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Coronavirus: What measures are countries taking to stop it? Coronavirus: What measures are countries taking to stop it?
(1 day later)
Countries around the world are taking different measures to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.Countries around the world are taking different measures to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.
By far the most cases have been in China - other countries are at different stages of the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for "urgent and aggressive action" to bring the outbreak under control.
What have they been doing to try to get to grips with the disease? We've been looking at what different countries are doing.
Testing Who is restricting travel and movement?
There is considerable variation in how many people are being tested for coronavirus around the world. The US has announced restrictions on 26 European countries, preventing anyone (except US citizens) from entering the country if they've been in Europe's border-free travel zone in the past 14 days.
South Korea has carried out about 4,000 tests per million people between 3 January and 11 March, while the US has conducted just 26 tests per million people. India says it's suspending visas for all foreigners for a month starting this Friday, with a few exemptions such as for diplomats, official or employment purposes.
Italy had carried out about 1,000 tests per million as of 10 March compared with 400 per million in the UK up to the same date. Kuwait has also stopped issuing visas to foreign visitors.
This averages out at around 1,500 per day in England but there are plans to increase this to 10,000 a day by making more laboratory capacity available for testing. And various countries around the world have now stopped or restricted entry to travellers from the countries worst affected by the virus, like China, Italy, Iran and South Korea.
There are a few different reasons for the variation in testing levels worldwide. One factor is the capacity in different countries' healthcare systems, including how many suitable testing labs. Italy is now in a major lockdown, with special permission needed for travel within the country, and some countries have advised their nationals against non-essential travel there.
Take the UK - it has 12 infectious disease surveillance labs run by public health agencies and it now plans to make NHS hospital labs available too. But the US, which has a more fragmented healthcare system, has been slower to act - it also has 12 suitable labs, despite having five times as many people as the UK. While South Korea has provided a much larger number of testing facilities. When the outbreak began in China, the authorities there restricted travel nationwide and told people to stay at home, only relaxing this recently.
How severe the outbreak has been is another factor. The Iranian authorities have also tried to restrict travel between cities, but they did not seal off the holy city of Qom, where there were large numbers of cases.
The UK is currently only testing people with symptoms if they have been to a high risk country or know they have been in contact with a person with coronavirus. The WHO advice is not to apply travel restrictions, except for a temporary period.
The country also plans to carry out extra "surveillance" testing of people who turn up with respiratory symptoms at one of a network of designated GP practices, even if they don't meet the testing criteria. This is to try and assess whether lots of people are being missed by their criteria. "In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations," it said.
Italy, which has had lots of cases, has been testing a wider group of people than the UK, including people without any symptoms who've been in high risk areas. Who is screening at airports?
And South Korea, which had been experiencing the worst outbreak outside of China (although it's since been overtaken), made the decision to test very widely. Some countries - if they are not barring entry - are screening arrivals at airports and other transport hubs. This can involve questioning travellers about their recent movements, their health and carrying out temperature checks.
Airport screening However, there are doubts about how effective this is because symptoms can take days to appear.
Some countries are screening at airports and other transport hubs - and some are not.
Public Health England said it had introduced "enhanced monitoring" for passengers arriving from countries such as China, Iran, Japan and Malaysia, but not temperature checks.
"Expert advice suggests clinical entry screening (for example, through temperature checks) would be of very limited effectiveness and detect only a small minority of cases," it said.
"This is because symptoms do not usually appear until five to seven days, and sometimes up to 14 days."
The enhanced monitoring means having medical staff at airports to meet direct flights from hot spots, giving information about symptoms to passengers and encouraging them to say if they are feeling unwell.
Recent academic research ran simulations that suggested temperature checks at airports would catch just over half of coronavirus-infected passengers.Recent academic research ran simulations that suggested temperature checks at airports would catch just over half of coronavirus-infected passengers.
Airports in Italy have been running temperature checks on passengers since early February, and there are also tests at railway stations. Thermometers are a common sight at airports throughout Asia.Airports in Italy have been running temperature checks on passengers since early February, and there are also tests at railway stations. Thermometers are a common sight at airports throughout Asia.
The US is not allowing foreign nationals into the country who have visited either China or Iran in the last 14 days. And the US - as part of the travel restrictions announced on Europe - has said its citizens will be screened at designated airports.
Passengers arriving at the 11 US airports, to which all flights from China have been directed, are being screened for fever, cough, and shortness of breath. How many tests are being carried out?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has also recommended that people with underlying health issues defer all cruise-ship travel worldwide. There is considerable variation in how many people are being tested for coronavirus around the world.
Closing schools and colleges South Korea has been carrying out more tests per head of population than anyone else, with nearly 20,000 people tested every day.
The UN's educational, scientific and cultural body Unesco says 14 countries have nationwide school closures, while another 13 have closed some schools. Compare that with an average of about 1,000 a day in England - although there are now plans to ramp this up to 10.000 daily.
Schools have been closed for different lengths of time. Japan, for example, has asked all schools to close until the end of the school year, which is in late March. The US has so far carried out even fewer tests, with reports of shortages at some health centres.
It announced the policy on 27 February, when there were 186 confirmed cases in Japan. How severe the outbreak has been is another factor, with countries which see a spike in cases generally starting to increase the numbers they test.
Italy has closed all its schools until 3 April. It announced the initial closure on 4 March when there were 2,500 confirmed cases in Italy. Who has closed schools and colleges?
Spain has closed all schools and universities in the Madrid region. The UN's educational, scientific and cultural body Unesco says that as of 11 March, 39 countries have announced or implemented school or university closures.
School closures can be hugely disruptive socially and economically, and governments will be weighing up the pros and cons.
Ireland has announced it's closing its schools and colleges until 29 March, and there've been school closures at national or local level in other European countries.
In the UK and Germany, a relatively small number of schools have been closed temporarily to allow for deep cleaning after staff or pupils tested positive or returned from high-risk areas.In the UK and Germany, a relatively small number of schools have been closed temporarily to allow for deep cleaning after staff or pupils tested positive or returned from high-risk areas.
France closed nurseries and schools for 15 days from 9 March in the two areas most affected by coronavirus - Brittany and the Oise region north of Paris. China closed schools in many areas, and Japan has asked all schools to close until the end of the school year, which is in late March.
Cancelling concerts and sporting events Italy has closed all its schools until April as part of the nationwide lockdown. There have also been nationwide school closures in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
What about public events?
A range of sporting events have been cancelled or played in empty stadiums.A range of sporting events have been cancelled or played in empty stadiums.
Rugby Union's Six Nations matches due to be played on 14 March between Italy and England and between France and Ireland have been postponed. Some countries have also banned gatherings in wedding halls, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and other public venues - in some cases stopping any indoor gathering of more than 100 people.
The Indian Wells tennis tournament in California was cancelled after a public health emergency was declared for the Coachella Valley. It was called off shortly before qualifying matches were due to start on 9 March - the full tournament was supposed to begin on Wednesday. Rugby Union's Six Nations matches which were due to be played on 14 March between Italy and England and France and Ireland have been postponed.
The Indian Wells tennis tournament in California was cancelled after a public health emergency was declared for the Coachella Valley.
In Greece, the government has announced that all professional sports events for the next two weeks will be played without spectators.In Greece, the government has announced that all professional sports events for the next two weeks will be played without spectators.
The Barcelona Marathon has been moved from 15 March to 25 October.The Barcelona Marathon has been moved from 15 March to 25 October.
The Italian Football League has suspended all games until 3 April, the Swiss Football League has been shut down until 23 March and a host of other football matches, especially ones between teams from different countries, have been played behind closed doors.The Italian Football League has suspended all games until 3 April, the Swiss Football League has been shut down until 23 March and a host of other football matches, especially ones between teams from different countries, have been played behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto has said everything is being done to allow the games to go ahead on 24 July. Meanwhile, Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto has said everything is being done to allow the Games to go ahead on 24 July, but said it could be delayed until later in the year.
But he added that the contract with the International Olympic Committee would allow the games to be delayed until later in the year, if need be. Are museums and tourist attractions still open?
Closing museums and tourist attractions
Some of the world's most famous visitor attractions have closed, restricted entry or told visitors to minimise close contact with each other.Some of the world's most famous visitor attractions have closed, restricted entry or told visitors to minimise close contact with each other.
The huge Disney resort in Shanghai only partially re-opened on Monday after being closed for more than a month. But Hong Kong's Disneyland remains closed as do Disney theme parks in Japan. The huge Disney resort in Shanghai only partially reopened on Monday after being shut for more than a month. But Hong Kong's Disneyland remains closed as do Disney theme parks in Japan.
Museums and attractions have also shut in other countries in Asia. There have also been temporary closures of tourist sites across Italy, and restrictions or new measures introduced for visitors to other attractions in Europe.
There have also been temporary closures of tourist sites across Italy under the restrictions announced by the government. In Rome, the Coliseum and other attractions are closed until 3 April.
In France, the Louvre museum in Paris shut earlier in March over staff fears about the possible spread of the virus. It's now re-opened, but is asking visitors not to come if they feel unwell or are travelling from an infected area.
The Eiffel Tower is asking visitors to use only bank cards to pay or buy tickets online. Disneyland Paris remains open, although a member of staff there tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend.
Saudi Arabia temporarily halted the entry of pilgrims wanting to visit the holy sites, and Iraq introduced restrictions on access to religious sites.Saudi Arabia temporarily halted the entry of pilgrims wanting to visit the holy sites, and Iraq introduced restrictions on access to religious sites.
Putting areas under quarantine
Restricting movement is the other measure some countries are trying, looking to the example of China where there were large-scale restrictions.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ordered people to stay at home and seek permission for essential travel.
There will be checks on roads and at airports and railway stations.
These measures have only just come into force so it's too early to say how effective they might be.
Iran has limited travel between major cities, with non-residents being stopped from entering. But the government has not sealed off the holy city of Qom, which was one of the places worst hit by the disease.
This has met with criticism. The deputy speaker of parliament, Masoud Pezeshkian who is himself a doctor, said: "If I were the minister of health, I would have quarantined Qom on the first day."
In South Korea, the authorities have quarantined two apartment blocks in the southern city of Daegu, which has about three-quarters of the country's cases. Many members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the religious group at the centre of the outbreak, live in the complex.
In North Korea, the government quarantined 380 foreigners - mainly diplomats and staff in the capital Pyonyang - for more than a month in their compounds.
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