President Xi says China facing 'big test' with virus as global impact spreads
24 February, 2020
China's leader said on Sunday (Feb 23) the new coronavirus epidemic may be the communist country's largest-ever public health emergency, but other nations were also increasingly under great pressure from the deadly outbreak's relentless global march.
Italy and Iran started introducing the sort of containment measures previously seen only in China, which has put tens of millions of men and women under lockdown in Hubei province, the outbreak's epicentre.
Italy reported a third death while cases spiked and the country's Venice carnival closed early.
Iran's confirmed death toll rose to eight, prompting travel bans from neighbouring countries.
The virus has so far killed a lot more than 2,400 people, with about 80,000 infected globally, though China remains by far the worst hit.
President Xi Jinping said the epidemic was the "largest public health emergency" because the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
"This is an emergency for us in fact it is a major test," he said during remarks carried by state television.
In a rare admission, at a gathering to coordinate the fight the virus, Xi added that China must learn from "obvious shortcomings exposed" during its response.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Beijing for its handling of the epidemic, but China has been criticized in the home for silencing early warnings from a whistleblower doctor who later died from the virus.
South Korea said it had been raising its aware of the highest level, after the number of infections almost tripled over the weekend to 602.
The country now gets the most infections beyond China, in addition to the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan.
South Korea reported three deaths on Sunday, taking the countrywide fatality toll to five. The Yonhap news agency later reported a sixth death.
Around half of the country's cases have already been from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus sect in the southern city of Daegu, where a large number of members have already been quarantined or asked to remain at home.
POLICE CHECKPOINTS
Italy's cases spiked to 152 on Sunday, including three deaths.
Virus panic crept onto catwalks, resulting in the cancellation of some runway shows at Milan Fashion Week. Others were held nowadays and livestreamed.
Most cases are confined to the tiny northern town of Codogno, about 70 kilometres southeast of Milan.
A lot more than 50,000 people in about a dozen northern Italian towns have already been told to remain home, and police create checkpoints to enforce a blockade.
Austrian railways said traffic on a major path to Italy through the Brenner Pass would be suspended, after a train was stopped as a result of two suspected cases of the virus.
Neighbouring Slovenia asked vacationers returning from ski resorts in northern Italy to be particularly vigilant for symptoms.
Italy became the first European country to report among its nationals died from the virus on Friday.
Two more fatalities came over the weekend but Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged persons "not to give in to panic", and asked them to check out the advice of health authorities.
"The rapid increase in reported cases in Italy in the last two days is of concern," World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said.
Not absolutely all reported cases seem to be to have clear epidemiological links, such as travel history to China or connection with a confirmed case, Jasarevic added.
"At this stage, we must focus on limiting further human to human transmission."
Iran ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres across 14 provinces following eight deaths - the most outside East Asia.
The outbreak in the Islamic Republic surfaced Wednesday and quickly grew to 43 confirmed infections, an abrupt rise that prompted regional travel restrictions.
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian said his country will close its border with Iran and suspend flights.
Like the Italian leader, he, too, said there is no reason to panic.
But Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at Britain's University of East Anglia, said the problem in Iran has "major implications" for the center East.
"It is unlikely that Iran could have the resources and facilities to adequately identify cases and adequately manage them if case numbers are large," Hunter said.
Pakistan and Turkey announced the closure of land crossings with Iran while Afghanistan said it had been suspending travel to the united states.
JAPAN CRITICISED
The outbreak in China remains concentrated in the city of Wuhan - locked down exactly one month ago - where in fact the virus is thought to have emanated from a live animal market in December.
China's infection rate has slowed, but flip-flopping over counting methods has sowed confusion over its data.
There also was growing concern over the issue of detecting the virus.
Japan on Sunday confirmed a female who tested negative and disembarked from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship later tested positive.
Similarly in Israel, authorities confirmed that a second Israeli citizen who returned from the ship had tested positive. These were among 11 Israelis allowed off the ship and flown home after primarily testing negative.
Japan has been criticised over its handling of cases aboard the vessel quarantined off Yokohama.
More than 1,000 crew stick to board and are likely to serve a 14-day quarantine.
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