Coronavirus Latest Update: Hubei Adds 349 New Cases on Revised Guidelines
Hubei province at the center of the coronavirus outbreak reported 349 new cases, a sharp decline from nearly 1,700 the previous day as China again changed its method for counting infections.
China’s National Health Commission said Wednesday it would now only classify patients as suspected cases and confirmed cases
The number of discharged patients in Hubei rose by 1,209, topping the number of new infections for the first time
Hubei province at the center of the coronavirus outbreak reported 349 new cases, a sharp decline from nearly 1,700 the previous day as China again changed its method for counting infections.
China’s National Health Commission said Wednesday it would now only classify patients as suspected cases and confirmed cases, eliminating the category for clinically diagnosed cases by CT scans.
The number of discharged patients in Hubei rose by 1,209, topping the number of new infections for the first time. Hubei’s numbers for additional cases have been falling for the past week, while those for discharged patients have been rising.
The global death toll rose above 2,100 as Hubei added 108 fatalities, while confirmed cases total more than 75,000.
Key Developments
China death toll rises to at least 2,112
Hubei adds 108 deaths, new cases increase by 349
Iran reports first deaths from coronavirus
China nears takeover of troubled HNA
U.S. issues travel advisory for Hong Kong
Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the novel coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here.
CDC Warns Travelers to Hong Kong
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned travelers to Hong Kong to be prepared for the novel coronavirus after a second person there died from the infection.
The agency put in place a level 1 travel notice for Hong Kong that advises visitors to avoid contact with sick people and to wash their hands often to avoid contracting the virus, which is spreading there from person-to-person.
The CDC has level 4 advisory for China’s Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, which means no one should travel there. The rest of mainland China is level 3, meaning people should avoid non-essential travel.
Two Iran Patients Die: Report
Two Iranian citizens who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, a Health Ministry official told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, the country’s first fatalities from the outbreak.
The patients were elderly residents of the the city of Qom, said the news agency, about 100 miles (150 kilometers) south of Tehran.
China Said to Near Takeover of HNA Group
China is planning to take over HNA Group Co. and sell off its airline assets after the coronavirus outbreak hit the indebted conglomerate’s ability to meet financial obligations, according to people familiar with the plans.
The government of Hainan, the southern island province where HNA is based, is in talks to take control of the conglomerate, which has been shedding assets after a global buying spree left it with one of the highest levels of corporate debt in China, the people said. The airline assets could be taken over later by other local companies, they said.
China’s Central Bank Expects ‘Limited’ Virus Impact
The People’s Bank of China acknowledged the downward pressure facing the economy and said the impact of the outbreak would be “short-lived" and “limited in terms of time and scope."
It called for a “rational view" on the economic impact of the virus and said it’ll work to promote consumption and investment to boost domestic demand, according to a quarterly monetary policy report.
IMF Sees Global Economic Rebound Despite Virus Threat
Worldwide economic growth is expected to “moderately strengthen" this year, according to the IMF, despite the Washington-based lender warning that the coronavirus is one of the main risks that could derail that outlook.
Russia Exports to China Slump, Indonesia Spending Hit
Russia’s exports to China dropped by almost a third in the first six weeks of the year as the spread of coronavirus sapped demand in the world’s second-biggest economy. Separately, Indonesia’s revenue and spending fell in the first month of the year and the country’s finance minister warned of more risks to economic growth.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Scrabbl staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)