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As the coronavirus outbreaks in China and South Korea appear to be slowing countries in other parts of the world are adopting drastic measures to try and stamp out the infection.
Italy currently has some 16 million people in Lombardy and other parts of the north quarantined, on Sunday, there were some 133 deaths, bringing the total to 366. More than 7,000 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus in Italy.
Iran reported 49 new fatalities and some 194 people have now died from the coronavirus there.
The latest figures from China and South Korea suggest the virus is being brought under control in Northeast Asia. China reported 40 new confirmed cases on Sunday, compared with 44 the day before. That’s the lowest since the National Health Commission started publishing national data on January 20.
Outside the Hubei province, where the virus first originated late last year, it reported no new locally transmitted cases for the second straight day. In South Korea too, infections appear to be slowing.
A German tourist who was being treated for coronavirus in Egypt is the first fatality to be recorded in Africa. The 60-year-old had arrived in Egypt a week ago and complained of a fever.
He was taken to a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada for treatment where he was diagnosed with coronavirus. The patient died after refusing to be transferred to an isolation ward.
On Saturday Egypt’s ministry of health announced that there were 45 new cases of coronavirus involving travellers who were in a cruise ship, bringing the total to 48.
The ship was quarantined, and the infected people were moved to an isolation facility in the north of the country.
The wife of South Africa’s first coronavirus patient has also tested positive, bringing the number of cases detected in the country to three. The couple had visited Italy as part of a group of 10. Their two children had tested negative.
The woman’s 39-year-old husband was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Thursday. On Saturday, a 39-year-old woman who returned with the group from Italy was also diagnosed with the coronavirus.
“We expect the results of the other six group members who had travelled to Italy within the next 48 hours,” the ministry of health said in a statement.
Africa now has more than 70 cases of the coronavirus. Egypt is worst-affected, with 48 cases – 45 of them from travellers in a cruise ship.
Here are the latest numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa:
- Egypt – 48
- Algeria – 17
- Senegal – 4
- South Africa – 3
- Morocco – 2
- Cameroon – 2
- Tunisia – 1
- Togo – 1
- Nigeria – 1
Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Arizona Representative Paul Gosar have put themselves into a 14-day quarantine after determining they had contact with a man at the Conservative Political Action Conference who was later confirmed to have the coronavirus.
A number of other senators and members of the House of Representatives were also at the event, while US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both spoke.
The White House says there is no indication that either of them met or were in “close proximity” to the man who was confirmed with the virus.
Currently, the death toll from the coronavirus in the US stands at 21 as it spread to 30 states with hundreds of confirmed cases nationwide
Confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom rose from 209 to 278 on Saturday, the biggest rise so far. The country has also recorded three fatalities from the virus. UK prime minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency Cobra meeting later to decide whether to bring in measures to delay the spread of coronavirus in the UK.
The meeting is expected to consider if social distancing measures should now be introduced.
These could include the banning of big events, closing schools and encouraging home working.
Major tennis tournament cancelled in US
The BNP Paribas Open, a near major tennis tournament that was set to begin this week in the California desert, has been called off.
It’s the largest sporting event in the US to be called off over concerns about the coronavirus.
Related: How the Coronavirus is Impacting Global Tech Industries
The announcement came on Sunday night after many players were already in the desert practising.
Qualifying matches were to begin on Monday with women’s main draw matches starting on Wednesday and the men’s games the day after.
Shanghai Disneyland to open some resort facilities
Shanghai Disneyland, which was closed on January 25 because of the coronavirus, has reopened some of its shops, restaurants and resort facilities on a limited basis.
Visitors will need to go through temperature checks before admission, and the resort will follow an “extensive range of measures designed to ensure a safe and healthy experience for all guests,” it said on its website.
The main theme park will remain closed.
Ship turned away from Thailand and Malaysia heads to Singapore
The operator of the cruise ship Costa Fortuna said it was heading to Singapore to end its journey on Tuesday as planned, after it was turned away from ports in Malaysia and Thailand over coronavirus fears.
Italian cruise line Costa Crociere said there were no suspected virus cases among the passengers.
Costa Crociere said it would cancel a cruise due to depart on March 10 from Singapore.
Singapore port authorities have not yet said whether they would allow the ship to dock
California preparing to dock cruise ship where virus cases confirmed
The Grand Princess, a cruise ship carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 countries, will dock in California on Monday.
21 of those on board have been confirmed to have the coronavirus and everyone will be required to spend 14 days in quarantine once they disembark.
Those needing acute medical care will leave the ship first.
First case confirmed in the Japanese city of Kobe
A woman in her 40s who attended a live music show in Osaka, has become the first person to test positive for the coronavirus in Kobe, officials said.
Albania becomes the latest country to report infections
Albania has reported its first cases of coronavirus – a father and son who recently returned from Italy. Both are in stable condition.
More than 400,000 Albanians live in Italy, which lies just across the Adriatic Sea.
