 190 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing its overall total to 428, the most in Southeast Asia. Many of the new infections could be traced to a religious gathering at a mosque near Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by about 16,000 people. The country has called off such mass events, including international conferences and sports events, in an effort to limit the disease’s spread despite being the host country for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings this year.

US Army case in Europe

A US Army soldier tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first US Army case in Europe, the US European Command said in a press release on Sunday. The soldier is at home in isolation and the command is working on identifying others who may have been in contact.

G-20 Talks

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he supported a proposal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organise a link-up between G-20 leaders. He also held a call with UK counterpart Boris Johnson and both agreed that finance chiefs need to meet too.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed to US President Donald Trump to hold a G-20 teleconference summit to discuss how South Korea is combating the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a statement from Moon’s office.

Hong Kong air traffic slumps

Passenger numbers at Hong Kong airport slumped 68% in February from a year earlier as the outbreak decimated demand and led to immigration restrictions and quarantine measures in different parts of the world.

The airport handled 1.9 million passengers in February and 18,005 flight movements, down about 45% from a year earlier, Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a statement.

Airport crowds

Along with Chicago, long lines were also reported at Dallas Fort Worth and Dulles airports.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said that some arriving passengers at O’Hare face up to eight hours of delays waiting for luggage, immigration, customs and possible medical screening.

Australia restrictions

Australia’s restrictions order on overseas travellers will come into force at midnight, Prime Minister Morrison said in a televised address Sunday. Australia will also ban cruise ships from foreign ports from docking in Australia for 30 days, with the order to be renewed on a rolling basis.

New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, reported 22 new cases taking the totally tally to 134, according to a statement Sunday. Eight new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the state of Victoria, bringing the total number of cases in that state to 57.

Walmart to cut store hours

Walmart Inc, the biggest US retailer, will cut its store operating hours starting Sunday to give its workers time to restock shelves as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies.

The pandemic is prompting Americans to buy more groceries and other daily necessities including cleaning products, often emptying shelves in anticipation of an extended period of so-called social distancing or self-isolation.

Thailand reports 32 new cases

Thailand reported 32 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 114, health officials said. It was the biggest daily jump in cases in Thailand, which was one of the first countries outside China to report coronavirus infections that has since swept much of the world.

South Korea reports 76 new cases

South Korea reported 76 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the lowest since Feb 20, when the country saw a surge of over 500 in four days.

The country’s total tally stands at 8,162, and marks the third day in a row in which the number of released patients are greater than the number of newly-confirmed cases overnight. A total of 75 deaths in the nation have been reported.

Spain declares state of emergency

Spaniards’ freedom of movement will be significantly limited for the next 15 days under the state of emergency declared by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The wife of the prime minister has tested positive for the virus, El Pais reported.

The Spanish government will take full control of administration nationwide, Sanchez said in an address. People will only be allowed to leave their houses in specific circumstances, he said.

France closes cafes, restaurants, shops

France is shuttering restaurants, cafes and shops deemed non-essential, following in the footsteps of neighbouring Italy to curb the new coronavirus’s spread.

“Too many people still go to cafes and restaurants,” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at a press conference in Paris on Saturday. Philipe “We must show more discipline.”

At least 4,500 people in France have contracted the virus, double from 72 hours ago.

Canadians warned over travel abroad

Canadians are being urged to avoid non-essential travel. “New restrictions may be imposed with little warning.” Global Affairs Canada posted on its travel advisory website. “Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected.”

Norway closes airport, borders

Norway will shut all airports, ports and border crossings, calling in the army to help enforce what appears to be the nation’s closure to the outside world, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced. The nation may also seek infection control gear from China. Countries around Europe, from Spain to Russia, are announcing measures to restrict the movement of people both inside and outside their nations.

FDA clears druggists to make sanitiser

The Food and Drug Administration is encouraging licensed pharmacists and physicians to make their own batches of hand sanitiser to combat widespread shortages. The agency is worried that home-made concoctions are not as safe to use as what pharmacists and doctors could make, using high-quality ingredients and at least 60% alcohol.

Hand sanitizer has mostly disappeared from physical stores around the nation as well as from most on-line retailers.

Alitalia makes face masks mandatory on board

Alitalia said it will immediately require all passengers to wear facial masks onboard flights. The masks must be provided by the passengers themselves, a difficulty given the shortage in Italy, the epicentre of the coronavirus outside of China. The locked-down nation announced another 175 deaths on Saturday, for a total of 1,441 dead. The total cases rose to 21,157.

Medical experts say NYC hospitals unprepared

New York City’s hospitals, among the best in the world, may still not be ready for the coronavirus outbreak, according to many health care experts. “We are not prepared to deal with a rapid and severe surge of patients — we’re just not,” said Christopher M. Tedeschi, a longtime emergency physician and assistant professor at the Columbia University Medical Center. New York City reported its first coronavirus death, an 82-year-old woman with respiratory illness, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. The total number of cases there is 524.

Trump takes test; bans travel

President Donald Trump said he took a coronavirus test and noted travel will be banned from the UK and Ireland. The rest of Europe falls under an essential no-entry policy announced last week.

Trump said he took the virus test on Friday night, and had his temperature taken early Saturday before appearing at a White House news conference. His temperature was “totally normal,” he said as he left the briefing room.

He said he expects results back in “a day or two”.

The US added Great Britain and Ireland to its current international travel ban, effective late Monday. US citizens flying home will still be able to enter, but will be checked at one of 13 airports, and if they show symptoms of the virus will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, Vice President Mike Pence said.

Belgium warns against travel

Belgium is telling citizens not to travel abroad and warned that the risk of being stranded is “very high”. The foreign ministry said it can’t guarantee travellers will be able to return home as countries around the world start to close borders.

French minister tests positive

Brune Poirson, France’s junior environment minster, tested positive for the coronavirus, AFP reported, citing the minister’s office.

UK deaths double

The number of UK deaths from the outbreak rose by 10 in the past 24 hours to a total of 21. The number of confirmed cases rose to 1,140 on Saturday, from 798 the day before.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering a ban on large public gatherings, which could come into force next weekend, an official said. He is under pressure from some medics and politicians to take a more aggressive approach to fighting the virus.

Berlin suspends jail time

Berlin is suspending some imprisonments to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection and save medical resources, according to German news agency DPA. Authorities will delay jail time by four months for unpaid fines, DPA said.

Middle East shutdowns

Countries across the Middle East shut down schools and tourist attractions.

Egypt will close schools and universities for two weeks and Oman’s close for a month, according to reports from state-run media. Abu Dhabi will shut tourist attractions and cultural sites, including a branch of the Louvre museum, until the end of the March.

The United Arab Emirates temporarily suspended issuance of all visas, excluding diplomats, according to its official news agency, WAM.

In Kuwait, four more people have been infected with the virus, bringing the number cases to 104.

Prominent Italians test positive

Nine players in Italy’s top soccer league, Serie A, tested positive for the coronavirus, according to daily Gazzetta dello Sport. Games have been suspended until at least April 3.

Italy’s Health Undersecretary Pierpaolo Sileri has also been confirmed with the illness. He said he’s been in isolation and working remotely since he’s had symptoms.

Europe tightens borders

European countries added border restrictions to curb the spread of the virus across the continent.

Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed orders Saturday to close the border with Poland and Norway for most foreign citizens from March 15. Switzerland said it would turn away travellers from Italy, deemed a “high-risk country”. Several nations also moved to implement border checks and bar cruise ships from their ports.

Greece stopped all flights to and from Italy, the second-worst affected nation after China. Georgia closed its border with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Portugal said cruise ships wouldn’t be able to disembark, as did Montenegro.