China's virus-hit Wuhan creates more hospitals as demand for beds surges
- by Jake Bell
- in Research
- — Feb 12, 2020
Two casualties have also been reported outside mainland China - one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines.
Thousands of medical workers in Hong Kong, which had seen months of anti-China political protests, held a second day of strikes to press for complete closure of borders with the mainland after three checkpoints were left open.
In total, nearly 150 people outside China have been infected with the new virus.
Yesterday, Hong Kong reported its first death from the disease, as the semi-autonomous city closed all but two land crossings with the Chinese mainland. There is also an acute shortage of masks and a strike by some medical workers that entered its second day on Tuesday.
The territory was badly hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a coronavirus that emerged from China in 2002, killed nearly 800 people worldwide and cost the global economy an estimated $33 billion. Officials said, they feared local transmissions were increasing in the densely populated city.
The Ministry of Health said it had found six additional cases, four of them involving human-to-human transmission in Singapore, bringing the total infections to 24 in the city-state.
More news: Loki On Disney+? Release Date, Cast And Other DetailsHong Kong media said the 39-year-old man had underlying health issues. It is South Korea's 16th case. Macao reported eight cases and Taiwan 10.
And on Wednesday Japanese authorities said at least 10 passengers on a cruise ship carrying 3,711 people have the virus.
The UK's Department of Health said that, as of Tuesday, 414 people have tested negative for coronavirus. The patient is recovering, and his travelling companions so far have not been infected, the captain's announcement said. "If I do not receive food soon, I will be in a diabetic coma, but it'll be too bloody late".
The United States said on Friday it would block almost all foreign visitors who have been to China within the past 14 days, joining Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam and others who have imposed similar entry restrictions.
Nevertheless. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to share more data on infections outside China, adding that detailed information has only been provided on 37 cases.
Washington has "unceasingly manufactured and spread panic,"Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, noting that the World Health Organization had advised against trade and travel curbs".
More news: Londoner with coronavirus now cleared, risk Ontario-wide 'remains low'On Saturday it had followed the United States in barring entry to all foreign nationals traveling from mainland China.
Macau, China's semi-autonomous gambling hub that is popular with mainland Chinese visitors, chose to temporarily close all of its casinos for at least two weeks. He also said those who neglect their duties will be punished, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The Asian financial centre has confirmed 15 cases of the coronavirus, yet the city's public hospital network is struggling to cope with a deluge of patients and measures to contain the epidemic.
In a meeting with top officials Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the virus outbreak a "major test of China's system and capacity for governance", as the extended Lunar New Year holiday and growing concerns began to take a toll on the country's economy. All Hubei schools are postponing the start of the new semester until further notice.
The city of 11 million is facing a "severe" lack of beds, said Hu Lishan, a senior official in Wuhan, noting that there were 8,182 patients admitted to 28 hospitals that have a total of 8,254 beds.
More news: US troops clash with pro-government group in northeast Syria
