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Coronavirus: seventh person dies in Italy amid confusion over death toll in Iran – live updates Coronavirus: seventh person dies in Italy amid confusion over death toll in Iran – live updates
(32 minutes later)
Latest Italian victim comes as Iranian health minister says 12 people have died and 66 been infected after report of 50 deathsLatest Italian victim comes as Iranian health minister says 12 people have died and 66 been infected after report of 50 deaths
Japanese health officials and experts on a government panel have acknowledged that the quarantine of the virus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess was not perfect, AP reports.
The officials said Japanese health authorities faced tough challenges in dealing with a foreign-operated ship that required international negotiations in the absence of established rules in such a crisis.
“The ship was not designed to be a hospital. The ship was a ship,” said Shigeru Omi, a former regional director for the World Health Organization. He added: “Of course isolation was not ideal as would be expected from a hospital, so in my view although the isolation was somehow effective, to a large extent it was not perfect.”
The UK remains “prepared for all eventualities” over coronavirus, Downing Street has insisted, PA reports.
In the UK, 13 people have so far been diagnosed with Covid-19 illness caused by the virus, including four over the weekend who had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was held in quarantine in Japan.
On Monday, Downing Street insisted the UK was “well prepared” and said the risk to individuals in the UK remains low. Asked whether the UK could put in place restrictive measures such as those seen in Italy to combat the spread of the disease, the prime minister’s official spokesman said:
The Foreign Office has not advised Britons against travel to Italy, but has updated its website with factual information about the situation there. There are no figures as yet as to whether any Britons are affected by the lockdown and are stuck in Italy.
Four Britons rescued from the coronavirus-hit Dimaond Princess cruise ship are being treated at specialist centres in the North of England after testing positive for the illness.
They were among a group of 30 Britons and two Irish citizens who arrived at a quarantine block at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside on Saturday.
Two of the patients are in the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, one is in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and a fourth was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
British couple David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, who were on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary, are still in a Japanese hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus and pneumonia.
China has delayed its annual parliamentary meeting as authorities struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak, which has spread to more countries and prompted fears of a global pandemic.
For the first time in decades, the National People’s Congress (NPC), where hundreds of delegates gather in Beijing every March, was postponed on Monday.
The standing committee for the NPC said a new date for the meeting would be announced separately, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
People in northern Italy have been in touch with the Guardian to say they have noticed empty shelves in local supermarkets.
Francesco Sole, a trade union regional secretary from Milan, said prices for face masks and antibacterial gel had skyrocketed.
Francesca, 26, from Lodi, said though the city was not under quarantine the rest of the region had closed schools, universities, theatres, and libraries. Francesca, a student at the Brera Academy of Fine Art, in Milan, said:
Here’s a summary of what we know about the coronavirus outbreak so far on Monday:Here’s a summary of what we know about the coronavirus outbreak so far on Monday:
The Italian government has introduced stringent internal travel restrictions, closing off the worst-hit areas in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto. Seven people are now confirmed to have died from coronavirus in Italy which has seen the worst outbreak in Europe with 219 confirmed cases. The Italian government has introduced stringent internal travel restrictions, closing off the worst-hit areas in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
Wuhan – the centre of the coronavirus outbreak – has eased some lockdown restrictions, including allowing uninfected residents to leave the city for “urgent medical operations”. Iran has denied trying to cover up the full extent of the outbreak after a reformist website reported 50 deaths from the virus. The deputy health minister said 12 had died from the virus.
China reported 150 new deaths from the virus, with one outside Hubei province. Infections rose by 409 (398 in Hubei) to 77,150. South Korean cases spiked to over 760, as several countries imposed travel bans, and some airlines cancelled routes to Seoul. Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq reported their first cases – all involving people who had come from Iran.
The Chinese health commission said 24 out of China’s 31 provinces had reported no new cases of the virus. A team from the World Health Organization is due to visit Iran on Tuesday. The WHO director general described the sudden increase in cases in Italy, Iran and South Korea as “deeply concerning”.
Four Chinese provinces lowered their alert levels, including Yunnan, Guangdong, Shanxi and Guizhou. China reported 150 new deaths from the virus, with one outside Hubei province. Infections rose by 409 (398 in Hubei) to 77,150. Four Chinese provinces lowered their alert levels on the virus, including Yunnanm Guangdong, Shznxi and Guizhou. The WHO said it was encouraged by the decline in new cases in China.
South Korean cases spiked to over 760, as several countries imposed travel bans, and some airlines cancelled routes to Seoul.
Australia raised its travel advice to South Korea and Japan to “reconsider your need to travel”.
North Korea is reported to have quarantined 380 foreigners over virus fears.
Asian financial markets have fallen amid fears about the global economy.
Serbia’s foreign ministry has advised Serbs against travelling to the parts of Italy hit by the virus.Serbia’s foreign ministry has advised Serbs against travelling to the parts of Italy hit by the virus.
Spain currently has no plans to close its borders in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s health minister has said.Spain currently has no plans to close its borders in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s health minister has said.
Salvador Illa said the authorities were focusing on reinforcing existing precautions throughout the health system and on raising awareness at ports and airports.Salvador Illa said the authorities were focusing on reinforcing existing precautions throughout the health system and on raising awareness at ports and airports.
He said:He said:
Spain currently has two confirmed cases of the coronavirus: one on the Balearic island of Mallorca and another on the remote Canary island of La Gomera. Nine people have tested negative for the virus in recent hours and the authorities are waiting on test results from a further three.Spain currently has two confirmed cases of the coronavirus: one on the Balearic island of Mallorca and another on the remote Canary island of La Gomera. Nine people have tested negative for the virus in recent hours and the authorities are waiting on test results from a further three.
Italy’s former far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has attempted to politicise the coronavirus outbreak in the country, attacking the Italian government for not defending the country’s borders.Italy’s former far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has attempted to politicise the coronavirus outbreak in the country, attacking the Italian government for not defending the country’s borders.
On Sunday, Salvini, who is also the leader of the League party, called on prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, to resign “if he isn’t able to defend Italy and Italians.”On Sunday, Salvini, who is also the leader of the League party, called on prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, to resign “if he isn’t able to defend Italy and Italians.”
In particular, Salvini cited the docking, on Sunday, of the NGO Ocean Viking rescue ship with 276 African migrants onboard in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo, to say Italy needs “to make our borders armour-plated.”In particular, Salvini cited the docking, on Sunday, of the NGO Ocean Viking rescue ship with 276 African migrants onboard in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo, to say Italy needs “to make our borders armour-plated.”
On the bright side, the WHO team in China has concluded the virus can be contained. It peaked between the end of January and the beginning of February.On the bright side, the WHO team in China has concluded the virus can be contained. It peaked between the end of January and the beginning of February.
Dr Ghebreyesus said he was encouraged by the continued decline of new cases in China.Dr Ghebreyesus said he was encouraged by the continued decline of new cases in China.
Dr Ghebreyesus defended the WHO’s decision not to declare the outbreak a pandemic. “Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” he said.Dr Ghebreyesus defended the WHO’s decision not to declare the outbreak a pandemic. “Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” he said.
A team from the World Health Organization is due to arrive in Tehran on Tuesday after the sharp rise in cases in Iran.
Speaking at a news conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, said the sudden increase in cases Iran, Italy and South Korea was “deeply concerning”.
A seventh person has died in the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, the Ansa news agency has reported.
Ansa said the latest person to die was an 80-year-old man who had been taken to hospital last week in Lodi after having a heart attack, Reuters reports. Doctors believe he caught the virus there from another patient.
Italy reported its first death from the coronavirus outbreak on Friday.
The UK remains “prepared for all eventualities” and the risk to individuals remains low, Downing Street said on Monday.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said:
A sixth person has died in the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, the state broadcaster RAI reported on Monday. The person was a cancer patient in the northern town of Brescia.
The World Health Organization confirmed “steep declines” in coronavirus cases in China even after taking into account statistical issues.
China caused confusion last week about the figures after twice changing how it counted confirmed cases.
At a joint briefing in Beijing between the WHO and China’s national health commission, Bruce Aylward, the head of a team of WHO experts visiting China, acknowledged the confusion. He said: “I know people look at the numbers and say what’s really happening.”
But he added that “multiple sources of data” pointed to declines. “This is falling and it is falling because of the actions that are being taken,” Aylward said.
While he applauded the dramatic measures taken by Beijing to quarantine entire cities, he said anything that went beyond WHO recommendations in terms of travel and trade restrictions should be reassessed.Liang Wannian, of the health commission, also said at the briefing that more than 3,000 medical staff in China had been infected by the coronavirus, mostly because of lack of protective gear and fatigue.
Ireland has said its citizens should not travel to parts of Italy affected by an outbreak of coronavirus.
Italy’s government has moved to close off the worst-hit areas, in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, as the death toll in the country from the disease rose to five on Monday.
“There has been an increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy ... Citizens are advised not to travel to affected areas,” the foreign ministry said in updated travel advice.
Coronavirus deaths in Italy have risen to five people, with 209 confirmed cases.
An 84-year-old woman died overnight in Bergamo, in the Lombardy region, and an 88-year-old from Caselle Landi, also in Lombardy, died on Monday.
Hong Kong, home to at least 79 confirmed coronavirus cases, has issued a travel alert for South Korea, advising resident to avoid non-essential travel to the country and cautioning those already there to avoid crowded places and healthcare facilities.
Secretary for security John Lee said that starting from 6am on Tuesday, the city will bar all non-Hong Kong residents coming from South Korea. Hong Kong citizens returning from South Korea will have to be in quarantine for 14 days.
A government spokesman said:
The catering staff onboard the previously quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have recorded a dance video to celebrate them being allowed home to the Philippines.