China Pledges Market Support, German Evacuees Infected: Virus Update - Yahoo Canada Finance

(Bloomberg) -- A 44-year-old man from Wuhan died in the Philippines on Saturday as a result of coronavirus, the first known death outside China. With markets due to open Monday, China’s central bank pledged to inject more than $21 billion of liquidity to try to prevent a sell-off.

Two people evacuated from Wuhan to Germany were diagnosed with the infection, while a death toll exceeding 300 and the case count of more than 14,000 stoked fears of contagion. The Philippines and New Zealand were the latest to prevent travelers from China from entering as governments sought to keep those exposed to the potentially lethal virus from their shores.

Indonesia and India imposed travel restrictions too, while South Korea is suspending tourism to China. Airlines in Asia, Europe and the Middle East are also stopping flights to the mainland.

Bloomberg is tracking the outbreak here.

Key Developments:

China’s central bank will pump an additional 150 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) into money markets on Monday to try to try to prevent a sell-off.A 44-year-old Wuhan man who traveled to the Philippines is the first known person to have died outside China from the virus.China recorded 2,590 new cases for Feb. 1, and 45 deaths. Total infections rose to 14,380 in the country, with 304 deathsPhilippines, New Zealand block arrivals from China; South Korea, India impose restrictionsTwo people who were evacauted to Germany from Wuhan were diagnosed, bringing the country’s case total to 10China could struggle to honor its trade deal with the U.S.

Two Patients Diagnosed in Germany After Evacuation (6:37 p.m. HK)

Two people who landed in Frankfurt from Wuhan Saturday tested positive for coronavirus, bringing Germany’s total to 10 cases. The two were on a German evacuation flight that was carrying 115 people back from China.

A evacuation flight from Wuhan will land at France’s Istres military airbase where about 100 French passengers will be quarantined in a firefighters’ compounds, government officials said. After French passengers disembark the flight will go to a Belgian base where Belgian, Danish, Dutch and a few Rwandan passengers will debark. France’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged citizens not to travel to China.

Thai Doctors Use Antivirals (5:16 p.m. HK)

Thailand doctors who used a mix of antiviralsto treat a Chinese patient with the novel coronavirus who was in serious condition reported postive results, according to a health ministry briefing. The doctors used the flu treatment oseltamivir along with lopinavir and ritonavir, both HIV drugs.

In a separate case, the reported use of an experimental drug from Gilead Sciences Inc., called remdesevir, has encouraged doctors to support further testing of the medication against coronavirus.

Indonesia, Oman Suspend Flights (5:30 p.m. HK)

Indonesia will temporarily ban flights to and from China from Feb. 5, Detik news portal reported, citing Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. The government is asking Indonesians not to travel to mainland China temporarily, she was cited as saying.

Oman’s aviation authority said on Sunday it suspended all flights between the sultanate and China.

Infections May be Underreported, Caijing Says (5:00 p.m. HK)

Many people suspected of being sick with the coronavirus in Wuhan aren’t being counted as having been infected, and some suspicious deaths haven’t been checked and included in the death toll due to a shortage of tests, according to Caijing, a Chinese media company. The Saturday report was deleted from the internet Sunday. The deaths were recorded as due to viral pneumonia and not pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, Caijing wrote.

An unidentified doctor from a Wuhan hospital designated for coronavirus treatment said that they have admitted about 600 severe cases, but none of these patients were confirmed as having coronavirus due to a lack of tests.

More Studies Needed to See How Virus Spreads (3:45 p.m. HK)

More studies are needed to determine if the virus can transmit via the fecal-oral route, a Chinese CDC official said at a press conference Sunday.

The novel coronavirus was detected in the loose stool of the first U.S. case -- a finding that hasn’t featured among case reports from Wuhan. Squat latrines, common in China, lacking covers and hands that aren’t washed thoroughly with soap and water after visiting the bathroom could be a source of virus transmission, said John Nicholls, a clinical professor of pathology at the University of Hong Kong.

China Market Support (3:15 p.m. HK)

China’s central bank will supply 1.2 trillion yuan ($174 billion) to money markets on Monday, according to a statement on Sunday. The China Securities Regulatory Commission said it’s on high alert for abnormal reaction on Monday, when markets reopen. The decision to reopen markets comes after weighing all factors, it said, adding it’s studied measures to hedge risks and ease panic.

More Global Infections (1:15 p.m. HK)

India reported a second coronavirus case in a patient with a travel history to China. The patient is in a stable condition, it said. It said Chinese passport holders and those who reside in China who have electronic visas to India won’t be able to come over.

Vietnam said a 73-year-old Vietnamese American was tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Jan. 31, more than two weeks after transiting in Wuhan. He had a two-hour stopover at a Wuhan airport on the way to Vietnam from the U.S on Jan. 15. That brings the total there to seven.

South Korea has 15 confirmed cases now. From Feb. 4, the country will temporarily ban foreigners who have visited or stayed in Hubei within 14 days from entering, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said. Seoul will also suspend its no-visa favor for Chinese tourists to Jeju Island for now, he said.

Hong Kong Hints at Tighter Travel Curbs (1 p.m. HK)

A Hong Kong executive council member said that residents should avoid traveling to the mainland or risk having difficulties returning to the city, according to an RTHK report, a sign the government could ramp up border control restrictions. Lam Ching-choi said on Sunday that possible measures include shortening opening times for ports, limiting transportation and introducing laws to curb cross border traffic, the report said.

Medical Supply Allocations (11:50 p.m. HK)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday called for all-out efforts to improve the allocation of key medical supplies such as protective suits and facial masks, especially for medical workers on the front-line. The Chinese government vowed to “severely” deal with those who hiked prices, or hoard and profiteer on such goods.

Medical equipment has been in severe shortage in Wuhan and other virus-hit areas. Production of medical supplies are currently at 60% after an early resumption of the manufacturing during the holiday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Sunday.

New Zealand Restricts Entry From China (11:40 a.m. HK)

New Zealand will deny entry to foreigners traveling from mainland China. The ban covers anyone who is traveling from or has transited through China, and will be effective Feb. 3 and last up to 14 days, the government said. It has also raised its travel advice about all of mainland China to “do not travel,” the highest level.

WHO Reports Death in the Philippines (10:35 a.m. HK)

The World Health Organization said a 44-year-old male, a known resident of Wuhan, experienced fever, cough and a sore throat before being admitted to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. He died on Feb. 1.

He was the second confirmed case of the virus in the Philippines and a close contact of the first infection in the country, also a Wuhan resident.

Just hours before the announcement of the death, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte widened his travel ban previously imposed on visitors from Hubei province to all of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, while prohibiting Filipinos to travel to those areas. Returning citizens and permanent residents must be quarantined.

NYC Seeks OK to Conducts Own Tests (8:30 a.m. HK)

New York City wants to conduct its own tests on suspected virus patients, rather than wait for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to complete the analysis. The city suspects a patient who turned up at Bellevue Hospital late Friday feeling unwell has the infection. If confirmed, it would be the first instance of the virus in the city.

Officials are waiting for the CDC tests, which may take as long as 36 hours. Commissioner Oxiris Barbot of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the city will have the capability within “a week or two” to perform the coronavirus tests.

China Death Toll Climbs to 304 (8:10 a.m. HK)

Another 45 people died in China from coronavirus, the National Health Commission said Sunday, pushing the nation’s death toll to 304. The total confirmed cases climbed to 14,380 with 2,590 added on Feb. 1, the government said. Of the cases, 2,110 are deemed severe.

All the new deaths were from Hubei province, epicenter of the global outbreak, and which reported 1,921 new infections early Sunday. There are 294 in the province.

Goldman Sachs Scraps Partners’ Meeting (7:30 a.m. HK)

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. canceled its global partners’ meeting in New York on Wednesday, citing concerns about the coronavirus, the company said in an email.

A modified program is planned in the city and the firm’s partners from outside New York can attend virtually, according to the email on Saturday. The status of other events tied to the partners’ meeting will be determined soon, the firm said.

The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution and concern,” according to the email.

Boston Student Isolated at Home (4:50 p.m. NY)

The eighth person in the U.S. diagnosed with the novel coronavirus is a student in his 20s at the University of Massachusetts in Boston who recently visited Wuhan. The student, who is feeling well, doesn’t need hospitalization and has been asked to stay at home in isolation, said Jennifer Lo, medical director of the Boston Public Health Commission. He arrived from Wuhan on Tuesday, a day before Boston Logan International Airport was to begin screening of passengers.

U.S. Picks Four Quarantine Sites (3:15 pm. NY)

The U.S. designated military bases in California, Colorado and Texas as sites for travelers who will be subject to a 14-day quarantine after arriving from Hubei, the Pentagon said.

The Defense Department said as many as 1,000 people can be housed at the 168th Regiment, Regional Training Institute in Fort Carson, Colorado; the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California; Travis Air Force Base in California; and Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

“DOD personnel will not be directly in contact with any potential evacuees and evacuees will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing,” Jonathan Rath Hoffman, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in tweets. The Department of Health and Human Services sought access to the facilities, he said.

Russia Halts Visas for Chinese (2:40 p.m. NY)

Russia suspended visa-free tourist travel to China and temporarily blocked Chinese citizens from reaching Russia over the Mongolian border, the government said on Saturday.

The Interior Ministry also will stop processing documents for Chinese nationals to enter Russia for jobs, along with permits to hire workers from China, according to a directive, the state-run TASS news agency reported. Visa-free travel was part of an agreement the two nations worked out in 2018.

Hong Kong Mulls Tighter Border Controls (1:45 p.m. NY)

Thousands of Hong Kong medical professionals voted to begin a five-day strike Monday after the government refused their demand to shut all entry points from China amid the deadly virus outbreak on the mainland.

Hours after the vote, the government appeared to open the door for more controls on travel from the mainland.

“The government is examining the infection continuously and will explore further tightening of the management of control points,” a spokesman said. The government appealed to workers “to reconsider their decision” and keep providing service, praising them for “standing fast at their posts.”

The medical professionals in a near-unanimous vote Saturday agreed to take action starting Monday, and 9,000 members pledged to join.

A complete closing of the border sought by the workers is “not the right answer” and is not in line with World Health Organization guidelines, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at briefing.

U.S. Confirms Eighth Case (12:55 p.m. NY)

A Boston man who recently returned to the U.S. from Wuhan has been confirmed as infected with the coronavirus, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Boston Public Health Commission said on Saturday.

The man had sought medical care soon after returning to Massachusetts, according to a statement. He has been isolated and will remain so until cleared by health officials. His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for signs of symptoms, according to the statement.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the positive test result late Friday, the state and city agencies said.

Delta Ends China Flights Early (12:10 p.m. NY)

Delta Air Lines Inc. will suspend U.S.-China service this weekend, earlier than planned, the carrier said Saturday. The last China-bound flight will leave Saturday and the last return flight departing China on Sunday.

The decision reflected new U.S. requirements that deny entry to foreign nationals who went to China in the past two weeks, the airline said. U.S. citizens who visited Hubei province are also subject to possible quarantine. The Atlanta-based airline had planned to halt flights from Feb. 6 through April 30.

Delta has 42 flights a week between the U.S. and China, and daily from Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Kim Offers ‘Deep Consolation’ to China’s Xi, Families (11 a.m. NY)

North Korea’s Kim offered “deep consolation for the families who lost their blood relatives due to the infectious disease” in a letter to China’s President Xi Jinping, North Korean state news agency KCNA said Saturday. The country’s ruling Workers’ Party also sent an an undisclosed amount of aid to its Chinese counterpart to help fight the epidemic.

Kim conveyed his desire “to render help even a bit,” KCNA reported.

North Korea shut its borders to visitors from China on Jan. 22, in an apparent effort to seal itself off from the outbreak.

Taiwan Bars Entry to Guangdong Residents (7:23 a.m. NY)

Taiwan extended an entry ban to residents of China’s southern Guangdong province, where more than 500 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported. Residents of Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, have already been barred from entering the island.

Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung said in a briefing Saturday that the ministry won’t rule out extending the ban to more Chinese provinces if necessary.

Singapore, Japan Report New Cases (7 a.m. NY)

Singapore reported two new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 18. In Japan, three infections were confirmed for a total of 20.

Qatar Air Suspends Flights to China (6:53 a.m. NY)

Qatar Airways will suspend flights to China starting from Feb. 3, becoming the first Persian Gulf carrier to halt flights over coronavirus fears.

The decision to stop flights to mainland China will be effective until further notice, according to a statement from the company, “due to significant operational challenges caused by entry restrictions imposed by several countries.” Operations will be reviewed weekly.

China Exempts Duties on Some Health Imports (6:32 a.m. NY)

China said it will exempt some duties on imports related to coronavirus including donated goods from foreign countries and direct purchase by its health regulators, according to a statement on the website of Finance Ministry on Saturday. Meanwhile, imports of goods falling into those two categories from the U.S. won’t be subject to the punitive tariffs China has imposed amid the trade war, another statement said on the website.

Separately, the ministry of commerce said it will increase the supply of necessities including food and masks.

--With assistance from Alfred Liu, Miaojung Lin, Debby Wu, Dandan Li, Abeer Abu Omar, Sara Marley and Helene Fouquet.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Steve Geimann in Washington at sgeimann@bloomberg.net;Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Andrew Davis

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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2020-02-02 11:57:00Z
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-city-suspects-patient-coronavirus-225351883.html