The number of deaths from the coronavirus in China rose to more than 1,700 on Monday as international experts began a joint mission with their Chinese counterparts to tackle the epidemic.

The total number of cases of so-called COVID-19 in the Asian country, most of them in the central province of Hubei, has surpassed 70,500, according to the latest update from the country's National Health Commission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said its specialists had held their first meetings with Chinese health experts as part of efforts to find out how the new virus is spreading.

Read more: Coronavirus: Deutsche Post stops sending packages to China

Crucial days ahead

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the gathering on Twitter: "We look forward to this vitally important collaboration contributing to global knowledge about the #COVID19 outbreak."

In another tweet, he said: "Together, we are facing #COVID19 & we must use the window of opportunity to intensify our preparedness for it. And more than ever it’s time to let science & evidence lead policy. If we don’t, we are headed down a dark path that leads nowhere but division and disharmony."

Tedros had a word of warning for Chinese authorities, who have suggested there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is "impossible to predict which direction this epidemic will take," he said.

The UN's health body has also asked China for more information on how diagnoses are being determined.

Empty cultural sites: Coronavirus hits China's tourism industry Global impact The coronavirus epidemic has consequences for international cultural events. The Art Basel Hong Kong art fair has been canceled. China has downsized its participation in the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. The Chinese National Opera's New Year's Concert in Berlin was also canceled; musicians and performers are not allowed to leave because of the coronavirus crisis.

Empty cultural sites: Coronavirus hits China's tourism industry Closed to tourists Usually, crowds of tourists jostle their way through the Forbidden City. Now, a lonely tourist has Beijing's Palace Museum all to himself. The city's imperial palace, built from 1420 to 1644, is considered an architectural masterpiece and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It was initially the seat of the Ming and later the Qing dynasty, and where the emperor and his court lived.

Empty cultural sites: Coronavirus hits China's tourism industry Attractions on hold Disneyland Shanghai has closed its doors to the Magic Kingdom for the time being. The coronavirus outbreak intensified at the start of the Chinese New Year. Subsequent quarantine and travel restrictions caused the annual surge of holiday travel within and to China to collapse. Last year the industry reported a turnover of $78 billion (€71.5 billion) during the weeklong holidays alone.

Empty cultural sites: Coronavirus hits China's tourism industry No access In the fight against the coronavirus, China's authorities have not stopped at shutting down historical sites. Parts of the Great Wall of China, a powerful symbol for the country, have been closed off. The section of the wall in Badaling, northern Beijing (photo above), which is highly popular with tourists, is closed. Also closed are the Ming graves and the Yinshan Pagoda.

Empty cultural sites: Coronavirus hits China's tourism industry Dragon dance Spring in Shenyang in 2019: A dance group performs a dragon dance on the occasion of the Longtaitou Festival, when China celebrates the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is known as "the day when the dragon raises its head," and the country and nature regain strength. This year, it falls on February 24, but the coronavirus epidemic could put a damper on events. Author: Stefan Dege (db)



On Monday morning, more than 1,000 additional military doctors and nurses began arriving in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, to support the city's struggling health-care system. The city accounts for the vast majority of China's coronavirus cases.

US citizens on cruise ship return home

US citizens were taken off a cruise liner on Sunday and flown home after being quarantined for two weeks off the coast of Japan.

Some 3,700 passengers and crew have been held onboard the Diamond Princess since February 3. At least 454 of them have now tested positive for the virus, by far the largest cluster of cases outside China.

The Japanese Health Ministry, which on Monday raised the previous figure of 355 confirmed infections by 99, said 43 of the new cases were Japanese.

Australian, Canadian, Italian, South Korean and Hong Kong passengers were expected to be repatriated in the coming days after their governments also announced plans to get them home.

No imperial birthday celebration

Japan meanwhile canceled planned public celebrations for Emperor Naruhito's 60th birthday on Sunday amid fears over the spread of the new coronavirus.

At least 60 people in the country have been diagnosed so far with the virus, with the government on Sunday warning citizens to avoid crowds and "non-essential gatherings."

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death in China On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus reaches neighboring countries In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Millions under lockdown China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 A global health emergency? More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus reaches Europe On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First cases confirmed in Germany On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares global health emergency On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death outside China The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Bad ending to a cruise Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Italy under quarantine Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Economic woes European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares outbreak as pandemic As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Public life on hold in Europe On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 International travel severely restricted As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Germany imposes partial lockdown In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus strikes at top as UK locks down On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Grim milestone for the US On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Spain's surging death toll Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 More than a million On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27. Author: Richard Connor



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