How countries in Asia are handling the coronavirus epidemic
The deadly novel coronavirus has killed more than 420 people and infected at least 20,704 globally. Here is a look at how countries in Asia are handling the epidemic.
The deadly novel coronavirus has killed more than 420 people and infected at least 20,704 globally since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.
Though 99 percent of cases have been confined to mainland China, cases have been reported throughout Asia, Europe and North America.
People pass by a screen warning about a new coronavirus in a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP)
On Tuesday, the virus claimed a life in Hong Kong -- the second outside mainland China. The first known fatality outside China was reported in the Philippines on Sunday.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which declared a global emergency last week, has praised China for “setting a new standard for outbreak response,” despite others' criticism of China’s draconian measures to contain the virus.
China has put Wuhan on lockdown, having deployed 1,400 medical personnel and staff to a newly constructed hospital in the city. The hospital, which was constructed in less than 10 days, includes 1,000 beds, intensive care units, and sections for diagnosis and infection control, according to Chinese media.
Around the world, governments have implemented various measures to stop the virus from spreading in their country. Here is a look at some of those efforts:
Thailand
Thailand has reported the highest number of cases outside mainland China, with 25 as of Tuesday. On Sunday, an infected 71-year-old patient tested negative for the virus 48 hours after Thai doctors treated her with a cocktail of anti-virals used to treat the flu and HIV, according to Thailand’s health ministry.
Commuters wear face masks to protect themselves from air pollution and new virus in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP)
“The lab result of positive on the coronavirus turned negative in 48 hours,” Dr. Kriengsak Attipornwanich said during a news conference. “From being exhausted before, she could sit up in bed 12 hours later.”
Singapore
Behind Thailand, Singapore has reported 24 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The country’s health ministry said during a news conference Tuesday that Singapore is prepared to cancel mass gatherings, suspend schools and reduce non-essential care services should cases of human-to-human transmission escalate.
“This is a scenario which we are prepared for,” said Health Minister Gan Kin Yong. “As the situation evolves, we will step up our posture accordingly to further contain the situation in Singapore.”
Japan
Unlike other countries that have enacted strict border controls on travelers from China, Japan’s response has been comparatively relaxed.
A poster promoting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is posted next a train door as a commuter wearing a mask looks at his phone in a train, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP)
On Friday, Japan barred foreign nationals who had visited China’s Hubei province -- where Wuhan is located -- from visiting the country. The cautionary measure extends to foreigners who had stayed in the province within two weeks before their arrival in Japan, even if they do not show symptoms of the coronavirus, Kyodo News reported.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hinted Tuesday, however, that his country may expand those restrictions.
“We are analyzing the data on patients within China to determine which regions have a high risk,” he said. “We remain open-minded on what measures to take, including the possibility of expanding the regions” subject to the travel ban.
As of Tuesday, Japan had reported 22 confirmed cases of the virus.
South Korea
In South Korea, which has reported 16 cases, U.S. service members who returned from mainland China to South Korea on or after Jan. 19 are being subjected to a 14-day “directed self-quarantine.”
A statement from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) says the quarantine is “mandatory for U.S. service members, regardless if they reside on or off USFK installations, and is highly encouraged for family members,[Defense Department] civilians, contractors, United Nation Command military personnel and Korean National employees to follow, as well, in the interest of public health safety.”
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Also on the Korean peninsula, Hyundai, the world’s fifth-largest automaker, said it was suspending production at its manufacturing plants because of supply chain problems caused by the outbreak.
United States
The United States as of Tuesday has reported 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Last week, nearly 200 U.S. citizens were evacuated from Wuhan to a military base in California where they remain quarantined.
On Saturday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper approved Department of Defense (DoD) housing at four military bases for 1,000 people who may have to be quarantined as the result of the coronavirus.
Employee Cynthia Bao, who is pregnant wears a protective mask to avoid getting sick, as she interacts with customers at the Beyond Services notary in Alhambra, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (AP)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta – which is the only place in the U.S. that can confirm whether a patient has the virus -- announced Monday that it was working to provide local health departments with the tools needed to conduct tests themselves without sending in the results.
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Also on Monday, Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, which is a part of the CDC, said the U.S. is planning to evacuate more Americans from Wuhan, though it was not clear when those evacuations would occur.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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