CHINA: As of now, there are 8,137 confirmed cases of infection in China. The death count of the virus has gone up to 171 people, and no deaths have yet been reported outside of mainland China. Macao has confirmed at least seven cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, while Hong Kong’s current count sits at 10 confirmed cases.
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported another three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in Singapore on Thursday (Jan 30), bringing the total number of infected persons in the country to 13. The three latest cases are all travelers who hail from Wuhan—a 73-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Singapore on Jan 21 with her family, a 37-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Singapore on Jan 22 with her family, and a 31-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Singapore on Jan 22 and was travelling with the country’s fourth confirmed case. The three women are currently are warded in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where some of the other confirmed cases are being held. Others are receiving treatment at Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital.
ASEAN: A total of 40 cases have been confirmed so far among the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines reported its first case on Thursday (Jan 30), Cambodia has one case, Malaysia has eight cases, Singapore has 13 cases, Thailand has 14 cases and Vietnam has confirmed three cases so far.
ASIA: On Thursday (Jan 30), India’s Ministry of Health and Family reported its first case of the Wuhan coronavirus—a student in the southern state of Kerala who was studying at Wuhan University. The patient, who tested positive for the virus, is in isolation in hospital. Japan has confirmed 14 cases so far, with two cases having no travel history to Wuhan. One, a bus driver in his 60s who drove tour groups from Wuhan for nine days before getting infected, is the first case of suspected human-to-human transmission in Japan. Nepal has one case, South Korea has six cases, Sri Lanka has one case, Taiwan has nine cases and the United Arab Emirates has four cases. On Thursday (Jan 30), despite having no recorded cases of the coronavirus, Russia closed its far-eastern border with China. It will also be limiting flights and train services to and from China.
EUROPE: France, the very first European country to report confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, currently has five cases of infection and has begun to evacuate its citizens—those who do not display symptoms of the virus—from Wuhan on Thursday (Jan 30), according to French health minister Agnes Buzyn. Finland has one case of the virus (first reported on Wednesday, Jan 29), while Germany has four cases. In Italy, around 7,000 passengers are being held on a cruise ship while tests are done on a couple suspected of having the virus.
NORTH AMERICA: Both the United States and Canada have reported cases of the coronavirus. Canada has three cases, while the United States has confirmed five cases so far. The US announced on Thursday (Jan 30), that a special White House task force has been set up to put measures in place against the coronavirus outbreak, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported its first confirmed case of “person-to-person spread” of the virus.
AUSTRALIA: At least nine cases so far have been reported in Australia, and the government began evacuating Australian citizens out of the Hubei province from Wednesday (Jan 29).
AFRICA: As of yet, no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported in the region. The Ivory Coast tested the first person in Africa for the virus on Monday (Jan 27), but the test has since come back negative. On Tuesday (Jan 28), a passenger arrived in Nairobi and displayed flu-like symptoms. They are currently being quarantined in Nairobi and are awaiting test results.
/TISG