Coronavirus Latest: 259 Dead, Nearly 12,000 Cases Confirmed
KABUL (MEP) – At least 259 people have died and 11,791 people have been infected in China by the new coronavirus, according to new figures from China’s health officials.
Most of the latest fatalities are from Hubei province. The city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak is located in Hubei.
The province of Hubei remains under virtual quarantine, with roads sealed off and public transport shut down, but small numbers of travelers continue to breach the lockdown.
Amid fears that the virus could spread further overseas, the United States and Australia announced measures to restrict entry to foreign nationals who have recently been in China.
Meanwhile, Gauden Galea, the World Health Organization representative for China, said trade and travel restrictions were not needed.
“We would want countries to focus on the mitigation efforts of identifying the possible importation of cases and responding to any domestic outbreak,” Galea told Reuters on Saturday.
Around two dozen countries have reported confirmed cases of the virus, but the vast majority of those infected remain in China.
Nearly 10,000 flights have been suspended since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, according to travel and data analytics firm Cirium.
Many nations have put on special charter flights to repatriate citizens from China.
Meantime, the WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday.
It is noteworthy that weeks ago, Afghan Health Minister asked Chinese officials to implement travel ban for Afghan students who lives in China.
