Here’s Angela Giuffrida, Patrick Wintour and Sam Jones’s roundup of today’s coronavirus developments across the globe.
Four more coronavirus cases in the UK
Four of the 32 British and Irish Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers taken to Arrowe Park, Merseyside on Saturday have tested positive for coronavirus strain Covid-19, the chief medical officer for England has said.
Prof Chris Whitty said: “Four further patients in England have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13.
“The virus was passed on in the Diamond Princess cruise ship and the patients are being transferred from Arrowe Park to specialist NHS infection centres.”
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Summary post: latest updates of the day
We are pausing the live blog now but will update it again is there are more major developments. There have been a lot of updates today in terms of how the coronavirus is spreading and what measures are being taken to stop it.
Here is a summary of the main points.
- Turkey and Pakistan have closed their borders with Iran in an effort to stop the potential spread of coronavirus. It comes after Iran reported 43 cases of the disease and eight deaths. Turkey will also be halting incoming flights and said all highways and railways at the border would shut at 5pm local time. A provincial official in Pakistan and the country’s Frontier Corps confirmed that it had also sealed its land border with Iran.
- More than 100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Italy, as the government adopts measures to limit the spread of the outbreak. Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, announced that all schools would be closed from Monday. Universities in both Lombardy and Veneto have also been shuttered until early March.
- Italians across the country’s north prepared for weeks of quarantine on Sunday as lockdown measures hit tens of thousands. Over 50,000 residents in 11 towns – 10 in Lombardy and one in the neighbouring region of Veneto – now face what the prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said on Saturday could be weeks of lockdown.
- The final two days of the Venice carnival have been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Fashion week in Milan was also also affected and Giorgio Armani, whose show was scheduled for 4pm on Sunday afternoon, announced on Saturday night that guests should not come to the venue. Instead, the collection would be shown to an empty room.
- In the UK, 118 people flown out of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, were leaving Kents Hill Park training and conference centre in Milton Keynes on Sunday for the first time in 14 days. They had been quarantined there.
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The European Union sees “no need to panic” over a coronavirus outbreak in Italy that has killed two people and infected more than 100 in the country.
The bloc’s economic affairs commissioner, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “The EU has full confidence in the Italian authorities and the decisions they are taking.”
“We share concern for possible contagion [but] there is no need to panic.”
Updated
Venice carnival will close early this year due to concerns about the coronavirus, which has spread in northern Italy. Below is a photograph of a police officer wearing a protective face mask and standing next to a masked carnival reveller at the event.
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The Bank of Japan governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, has said that if the virus outbreak persists it may have a big impact on Japan and global economies through supply chain disruptions.
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France should produce more vital goods, such as drugs and electric batteries, as the coronavirus outbreak highlights the danger of relying on imports from China, the country’s finance minister said.
Bruno Le Maire spoke to Reuters on Sunday as the virus spread in Europe, with Italy particularly affected.
Le Maire said the emergency called for accelerating a shift in industrial policy towards making key goods within national or European Union borders, using state aid when necessary.
“It’s not protectionism, it’s just responsibility,” he said on the sidelines of a meeting of financial leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It costs a lot at the starting point so you need the support of public funding. China is doing the same, the United States are doing the same, I don’t know why Europe would not do the same for strategic assets like electric batteries.”
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The Irish singer Rebecca Harkin is among those who have been evacuated from the Coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess.
The musician is now in quarantine in Australia. She and her partner were working as musicians on the ship and were evacuated to Australia along with many others. They will spend two weeks in quarantine in Darwin.
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Pakistan has closed its land border with Iran, as Afghanistan suspends travel to the neighbouring country amid concerns about the growing numbers of people being infected by new coronavirus.
“To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and protect the public, Afghanistan suspends all passenger movement (air and ground) to and from Iran,” the office of the National Security Council of Afghanistan said in a statement posted on Twitter.
To prevent the spread of the novel #coronavirus and protect the public, Afghanistan suspends all passenger movement (air and ground) to and from Iran. The suspension also includes the import of poultry products (eggs and chicken) from Iran and Pakistan. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wfV5f5FaDD
— ONSC Press (@NSCAfghan) February 23, 2020
A provincial official in Pakistan and the country’s Frontier Corps also confirmed that the country had sealed the land border with Iran.
Iran has now had eight deaths from the virus, the highest toll of any country outside China. The latest three deaths reported on Sunday were among 15 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, bringing the overall number of infections to 43.
Four new infections surfaced in the capital Tehran, seven in the holy city of Qom, two in Gilan and one each in Markazi and Tonekabon, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.
Authorities have ordered as a “preventive measure” the closure of schools, universities and other educational centres in 14 provinces across Iran from Sunday.
Afghanistan and Pakistan share porous borders with Iran that are often used by smugglers and human traffickers, while millions of Afghan refugees currently live in the Islamic Republic. Fears were raised that the virus could easily spread over the border.
Health authorities said that 18 of the 39 South Koreans from the south-eastern region who had made a group pilgrimage to sites in Israel later tested positive for the virus.
Israel’s foreign ministry issued added warnings about travel to South Korea and Japan due to the coronavirus, and the health ministry is ordering Israelis returning from those countries to remain in home quarantine. This was previously ordered for those returning from Hong Kong, China, Macau, Thailand and Singapore.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be adding additional restrictions on entry to Israel from countries including Australia and Japan.
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Iran has seen the lowest parliamentary election turnout since 1979, with senior figures blaming the new coronavirus outbreak.
“The turnout across the country was 42.57% ... In Tehran, it was around 25%. Across Iran, over 24 million people voted,” interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told a televised news conference.
The final results showed big gains by hardline loyalists close to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on all state matters.
Khamenei, who on Friday said that voting was “a religious duty”, blamed the low turnout on the “negative propaganda” about the new coronavirus by Iran’s enemies.
“This negative propaganda about the virus began a couple of months ago and grew larger ahead of the election,” said Khamenei, according to his official website.
“Their media did not miss the tiniest opportunity for dissuading Iranian voters and resorting to the excuse of disease and the virus.”
The turnout is seen as a referendum on the popularity of the Islamic Republic’s rulers. It was 62% in the 2016 parliamentary vote and 66% of voters cast ballots in 2012.
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Giuseppe Conte says cases of the the Covid-19 virus in Italy have risen dramatically in the past two days. The prime minister told a press conference Italy would not try and suspend the Schengen treaty as such a draconian measure would be disproportionate.
Schools in Milan will be closed, however, and people will not be allowed in and out of affected areas. Social and sporting events in Lombardy and Veneto have also been cancelled.
As of Sunday morning, there were 89 confirmed coronavirus cases in Lombardy (with two in its industrial centre, Milan) 16 in Veneto, three in Piedmont (including two in Turin) and two in Emilia-Romagna
The virus can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Hand-washing is a first line of defence
Here is a roundup of the areas where cases of Covid-19, the virus’s official designation, have been confirmed:
China: 77,000 people have been infected and 2,442 have died.
South Korea: 602 people have been infected by the virus and five people have died.
Japan: more than 130 people have been infected and four have died.
Singapore: 85 people infected.
Thailand: 35 cases.
Malaysia: 22 cases.
Taiwan: 26 cases, including one death.
Australia: 17 cases.
Vietnam: 16 cases.
Philippines: three cases, including one death.
India: three cases
Nepal: one case.
Sri Lanka: one case.
Cambodia: one case
United States: 35 cases.
Canada: eight cases.
Italy: 132 cases, two deaths.
Germany: 16 cases.
France: 12, including one death.
Britain: nine cases.
Russia: five cases.
Spain: two cases.
Finland: one case.
Sweden: one case.
Belgium: one case.
Iran: 43, eight deaths, the largest number of fatalities of any country outside China.
United Arab Emirates: 11 cases
Israel: one case.
Lebanon: one case.
Egypt: one case.
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Turkey closes its border with Iran to stop infection spreading
Turkey will close its border with Iran as a precautionary measure to halt the possible spread of coronavirus.
It comes after reports emerged of 43 cases of the disease in Iran, with eight deaths – the highest death toll outside of China.
The Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday that all highways and railways would be closed as of 5pm (14.00 GMT). Flights from Iran were suspended, he told reporters.
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The Japanese government faces growing questions about whether it is doing enough to counter the coronavirus, after 773 cases were announced by early Sunday evening.
Most of the infected people were from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined near Tokyo. A third passenger from the ship – a Japanese man in his 80s – died on Sunday.
The prime minister, Shinzo Abe, instructed government agencies to urgently prepare medical provisions and draft a comprehensive plan to curb the spread.
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Jordan will not allow entry to citizens of China, Iran and South Korea and other foreigners travelling from those countries in response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
The minister of state for media affairs, Amjad Adayleh, said the decision was part of “pre-emptive measures ... following the rise in cases of coronavirus in South Korea, Iran” and China.
Adayleh said the ban would be “temporary” and imposed on all non-Jordanians coming from the three nations among the worst affected by the illness.
“Jordanians who come from those countries will be placed in quarantine for two weeks to ensure they have not contracted the coronavirus,” he said.
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Milan fashion week has also been affected by the outbreak. Giorgio Armani, whose show was scheduled for 4pm on Sunday afternoon, announced on Saturday night that guests should not come to the venue. Instead, the collection would be shown to an empty room.
“The decision was taken to safeguard the wellbeing of all his [Armani’s] invited guests by not having them attend crowded spaces,” said a press release.
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On Sunday, the head of the civil protection department, Angelo Borrelli, said during a press conference that thousands of beds were at the ready in military barracks or hotels to house quarantined or sick individuals, if needed.
The number of those infected with the virus had now grown to 132, including the two people who died, Borrelli said.
Italian lockdown: queues for food at supermarkets in town near Milan
Italians across the country’s north prepared for weeks of quarantine on Sunday as lockdown measures hit tens of thousands.
More than 100 cases have now been reported in Italy, with two deaths from the virus since Friday.
Most of the reports centred around the small town of Codogno, about 43 miles (70km) south-east of Milan.
Over 50,000 residents in eleven towns - 10 in Lombardy and one in the neighbouring region of Veneto - now face what prime minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday could be weeks of lockdown.
In Casalpusterlengo, a 10-minute drive from Codogno, locals lined up outside supermarkets wearing facemasks. Photographs emerged showing them gathering supplies.
Shoppers were made to wait, then allowed to enter in groups of 40 inside the store to stock up on provisions.
“It’s inhuman,” said one man, speaking to AFP, who gave his name as Sante. “Fighting over four sandwiches is just disgusting.”
Another woman, Emanuela, told AFP-TV that residents were nervous.
“I’m really scared. We’re going through a really tough situation,” said the woman, a nurse who works in the area.
Blockades had not yet been put up, and cars were still driving around the area of Codogno and Casalpusterlengo, but police were patrolling.
“We’re preparing to set up the checkpoints for the containment zone,” a police officer told AFP, saying that initially the perimeter would be narrow but could widen over time.
“We’re about 10 criminal police teams here, so nothing related to this kind of situation, but we’ve been called in from Bologna, Turin and Genoa to give a hand,” she added.
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The coronavirus is communist China’s “biggest health emergency”, said president Xi Jinping.
The virus has killed over 2,400 people and Xi Jinping said Sunday that it was necessary to learn from “obvious shortcomings exposed” during China’s response.
The new coronavirus has drawn comparisons to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak of 2002-2003 which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong, and led to criticism over authorities’ cover-up.
While China has been praised by the World Health Organization for its handling of the epidemic this time, the death of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, who was reprimanded for warning about the virus, sparked calls for political reform and freedom of speech.
In comments reported by state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday, Xi said the epidemic “has the fastest transmission, widest range of infection and has been the most difficult to prevent and control”.
“This is a crisis for us and it is a big test,” he said.
He said it was the “largest public health emergency” since communist China’s founding in 1949
Xi’s comments come as the number of virus infections hit almost 77,000 in mainland China - with countries such as South Korea on high alert and Italy taking containment measures as well.
Xi acknowledged that the epidemic will “inevitably have a large impact on the economy and society”, but he stressed the effects will be “short-term” and controllable.
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Some 118 people flown out of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, were leaving Kents Hill Park training and conference centre in Milton Keynes on Sunday for the first time in 14 days.
The group, who were brought back to Britain earlier this month, included about 10 children and a family of four.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said:
As the final group flown from Wuhan leave supported isolation in Milton Keynes today, they must be commended for their patience and perseverance.
All 118 are in good health and pose no risk to the public – and this is thanks to the dedicated team of healthcare professionals and other staff who have worked round the clock to keep each and every one of them safe and supported.
I’m incredibly proud that once again our NHS and public health teams – including at Milton Keynes Hospital and Milton Keynes council – have gone the extra mile to deal with this situation.”
Professor Keith Willett NHS strategic incident director, said:
The guests from Kents Hill Park Hotel are leaving today, and I’d like to thank them for the very responsible compliance they have shown during their time in self-isolation.
In the upcoming weeks, more of us may need to spend time at home to reduce the spread of the virus, and those in Milton Keynes have set the best example of how to self-isolate, while remaining calm and patient in what must have been a difficult situation.
I would also like to thank all of the NHS staff and partners, as well as colleagues at Public Health England, who have worked to make their stay as comfortable as possible, as well as doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals across the NHS who have successfully treated patients.”
Last two days of Venice Carnival are cancelled
The final two days of the Venice Carnival have been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The head of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, said on Sunday that the event, which draws tourists from around the world, would no longer continue on Monday and Tuesday after more than 100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Italy.
Zaia told reporters that events scheduled for Sunday in the lagoon city would continue as planned. “But as of this evening there will be a ban on the Venice Carnival as well as on all events, sporting as well, until March 1 inclusive,” he said.
Earlier, Zaia reported the first two cases of coronavirus in Venice as officials struggled to contain an outbreak of the disease.Almost all of Italy’s cases are clustered in the north, with roughly a dozen towns on lockdown meaning that people are not allowed to enter or leave the towns’ boundaries.
The governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said that there were 89 cases in his region, most of which had popped up in small towns in the countryside.
It comes as hotel reservations in Venice were down one-third during the first weekend of Carnival, though the floods in the lagoon city late last year are likely to have scared off visitors.
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Experts say growing number of cases outside China are 'extremely concerning'
Despite a decline in cases from China it is “extremely concerning” to see developments elsewhere, experts have said.
Prof Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia (UEA), said: “The dramatic increase in case in South Korea most of which are associated with a religious sect has been unprecedented so far in the epidemic. Although far less dramatic Japan is the country with most cases after China and South Korea and is also experiencing a growing epidemic.”
He added: “The identification of the large cluster of cases in Italy yesterday is a big worry for Europe and we can expect there to by quite a few more cases identified in the next few days.”
Hunter said the situation in Iran “has major implications for the Middle East”.
“It is unlikely that Iran will have the resources and facilities to adequately identify cases and adequately manage them if case numbers are large,” he said.
He noted that another concern with the Iranian cases is wider armed conflicts in the region. “As we have seen with Ebola in the Democratic Republic and Poliomyelitis in Syria, war facilitates the spread of infectious disease.”
Prof Andrew Tatem from the University of Southampton, said that there was previously a relatively low number of cases outside of China but recent news was worrying.
“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.”
He said: “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.”
Dr Robin Thompson from the University of Oxford said we were at an important stage of the outbreak. “Fast isolation of even mild cases in affected areas is important for preventing substantial person-to-person transmission in Europe. It is critical that public health guidelines are followed.”
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China’s president said measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak have been effective, but the battle is still at a crucial stage.
On Sunday, state TV quoted Xi Jinping as saying the situation is showing a positive trend after arduous efforts but remains serious and complex.
He said the outbreak will have a relatively big hit on the economy and society but the government will step up policy support to help achieve economic and social development targets for 2020.
More than 100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Italy, as numbers continued to rise on Sunday following government measures to limit the spread of the outbreak. Here’s a selection of photos from the northern region, which has been worst hit.
The worst-affected areas in Italy are Lombardy – home to Italy’s financial capital, Milan – and Veneto, Italy’s industrial heartland
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What’s happening and where? The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried about the number of cases with no clear link – including those with no travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case.
However, the total number of cases outside China remains relatively small, WHO’s director general said on Saturday. It added that there have been more than 1,200 cases in 26 countries.
South Korea
The country declared a “red alert” on Sunday after a surge in coronavirus infections and two more deaths. On Sunday it was confirmed that coronavirus cases in the country jumped to 602 and the death toll rose to five.
China
There have been a reported 76,936 cases of the disease caused by the virus, known as Covid-19, including 2,442 deaths. In mainland China there were 648 new confirmed cases on Saturday, up from 397 a day earlier. The virus epicentre of Hubei province reported 96 new deaths, of which 82 were in the provincial capital Wuhan.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year. Other sporting events have been postponed. The International Monetary Fund predicted on Saturday the outbreak would lower China’s growth this year to 5.6%.
Hong Kong
There have been 74 confirmed cases, up from 69 on Saturday. The death toll is two.
Italy
In the country’s northern Lombardy region 89 cases were reported on Sunday, up from 54 a day earlier. The total number of cases in the country has now reached more than 100.
Veneto, the other worst hit area, said it had 19 cases, up seven from Saturday. Two people have died. Authorities have banned public events and told workers in affected areas to stay home.
Iran
There have been a further 15 ases of the new coronavirus, health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said, taking the total to 43 with a death toll of eight.
France
It currently had one patient with the virus but new cases were reportedly “very likely”.
Japan
Elderly passengers from aboard a cruise ship moored near Tokyo died, as hundreds more disembarked after two weeks in quarantine. Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it would either cancel or postpone major indoor events it has sponsored for the next three weeks.
Updated
Iran confirms eight dead and 43 infected
Iran has confirmed eight deaths from the the new coronavirus, with the number infected rising to 43.
Most of the infections have been in Qom. The health minister, Saeed Namaki, urged people to avoid travelling to the city, a major site for Shia pilgrims 75 miles (120km) south of the capital, Tehran.
“The virus came from China to Qom city. A Merchant from Qom who died of the virus used to regularly travel to China ... Flights were suspended between the two countries but he used indirect flights,” Namaki said.
“Obviously we do not recommend trips to Qom or any other holy Shia cities in Iran,” Namaki said on state television.
The health ministry spokesman, Kianush Jahanpur, announced the 15 new cases earlier on Sunday. “So far, we have 43 infected cases and the death toll is eight,” he told the television.
Eight of the new infections were in Qom, where authorities have shut down schools and religious seminaries. In Tehran and some other cities, schools have been closed until Tuesday.
Updated
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Italy had reached 115.
The governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said that there were 89 cases in his region, most of which had popped up in small towns in the countryside.
Almost all of Italy’s cases are clustered in the north, with roughly a dozen towns on lockdown meaning that people are not allowed to enter or leave the towns’ boundaries.
After Lombardy, the next hardest-hit region is Veneto, in the north-east, with at least 17 cases. Sports events in the affected northern areas, including local kids sports team practices to three Serie A soccer matches, were cancelled.
Bishops in several dioceses in northern Italy issued directives that holy water fonts be kept empty, that communion wafers be placed in the hands of the faithful and not directly into their mouths by priests. Congregants were also told to refrain from shaking hands or exchanging kisses during the symbolic “sign of the peace” ritual.
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Government reports show nine patients in England have tested positive for coronavirus. As of 22 February, a total of 6,152 people have been tested – the government said – of which 6,143 were confirmed negative and nine positive.
The Department of Health and Social Care will be publishing updated data here every day at 2pm.
An evacuee released from a two-week coronavirus quarantine centre has said it is “fantastic” to be allowed to return home.
Some 118 people flown out of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak, were leaving Kents Hill Park training and conference centre in Milton Keynes on Sunday for the first time in 14 days.
The group, who were brought back to Britain earlier this month, included about 10 children and a family of four.
Paul Walkinshaw, from Manchester, left with his wife, Lihong, having been on holiday visiting her parents in the city of Shiyan for the lunar new year when family members contacted them and told them about the outbreak.
Speaking to reporters as he left the centre on Sunday morning, he said: “It feels fantastic to leave although it feels weird not having to wear a mask and gloves in public.
The first 48 hours were hard when we were confined to our rooms, after that it was fine.”
The 39-year-old praised “friendly” staff and the local community for their support and said he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed again.
It comes as dozens of evacuees from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship spent their first night quarantined at Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral. Thirty-two people, who spent more than two weeks trapped on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan, arrived in Merseyside on Saturday evening.
All of those who arrived at Arrowe Park tested negative for Covid-19 before flying back to the UK.
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Iran plans lockdowns as it fights to contain virus
Parts of Iran face lockdown in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus that has now claimed eight lives and led to 43 infections in the country.
“If the situation gets any worse city staff will be expected to convert to teleworkers,” said Pirouz Hanachi, the mayor of Tehran, Iran’s capital.
Government authorities have also been fighting an information war amid widespread distrust on social media about whether the public is being told the truth about the scale of the outbreak.
The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed Iran’s enemies were spreading mistrust, and even said the low turnout in Iran’s parliamentary elections on Friday was due to western scare stories.
The coronavirus outbreak had claimed its first victim in the Middel East in the religious city of Qom last Wednesday about an hour’s drive from Tehran.
The number of people on Tehran’s streets has been noticeably lower, with many shops shut and face masks in short supply and increasingly expensive.
In Tehran and 13 other affected provinces, the authorities have introduced increasingly drastic “preventive measures” including the closure of schools, universities, cinemas and theatres. Public buses in Tehran could also be seen being disinfected, and posters were being put up urging people to clean, and not shake hands.
The school system is being shut for a minimum of two days starting on Sunday to allow for disinfection spraying. There was also widespread advice to stay home and avoid places where people congregate. Some football matches were cancelled. Metro stations were not shut, but water fountains and shops were all being closed. The council said it was also taking new steps to dispose of waste.
At the airport, roughly a third of passengers were wearing masks, but there were no special controls on people leaving the country. Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan have either closed borders or are imposing extra health checks.
Despite the precautions the vast majority were carrying on daily lives as normal.
Some of the families of those that have died in Qom claim to know of no contact with anyone in China prompting claims that this might be an indigenous disease. The minister for health denied this, saying one victim traded in China and had travelled there indirectly. The strain discovered in Iran matched that in China, he said.
He has recommended no travel to or from Qom, as well as promising to distribute free coronavirus packages to residents in the area, including masks and educational brochures.
Updated
More than 100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Italy, as numbers continued to rise on Sunday following government measures to limit the spread of the outbreak.
The governor of Italy’s northern Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said cases of the illness in his area had risen in a day from 54 to 89, with total cases in the country now at more than 100.
In an emergency decree approved late on Saturday – just hours after two people died – the government adopted special powers to be able to stop people leaving or entering the worst impacted zones.
A spokesman for the governor of the northern region Veneto said the number of cases there had risen to 19, seven more than on Saturday.
The worst-hit areas in Italy are Lombardy – home to Italy’s financial capital, Milan – and Veneto, Italy’s industrial heartland. They jointly account for 30% of gross domestic output.
Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, announced that all schools would be closed from Monday. Universities in both Lombardy and Veneto have also been shuttered until early March.
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Giorgio Armani show streamed and guests told 'not come to the venue'
With the confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Italy at 79, focused in the north of the country, Milan’s fashion week is being affected by the outbreak.
Giorgio Armani, whose show was scheduled for 4pm on Sunday afternoon, announced on Saturday night that guests should not come to the venue. Instead, the collection would be shown to an empty room.
“The decision was taken to safeguard the wellbeing of all his [Armani’s] invited guests by not having them attend crowded spaces,” read a press release.
Instead, models still presented the clothes, with the show streamed on the brand’s website, as well as Instagram and Facebook.
Dolce & Gabbana’s show on Saturday afternoon was scheduled to go ahead as usual. But the designers have also addressed the outbreak. They announced last week that they have contributed money to Humanitas University to fund research into the Coronavirus.
In a statement, they said “we felt we had to do something to fight this devastating virus, which started from China but is threatening all mankind. In these cases, it is important to make the right choice. This is why we thought Humanitas University would be the ideal partner, whose excellence and humanity make it a special entity.”
Although the Milan fashion shows have felt largely business as usual, the coronavirus outbreak has affected the event. Those travelling to Milan have been screened at airports for the virus, and a lot of Chinese press and buyers usually in attendance have not travelled to the shows. Three Chinese designers on the schedule have cancelled their shows.
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 onboard.
In an effort to help stop the spread of the virus in the UK, the health service is piloting home testing, where NHS staff, including nurses and paramedics, will visit people in their homes.
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As dozens of evacuees from a the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship begin their two-week quarantine in the UK, more than 100 others rescued from China are due to be released from isolation.
Thirty-two people, who spent more than two weeks on the cruise ship off the coast of Japan, are settling in at an accommodation block at Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral – their home for the next 14 days.
The group, reportedly made up of 30 Britons and two Irish nationals, will undergo regular health checks while in quarantine. Some made gestures from their coaches as they arrived at the Merseyside facility on Saturday evening – one forming a heart symbol with her hands and another an OK signal.
Meanwhile, a group who have spent the past two weeks holed up in a centre in Milton Keynes are due to be allowed home on Sunday.
Around 150 people, who arrived in the UK on February 9 on an evacuation flight from the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, have been staying at the Kents Hill Park training and conference centre.
They too will have been regularly tested and as of Saturday afternoon the Department of Health said no new cases of coronavirus had been detected in the UK.
Updated
A summary of the latest developments
- Infection toll in China reaches 2,345 as South Korea raises its alert level and Iran confirms sixth death from virus
- In South Korea the national toll of 556 cases is now the highest outside China, apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
- Japan has confirmed that a woman who tested negative and left the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship later tested positive, raising more questions about the effectiveness of quarantine measures.
- A dozen towns in northern Italy in effect went into lockdown on Saturday after deaths of two people infected with the coronavirus from China, and a growing cluster of cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad.
- A repatriation flight carrying 32 Britons and Europeans from the coronavirus-infected cruise ship Diamond Princess landed in the UK on Saturday – amid growing fears for the welfare of some UK passengers left behind in Japan.
- The French health minister, Olivier Véran, said new cases of coronavirus were “very likely” in France and health authorities were ready in case of an epidemic.
- Mainland China noted a significant fall in the number of new cases, with 397 reported on Saturday. The total number of cases in mainland China to 76,288 and there have been 2,345 deaths.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the window of opportunity to stem the deadly epidemic was “narrowing” amid concern about a surge in cases with no clear link to China.
Updated
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accused foreign media of trying to use the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran to discourage people from voting in a general election.
This negative propaganda began a few months ago and grew larger approaching the election and in the past two days, under the pretext of an illness and a virus, their media did not miss the slightest opportunity to discourage people from voting,” said Khamenei on his official website. [Our enemies] are even opposed to any election by the Iranian people”.
Updated
Iran shut schools, universities and cultural centres across 14 provinces from Sunday following five deaths in the Islamic Republic, the first in the Middle East.
Iran’s outbreak surfaced on Wednesday and quickly grew to 28 confirmed infections.
“The concern is ... that we have seen ... a very rapid increase (in Iran) in a matter of a few days,” said Sylvie Briand, director of the WHO’s global infectious hazard preparedness department.
Iraq on Thursday clamped down on travel to and from Iran, and its flagship carrier Kuwait Airways has suspended flights to the country.
Although Egypt is the only African country with a confirmed case, the World Health Organization warned that the continent was vulnerable, urging more African Union cooperation.
The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said necessary treatment tools such as respiratory support machines were “in short supply in many African countries and that’s a cause for concern”.
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The Chinese authorities are encouraging citizens to return to work, a month after announcing the unprecedented quarantine of millions of people.
Authorities are caught between urgent need to restart economy and efforts to contain virus.
Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, the centre of the outbreak, have been the focus of disease prevention efforts. But the disease had spread far across the country, and some of the worst-affected places are the manufacturing and economic centres that power China’s economy.
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French health minister says new cases 'very likely'
The French health minister, Olivier Véran, said new cases of coronavirus were “very likely” in France and health authorities were ready in case of an epidemic.
“Today, there is only one infected patent in France, who is hospitalised in Lyon. His health condition is not worrying. All the others, apart from an 80-year old man who died, were released cured and are not contagious,” Véran said in an interview with Le Parisien/Aujourdhui en France-Dimanche newspaper.
“Other cases – it is very likely. An epidemic? We are getting ready for it,” Véran added.
He said the number of laboratories in France equipped with diagnostic tests would be increased to reach a capacity of “several thousands” of tests a day, against 400 now.
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The number of cases of the new coronavirus in Italy’s Lombardy region has risen to 89, the governor of the region, Attilio Fontana, said on Sunday. That brings the total number of cases in the country to more than 100, Fontana said, speaking on Sky TV.
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Asked on Friday if the new cases put the crisis at a tipping point, the World Health Organization director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the “window of opportunity is narrowing, so we need to act quickly before it closes completely”.
What is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms?
My colleagues Sarah Boseley, Hannah Devlin and Martin Belam have answered questions on the virus. Here are a selection of them, including whether we should panic:
What is Covid-19 - the illness that started in Wuhan?
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Many of those initially infected either worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the centre of the Chinese city.
What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes?
The virus can cause pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Many of those who have died were already in poor health.
Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough?
UK Chief Medical Officers are advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and who is experiencing a cough or fever or shortness of breath to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.
Is the outbreak a pandemic?
A pandemic, in WHO terms, is “the worldwide spread of a disease”. Coronavirus cases have been confirmed outside China, but by no means in all 195 countries on the WHO’s list. It is also not spreading within those countries at the moment, except in a very few cases. By far the majority of cases are travellers who picked up the virus in China.
Should we panic?
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.
In South Korea’s fourth-biggest city, Daegu, 90 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, bringing the city’s total to 247.
More than half of the people confirmed to have been infected are either members of – or connected to – the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive religious sect with a strong presence in Daegu.
The mayor asked all Shincheonji members with symptoms to come forward and be tested, with hundreds yet to be reached by authorities.
Moon described the situation in Daegu and Cheongdo – the birthplace of Shincheonji’s founder Lee Man-hee – as a “national crisis”, adding the cities would receive “full support” for any lacking medical supplies and personnel.
Shincheonji, accused of being a cult by mainstream Christian groups, claims its founder has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to heaven on judgment day.
But with more church members than available places in heaven, they are said to have to compete for slots and pursue converts.
In a video statement read out by its spokesman, Shincheonji apologised for “causing concern”, but insisted it was cooperating with health authorities for the “early cessation” of the situation.
The spokesman refuted public criticism blaming his church over the spike in the number of infections, noting the virus had broken out in China. “Please be aware that the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and its members are the biggest victims of the COVID-19,” he said.
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A repatriation flight carrying 32 Britons and Europeans from the coronavirus-infected cruise ship Diamond Princess landed in the UK on Saturday – amid growing fears for the welfare of some UK passengers left behind in Japan.
South Korea spike in cases leads president to raise alert level to 'highest'
President Moon Jae-in said South Korea was raising its alert level on the new coronavirus to the “highest” in the face of a sudden spike in the number of infections.
“The Covid-19 incident faces a grave turning point. The next few days will be crucial,” Moon said following a government meeting.
“The government will raise the alert level to the highest level according to experts’ recommendations,” he added.
South Korea has seen a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days after a cluster of infections emerged from a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week.
The national toll of 556 cases is now the highest outside China, apart from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
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Coronavirus: northern Italian towns close schools and businesses
A dozen towns in northern Italy in effect went into lockdown on Saturday after the deaths of two people infected with the coronavirus from China.
In some Lombardy and Veneto towns, schools, businesses and restaurants have closed. The mayor of Milan, Italy’s business capital and the regional capital of Lombardy, shuttered public offices.
A 78-year-old man infected with the coronavirus died in Veneto, and a postmortem performed on a 77-year-old woman in Lombardy came back positive, although it wasn’t clear if illness from the virus caused her death.
Late on Saturday, civil protection officials said 79 people had contracted the virus, including the two who died, and one who recovered. Of the remaining 76 people infected, 54 were in Lombardy, 17 in Veneto, two in Emilia-Romagna, two – a Chinese couple from Wuhan – in Lazio, and one in Piedmont.
It comes amid a growing cluster of cases in the country with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad.
Lombardy government authorities said the region’s cases were traceable to a 38-year-old Italian who had not travelled to China, but it remained unclear how this man had been infected. Ten towns in Lombardy received orders to suspend nonessential activities and services.
Luca Zaia, the Veneto regional president, said on Saturday that the contagion showed that the virus was transmitted like flu, and that trying to pinpoint a single source for the cases or to establish a link to China were no longer effective containment measures.
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Welcome to this morning’s coronavirus live blog. I will be here to give you updates on the latest news throughout the day.
A summary of the news on Sunday:
- Japan has confirmed that a woman who tested negative and left the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship later tested positive, raising more questions about the effectiveness of quarantine measures.
- A dozen towns in northern Italy in effect went into lockdown on Saturday after deaths of two people infected with the coronavirus from China, and a growing cluster of cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad.
- South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, on Sunday put the country on the highest possible alert in its fight against the coronavirus. The measure empowers the government to lock down cities and take other sweeping measures to contain the outbreak.
- Russia has denied allegations that it is spreading disinformation about the new coronavirus outbreak. US officials said Russian-linked accounts were making unfounded claims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram through thousands of profiles that the US started the outbreak.
- Almost a third (31%) of UK consumers will consider avoiding foreign travel if the coronavirus outbreak continues, new research indicates. The consultancy firm Retail Economics, which commissioned the poll of more than 2,000 people, calculated that this could result in £17bn of holiday spending being put on hold.
- As dozens of evacuees from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship begin their two-week quarantine in the UK, more than 100 others rescued from China are due to be released from isolation.
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