Closing summary
- More than 78,000 people around the world have been confirmed to have been infected by the Covid-19 virus, with most cases in mainland China, though clusters that have unclear origins have emerged in Singapore, Iran and South Korea.
- Five people have now died from the coronavirus in Iran, prompting World Health Organization head to say Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus he was especially concerned about the country.
- Carnival celebrations were banned in some Italian towns after they were placed on lockdown following the deaths of two people from the coronavirus.
- The UK residents who were trapped on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan for more than two weeks were sent to an isolation facility on Merseyside for a further 14 days of isolation at a facility after landing back in the south of England on a Ministry of Defence flight.
- A British couple diagnosed with the coronavirus also have pneumonia, after spending two weeks in quarantine onboard the coronavirus-stricken Princess Diamond. The family of David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, said they had been moved to a “prison”-like hospital.
- Around 100 more passengers were allowed to disembark from the cruise ship on Saturday, as Japan’s health minister apologised after 23 others were allowed to leave without being properly tested.
- Around 150 people brought to a hotel in Milton Keynes earlier this month after being evacuated from Wuhan will be discharged tomorrow following a two-week period in quarantine.
- There is uncertainty in Singapore, where eight out of 85 infections appear to have no links to previous cases, and in South Korea, where links to a controversial church are being investigated.
- Samsung shut a mobile device factory in South Korea after a worker tested positive for coronavirus, while organisers for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics postponed training for volunteers because of the spread of the coronavirus.
- Hundreds of Filipino couples participated in a mass wedding wearing face masks because of coronavirus fears following health tests provided by officials.
- A restaurant owner in Yulha-dong, Daegu, the city at the heart of South Korea’s coronavirus outbreak, likened his deserted surroundings to Gotham City to be.
We are now going to close today’s live blog. Thank you for reading.
South Korea screens thousands of 'cult' members
Thousands of members of a secretive religious sect in South Korea are being screened for the new coronavirus after more than 430 cases were confirmed in the country by officials, the Guardian’s Rebecca Ratcliffe reports with Nemo Kim in Seoul.
Updated
Dozens to be released from quarantine in Milton Keynes
Around 150 people brought to the Kents Hill Park hotel and conference centre in Milton Keynes earlier this month after being evacuated from Wuhan will be discharged tomorrow.
They arrived in the UK on February 9, having been on a second evacuation flight from the virus-hit city, and the Department of Health confirmed that the 14-day quarantine period will come to an end on Sunday but did not say what time the group would be released.
The group will have been regularly tested for any signs of the virus during the quarantine period. As of Saturday afternoon there had been no new cases of coronavirus detected in the UK, the department said.
52 cases confirmed in Italy
COVID-19 is now confirmed to have infected 52 people across Italy: 39 in Lombardy, 12 in Veneto, 1 in Turin and a suspected case in Umbria.
The viral outbreak that began in China has infected nearly 78,000 people globally and, on Friday, Italy became the first country in Europe to report the death of one of its own nationals from the coronavirus, triggering a lockdown in about a dozen towns.
Updated
100 more leave cruise ship
Around 100 more passengers were allowed to disembark from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship on Saturday, as Japan’s health minister apologised after 23 others were allowed to leave without being properly tested, AFP reports.
The 100 passengers included the last group of Japanese passengers to leave the ship, while some foreign passengers were still waiting onboard for chartered aircraft to be sent by their governments. About 970 passengers disembarked earlier this week.
Television footage showed a driver in a white protective suit at the wheel of a bus with the curtains drawn so that passengers could not be identified.
They will be quarantined for two weeks near Tokyo, officials said.
At a news conference, the health minister, Katsunobu Katō, apologised that 23 passengers had been allowed to disembark without undergoing all the required tests.
“We deeply regret that our operational mistake caused the situation,” Katō said, adding that the passengers would be tested again.
With the latest disembarkation, a 14-day quarantine is expected to start for more than 1,000 crew still onboard as many of them did not undergo isolation because they were needed to keep the ship running.
They were preparing food and delivering meals to cabins, leading some critics to say they were inadvertently spreading the virus throughout the ship, which has seen more than 600 cases of the potentially deadly Covid-19 disease.
Katō defended Japan’s onboard quarantine, telling a TV programme on Saturday that there was no medical facility large enough to admit more than 3,000 people at once.
Updated
Should we panic?
Should we panic about the spread of coronavirus?
My Guardian colleagues Sarah Boseley, Hannah Devlin and Martin Belam have the answer to that question and others in this explainer.
For the record, their answer on whether we should panic is:
No. The spread of the virus outside China is worrying but not an unexpected development. The WHO has declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. The key issues are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people, and what proportion become severely ill and end up in hospital. Often viruses that spread easily tend to have a milder impact. Generally, the coronavirus appears to be hitting older people hardest, with few cases in children.
Updated
Andrew Tatem, a professor within geography and environmental science at the University of Southampton, said the new cases outside China were worrying:
Prior to the recent news of apparent outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran, it seemed like the relatively low number of cases outside of China and with no link to travelling there pointed to hope that the virus could be contained. This recent news, particularly regarding Iran, is especially worrying, and [WHO director general] Dr [Tedros Adhanom] Ghebreyesus’ assessment that the window of opportunity for containing the outbreak is narrowing is certainly correct.
The fact that cases have been confirmed in both Canada and Lebanon that seem to have come from Iran suggests that a significant outbreak is ongoing there and may have been occurring for some time. Given the relative rarity of international travel across a whole national population typically, especially a country like Iran where international travel may be rarer per capita than for high-income countries like in North America and Europe, exported cases seen internationally can often represent the tip of an iceberg of something occurring in the origin country.
Iran normally has some strong travel connections to countries where health systems may be weaker, such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan – importations and outbreaks here would be particularly concerning in terms of capacities to detect the virus and contain spread.
Updated
Cruise ship evacuees will be made 'safe and comfortable'
Speaking at Arrowe Park, where the British citizens brought home from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan are headed, the chief executive of Wirral teaching hospital NHS trust, Janelle Holmes, said:
There was a lot of preparation that went in for our Wuhan guests who successfully left and had been really appreciative of the support and help that we provided. That has given us a blueprint for building on that for the new arrival of guests.
I was pleased for the staff and partners who had spent such lot of time making sure their stay was as comfortable as possible and clearly I think because we did such a good job we were asked to support this group of travellers that are coming back from a cruise in Japan.
The group of people is slightly different. Obviously they have come from a cruise ship rather than from their own homes over in China but we are working exactly the same as we did before with the healthcare professionals and Public Health England to make sure they are safe, well managed and comfortable while they are with us.
Holmes praised the support of the local community – including donations from schools and scout groups – for evacuees based at Arrowe Park and also thanked staff previously living in the quarantine accommodation blocks for their patience as they stay in nearby hotels.
Updated
Russian accounts 'spreading coronavirus panic'
Thousands of Russia-linked social media accounts are attempting to spread panic about the coronavirus outbreak, US officials said.
They said the disinformation campaign promoted unfounded conspiracy theories that the US was behind the outbreak, in an apparent attempt to damage its international standing.
False personas are being used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advance Russian talking points and conspiracies, including suggesting that the CIA is behind the virus that has claimed more than 2,300 lives, mostly in China.
Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, said:
Russia’s intent is to sow discord and undermine US institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns.
By spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response.
Updated
Couples in Philippines marry wearing masks – video
Hundreds of Filipino couples participated in a mass wedding wearing face masks because of coronavirus fears. As part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, officials in the city of Bacolod conducted health tests and provided the 220 couples with masks before they tied the knot
British and European cruise ship passengers bussed to quarantine
The UK residents who were trapped on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan for more than two weeks are en route to a further 14 days of isolation at a facility on Merseyside, after landing back in the south of England (see 11.47am).
Thirty-two masked British and European evacuees from the vessel are being bussed with a police escort to Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, where they will spend a fortnight in quarantine to protect against the spread of the illness should any of them be infected.
The group, who tested negative for Covid-19 before they flew, are expected to arrive at the hospital later on Saturday afternoon.
As with the previous coach loads of people brought to Arrowe Park, the bus drivers did not appear to be wearing any protective clothing as the convoy, escorted by police and ambulance vehicles, was pictured leaving the MoD base.
Before the flight, one passenger who was diagnosed with Covid-19 at a Japanese hospital but was since given the all-clear said he expected the experience would be like visiting a holiday camp.
Alan Steele, who was on honeymoon with his wife, Wendy, wrote on Facebook: “Wendy’s test was negative so ‘Butlins the Wirral’ here we come for 14 days.”
Since being kept onboard the cruise liner in the port of Yokohama, 634 passengers and crew have been infected – accounting for more than half of all the confirmed coronavirus cases outside of China.
It is understood some British nationals who are part of the Diamond Princess crew opted to remain.
Updated
Carnival celebrations banned in Italy after deaths
Italy is taking evasive action after the deaths of two people from coronavirus (see 10.38am). AFP has the latest:
In Codogno, streets were mostly deserted and few shops were open after the mayor put the town of 15,000 on temporary lockdown on Friday.
A 38-year-old man from the town is in intensive care, and his pregnant wife and another man have also tested positive for the virus.
Three others have tested positive in initial tests, but are awaiting results of a second round. “No entry”, read the sign outside Codogno’s emergency room.
Only a bakery and a few businesses were open, with many shops posting signs saying they were closed due to the lockdown, which could last as long as five days.
In the areas under lockdown in northern Italy, public activities such as carnival celebrations, church masses and sporting events have been banned for up to a week.
In the town of Casalpusterlengo, a billboard instructed residents to stay in their homes. In most towns, bars, restaurants and libraries have been closed, and in the small city of Cremona, about 25 minutes east of Codogno, school has been cancelled.
Updated
Coronavirus fears in Africa
The World Health Organization says it is taking precautions for the arrival of the new coronavirus in Africa. Earlier today, its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a briefing that the WHO’S biggest concern was the potential for the virus to spread in countries with weaker health systems.
.@WHOAFRO is partnering with @AfricaCDC to prepare countries in Africa for the potential arrival of the #coronavirus.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 22, 2020
We are also providing advice to countries on how to do screening, testing, contact tracing and #COVID19 treatment.https://t.co/eIz2PtICFA
There have been more than 200 suspected cases in the WHO’s AFRO region, which includes most African countries, though nearly all have been confirmed negative, the regional director, Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, said on Saturday. Egypt is the only African country to have recorded a confirmed case.
The African Union commission chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told officials to take “drastic preventive and control measures.” He said:
Our dear continent, Africa, is particularly at risk, given its relatively fragile health systems.
Updated
Daegu 'like Gotham City'
Yoon-sook Lee, a restaurant owner in Yulha-dong, Daegu, the city at the heart of South Korea’s coronavirus outbreak, said:
It is literally like how I imagine Gotham City to be. Streets are deserted and those who are outside are half-running as if they are all in a hurry or being chased. I run a restaurant which serves takeaway lunches for special events. As all events are being cancelled, all my orders have been cancelled.
From the evening of the 19th, I’ve noticed that people are stockpiling water and instant noodles. It’s also difficult to buy masks. I had to queue up for two hours at Costco to get a single box of 20 masks. We try and stay indoors as much as possible and when we do have to venture outside, we make sure to wear a mask. We try and wash our hands as often as possible even when we’re at home.
I’m starting to feel panicky as I’m worried about my family. I have young children so I’m worried about them. I’m also getting really worried about how long this will go on as it will affect our family’s income from the restaurant.
I’m getting news from TV and social media but I think there is also a lot of fake news. Last month in Daegu, some YouTubers pretended to be chasing down an infected person on the subway and it was found to be fake. Everyone thought how ridiculous they were but now things don’t seem so far off from what they were filming.
Updated
British couple with coronavirus have pneumonia
A British couple diagnosed with coronavirus after spending two weeks in quarantine onboard the Princess Diamond have contracted pneumonia.
The family of David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, said they had been moved to a “prison”-like hospital.
The couple were on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary when it was placed in quarantine. Mr Abel has now been diagnosed with acute pneumonia, while his wife has mild pneumonia.
Although they were originally in a hospital just 90 minutes from the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship, Mrs Abel called her son in the middle of the night to say the couple were suddenly being moved to a different “three-star” hospital.
It took seven hours for the family to track down which hospital they had been taken to. Princess Cruises have sent the Abels a mobile phone that can make calls to their family. Steve Abel, their son, posted video updates on the couple’s YouTube channel alongside his wife Roberta on Friday night and Saturday morning.
Speaking on Friday evening, he said:
They are in a really bad way. Dad is very weak. He can’t walk around – he’s in a wheelchair now. I haven’t seen him in a wheelchair, but mum tells me he has to be put in a wheelchair to go from the ambulance to the hospital.
They are really distressed. His exact words to me were, ‘this has to stop now, we can’t take any more of this. It’s like a prison.’”
He said his parents were left in a hospital room that has no shower or bathing facilities, and were only provided with basic paper towels:
They haven’t eaten properly. Neither of them can eat the food. They don’t know what’s happening, they haven’t had any treatments. They have been told they won’t get any treatments, but have been told they will see if they test negative for the coronavirus in two or three days and if they test negative twice they can go – but that doesn’t treat the pneumonia, which is what we are so worried about.
On Saturday morning he posted a second update and said:
They have spoken to a doctor who can liaise with them a bit better. That is really reassuring and has done a lot for their mental wellbeing. They are brighter today and seem a lot happier, but they are still in the same situation.
The family have said they are willing to fly out to Japan to bring the couple home.
Roberta Abel said: “We are in fight mode now, we just want them back.”
She criticised the reaction of the Foreign Office, and said their response had been “next to useless”. She said in an update on Saturday morning: “We do not believe they are in the best possible place like the Foreign Office are telling people.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “The welfare of all British nationals is of the highest priority to the UK government. We are working with the Japanese authorities to ensure those British nationals who are remaining in Japan for health reasons get the best care possible.”
Updated
Five dead in Iran
Iran, facing the potential closure of some of its borders, has ordered extra supplies of face masks, disinfectants and gloves as worried Iranians responded to the sudden outbreak of coronavirus that has so far claimed five lives in the country.
The health ministry announced on Saturday that 10 new cases of coronavirus had been detected, including one person who has died. Both Iraq and Turkey were placing restrictions on visitors from Iran.
A health ministry spokesman, Kianush Jahanpur, said the new numbers brought the total number of cases of the new coronavirus in Iran to 28, with five deaths.
Extra diagnostic supplies have been sent to the country by the World Health Organization. The ministry said it would take steps to prevent pharmacists exploiting the rise in demand for masks amid reports that prices were being doubled or even inflated by five times. The number of people wearing masks has visibly increased over the past 48 hours in the capital, Tehran, with some commuters avoiding the underground and other crowded public spaces.
Earlier reports said two patients had died in Qom on Thursday. Most of the new cases include people living in Qom and those who have visited the religious city, an hour’s drive south of Tehran, during the past week.
A local Tehran mayor was among those reported to have contracted the virus, provoking concern that other politicians that had recently met with him were at risk. At one point it was reported that Tehran city council was to be shut for a week, but this was later denied.
Jahanpur said earlier that 735 patients with symptoms similar to flu had been hospitalised in various cities.
Updated
Cruise ship evacuees arrive in UK
A flight carrying 32 British and European evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship has landed in the UK, PA Media reports.
The plane, which also carried British government and medical staff, touched down at Ministry of Defence base Boscombe Down in Wiltshire shortly after 11.30am.
Passengers will now be taken by road to Arrowe Park hospital, Wirral, for 14 days’ quarantine to protect against the spread of the illness should any of them be infected. They have so far tested negative for Covid-19.
The evacuees have spent more than two weeks trapped on the coronavirus-stricken ship off the coast of Japan.
It is unclear where the small number of EU citizens who were also on the plane will be taken. The four Britons onboard the Diamond Princess who have tested positive for coronavirus were not on the flight.
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said:
We have brought 32 British and European citizens safely home from Japan. The FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] worked hard to get them back to the UK securely. Our number one priority has consistently been the health and safety of UK nationals.
Arrowe Park was previously used to host 83 British nationals for a 14-day quarantine period earlier in February after they were flown out of Wuhan in China, which has been at the centre of the outbreak.
Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Updated
Virus 'a test by the devil'
Young-mi Lee (not her real name) is a member of the church at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. More than half of the cases in the country are linked to a 61-year-old woman known as “patient 31” who attended religious services of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an abbreviation of “New Heaven and New Earth”, a fast-growing secretive fringe sect that mainstream Christian groups describe as a cult. Young-mi said:
I didn’t attend the Daegu service this time but I have attended mass services before in Daegu. It is near Cheongdo, the birthplace of the founder of our religion, so we often hold mass services in Daegu. When I attend a service in Daegu, there are several hundred in attendance. It is very busy. I haven’t been tested yet and I don’t know who has been tested but we’re all very worried about the virus and about the negative impact this situation is having on our religion.
I heard that the church headquarters gave the list of attendees to the authorities. I’m taking all the precautions that other Koreans are taking, such as wearing a mask and washing hands. The church leaders have told us that this is a test by the devil as he is jealous of the expansion of our church and I believe that is the case. I hope that this situation will make our church stronger. We get persecuted by other people as it is, so this situation is even tougher for us. I don’t know anyone who is ill and I believe those who are ill will become well very soon.
Updated
Samsung shuts factory after worker tests positive
Samsung Electronics said on Saturday that one coronavirus case had been confirmed at its mobile device factory complex in the South Korean city of Gumi, causing a shutdown of its entire facility there until Monday morning, Reuters reports.
Samsung, the world’s top smartphone maker, said the floor where the infected employee worked would be shut down until the morning of 25 February. It added:
The company has placed colleagues who came in contact with the infected employee in self-quarantine and taken steps to have them tested for possible infection.
Gumi is close to the city of Daegu, home to a church at the centre of South Korea’s largest coronavirus outbreak.
South Korea said on Saturday that the number of people infected with the coronavirus in the country had more than doubled to 433.
Updated
Incubation period could be much longer
A 70-year-old man in China’s Hubei province was infected with coronavirus but did not show symptoms until 27 days later, the local government said on Saturday, suggesting the virus’s incubation period could be much longer than the presumed 14 days.
A longer incubation period could complicate efforts to contain the epidemic that has so far killed more than 2,000 people and spread outside China.
On 24 January, the man, only identified by his family name, Jiang, drove his car back to Shennongjia, in north-western Hubei, from eastern Ezhou, where he had close contact with his sister, who had been infected, according to the government website of Hubei.
He had a fever on 20 February and tested positive for coronavirus a day later, according to the government statement.
Updated
Olympic volunteer training postponed over virus fears
Organisers for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics have postponed training for volunteers because of the spread of the coronavirus in Japan, Reuters reports.
Training was scheduled to start today but will be rescheduled, the organising committee said in a statement released late on Friday.
The postponement of training will not affect other preparations, and organisers are not considering cancelling the games, the statement said.
Updated
British and European evacuees set for quarantine
A repatriation flight carrying 32 British and European evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship is due to arrive in the UK on Saturday morning after departing from Japan late on Friday, PA Media reports.
The Foreign Office said the evacuation flight also had British government and medical staff on board.
The plane is due to land at Boscombe Down military base, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, with passengers to then be taken to Arrowe Park hospital, Wirral, for 14 days of quarantine.
It is unclear where the small number of EU citizens will be taken once the plane lands in the UK. The evacuees have spent more than two weeks trapped on the coronavirus-stricken ship off the coast of Japan.
Since being kept on board the cruise liner in the port of Yokohama, a total of 634 passengers and crew have been infected, accounting for more than half of all the confirmed coronavirus cases outside of China. It is understood some British nationals who are part of the Diamond Princess crew opted to remain.
Some British nationals who were passengers did not register for the flight. It is understood some have returned to their homes overseas, while a number boarded an evacuation flight to Hong Kong where they live.
The four Britons onboard the Diamond Princess who have tested positive for coronavirus were not on the flight.
Meanwhile, Britons in Cambodia who left another cruise ship, the Westerdam, and who have been cleared for travel, are also being assisted by the Foreign Office to make their way home.
All have tested negative after one case was diagnosed on board.
Updated
Number of infections close to 78,000
AP has collated the latest figures on known infections – totalling almost 78,000 – and deaths by country:
Mainland China: 2,345 deaths among 76,288 cases, mostly in the central province of Hubei
Hong Kong: 69 cases, 2 deaths
Macao: 10 cases
Japan: 754 cases, including 634 from a cruise ship docked in Yokohama, 3 deaths
South Korea: 433 cases, 2 deaths
Singapore: 86 cases
United States: 35 cases; separately, 1 US citizen died in China
Thailand: 35 cases
Iran: 28 cases, 5 deaths
Taiwan: 26 cases, 1 death
Australia: 23 cases
Malaysia: 22
Italy: 19 cases; 1 death
Vietnam: 16 cases
Germany: 16
France: 12 cases, 1 death
United Arab Emirates: 11 cases
United Kingdom: 9
Canada: 9
Philippines: 3 cases, 1 death
India: 3 cases
Russia: 2
Spain: 2
Lebanon: 1
Israel: 1
Belgium: 1
Nepal: 1
Sri Lanka: 1
Sweden: 1
Cambodia: 1
Finland: 1
Egypt: 1
Updated
Two fatalities in Italy
Two people in Italy have died of coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 34, Italian media reported on Saturday.
Adriano Trevisan, 78, from Veneto, died on Friday night, while the virus also killed a woman in the Lombardy region.
Thirty-two people in Italy are confirmed to have contracted the virus – 27 in Lombardy, four in Veneto and three in Lazio. Another 250 people are in quarantine as they await test results in Lombardy, and 10 towns in the region are in lockdown after authorities warned people to stay home and avoid social contact, Corriere della Sera reported.
The first locally transmitted case in Italy was that of a 38-year-old Italian man in Lombardy. The man, who is in intensive care, may have contracted the disease after meeting a colleague who had recently returned from China, even though the colleague had tested negative for the virus. An active runner, the 38-year-old recently took part in a number of races. His pregnant wife is also infected, as is a person who went running with the man.
Three other cases in Lombardy are elderly people who frequented a bar in the town of Codogno, near Lodi, that is owned by the father of the man who went running with the 38-year-old.
Meanwhile, 19 Italians evacuated from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan arrived back in Italy on Saturday morning and were quarantined at a military barracks near Rome. The prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said:
We have put in place all measures at the highest precautionary level. It is not the time to blame ourselves for anything, we must continue to monitor and be ready to review some measures.
Updated
Church at centre of surge in South Korea
At the centre of the outbreak in South Korea is the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an abbreviation of “New Heaven and New Earth”, a fast-growing secretive fringe sect that mainstream Christian groups describe as a cult. The church, with about 200,000 members, was founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee, who claims to be an angel sent by Jesus Christ to create God’s kingdom on earth.
Videos of services show attendees sitting close together on the floor in rows, singing and chanting in unison. Media reports citing former members of the church said many would attend church regardless of illness and were banned from wearing anything on their faces, including face masks or eye glasses.
The church is often criticised for its recruitment methods. Members target already established believers attending mainstream churches and often do not disclose their affiliation with the church. New members are encouraged to distance themselves from friends and family who were not part of the sect.
The church has more than 300 mission centres in 15 countries, including China. In response to questions over whether the church had a branch in Wuhan, it said in a statement on its website that it has more than 120 students in China enrolled in its bible course. (Members must complete an eight-month bible study course and an exam in order to join the church.) The church said there was no physical building or meeting place.
The church said on its website that it had shut all branches and centres and was disinfecting its facilities. It responded to criticism of its worship services by saying its members sit on the floor “only to accommodate as many people as possible in a confined space”.
Its pastor described the virus as the “work of the devil” to halt Shincheonji’s fast growth. “Just like Job’s faith was tested, it is an attempt to destroy our progress,” he said in an internal message reported by Yonhap news agency.
Updated
WHO concerned about cases with no link to China
Welcome to our continued coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. The director general of the WHO (World Health Organization), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, gave a press conference this morning. Here is a summary of the latest developments:
- The director-general of the WHO expressed concern about coronavirus cases with no contact with a confirmed infected person nor travel history to China. He said: “Although the total number of Covid-19 cases outside China remains relatively small, we are concerned about the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link, such as travel history to or contact with a confirmed case.”
- Tedros said the WHO was “especially concerned” about the increase in the number of cases in Iran. He said testing kits had been supplied to the Islamic Republic where there had been 18 cases and four deaths in the past two days. Iran said later on Saturday that the number of cases in the country had risen to 28 and the number of deaths to five.
- The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea has doubled in a day to 433, officials in the country said. They suggested the tally could rise significantly as more than 1,000 people who attended a church at the centre of the outbreak reported flu-like symptoms. More than half of the national cases are linked to a 61-year-old woman known as “patient 31” who attended religious services at a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. The woman had no recent record of overseas travel, authorities said.
- The disease is severe or critical in 20% of cases, mild in 80% and has been fatal in 2% of cases, the WHO said. Tedros said more research was needed to explain the relatively few cases among children.
- The director general said the biggest concern continued to be the potential for Covid-19 to spread in countries with weaker health systems. “We have also published a strategic preparedness and response plan, with a call for $675m (£510m) to support countries, especially those which are most vulnerable.”
- China said the daily count of new virus cases there fell significantly to 397, though another 109 people died of Covid-19. Most of the new cases and all but three of the deaths were in Hubei province, where the outbreak started.
Updated
