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Details of ongoing viral pandemic in Asia
2020 coronavirus pandemic in Asia
Map of the 2019-20 COVID-19 pandemic in Asia as of 29 March 2020
As of 22 March 2020, at least one case of COVID-19 has been reported in every country in Asia except Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, while North Korea and Yemen have reported suspected cases. The highest numbers of reported cases in Asia at present are in China and Iran.
Several Southeast Asian countries experienced a significant rise in cases following a Tabligh Akbar event from February 27 to March 1 at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, where many people are believed to have been infected.[3][4] The event had about 16,000 attendees, including about 1,500 from outside Malaysia.[4] Attendees shared food, sat close together, and held hands at the event. According to guests, the leaders of the event didn't talk about COVID-19 precautions, but most attendees washed their hands during the event. Malaysian authorities were criticized for allowing the event to go forward.[3]
On 23 February 2020, at least three citizens of Herat who had recently returned from Qom were suspected of COVID-19 infection. Blood samples were sent to Kabul for further testing.[5] Afghanistan later closed its border with Iran.[citation needed]
On 24 February, Afghanistan confirmed the first COVID-19 case involving one of the three people from Herat, a 35-year-old man who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.[6] On 7 March, three new cases were confirmed in Herat province.[7] On 10 March, the first case reported outside of Herat province, was in Samangan province, bringing to the total to five cases.[8]
Armenia confirmed the first case of coronavirus during the late night of 29 February/early morning of 1 March, announcing a 29-year-old Armenian citizen had returned from Iran and was confirmed positive for the virus. His wife was tested and results came in negative. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that he is "now in good condition." About 30 people who came in contact with him are being tested and will be quarantined. Armenia had earlier closed its border with Iran. As of 15 March there are 23 confirmed cases with over 300 being in quarantine. [9] On March 23, it confirmed 23 cases.[10]
On 28 February, Azerbaijan confirmed the first case from a Russian national, who was travelling from Iran. 2 more cases were confirmed in the country and they were all isolated. They were Azerbaijani nationals who returned from Iran. On the same day Azerbaijan closed borders with Iran for 2 weeks. Starting 4 March, Azerbaijan also stopped letting trucks and imports coming from Iran to enter the country. On 11 March, the state officials confirmed two new cases, one from a woman who travelled from Iran and another from a returning student from Italy. There were 15 confirmed cases on 11 March in Azerbaijan.[11]
As of 13 March, four more cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 19. They all have travel history from Iran and Italy.[12]
The first case in the country was confirmed on 21 February.[citation needed]Bahrain has recorded a total of 565 Covid-19 cases including four deaths and 337 recoveries. The Bahraini government has unveiled a stimulus packages of 4.3 billion Bahraini Dinars that include exempting consumers from bills of electricity and water for three months.
The first three cases of the country were confirmed on 7 March 2020. Two of those affected returned to Bangladesh from Italy and one was a family member of one of those two.[13] On March 18, the first known coronavirus death in the country was reported.[14]
On 22 March, Bangladesh declared a 10-day shut down effective from March 26 to April 4 to fight the spread of coronavirus.[15] Bangladesh on Wednesday reported the fifth death from the coronavirus though no new case of the infection came out in the last 24 hours as the country suspended all domestic flights, trains and public transport to fight the pandemic.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has confirmed that one more person has died of coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in Bangladesh, taking the number of deaths from the disease in the country to five, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Bangladesh on Wednesday confirmed another death taking the death toll in the country to six while number of positive cases rose to 54.The nationwide lockdown has been extended till April 9 to curb the spread, however Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that offices and industries could resume work. Health minister Zahid Malik said "another 300 ventilators are being imported . there are about 700 ventilators across private hospitals".
On 9 March, the Ministry of Health confirmed that a preliminary coronavirus test had returned positive for a 53-year-old male who had returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 3 March.[17] The patient was moved to the National Isolation Centre in Tutong for treatment.[17]
Map of the outbreak in Cambodia (as of 22 March 2020):
Confirmed cases reported
Suspected cases reported
The hand sanitizer shelf at a pharmacy in Kep, Cambodia, was emptied the day after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the country
On 27 January, Cambodia confirmed the first COVID-19 case in Sihanoukville, a 60-year-old Chinese man, Jia Jianhua, travelling to the coastal city from Wuhan with his family on 23 January.[18] Three other members of his family were placed under quarantine as they did not appear to have symptoms, while he was placed in a separate room at the Preah Sihanouk Referral Hospital.[19][20][21] By 10 February, after two weeks of being treated and kept under observation, he had fully recovered, Health Ministry stated on account of testing negative for the third time by Pasteur Institute of Cambodia. The family were finally discharged and flew back to their home country on the next day as of the 80 Chinese nationals who arrived in Sihanoukville on the same flight as Jia, most have since returned to China, although the city of Wuhan remains under quarantine.[22][23]
Sophisticated modelling of the outbreak suggests that the number of cases in China would have been many times higher without interventions such as early detection, and isolation of the infected.[25]
See "Notes" section below for imported cases details (all data are given out of total imported cases).
For the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak, China on Wednesday revealed the presence of 1,541 asymptomatic cases carrying the deadly novel coronavirus, raising concerns of a second wave of infections amid the relaxation of stringent measures in the country initiated to contain the deadly disease.
Asymptomatic coronavirus cases are those who carry the virus but do not show any symptoms and can cause sporadic clusters of infections. In a surprise announcement on Tuesday, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said it would begin to release the data of asymptomatic patients.
A total of 1,541 asymptomatic patients infected with COVID-19 have been put under medical observation in China by the end of Monday, including 205 imported cases, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the NHC in a statement.
All flights from China and Wuhan to Tbilisi International Airport were cancelled until 27 January.[needs update] The Health Ministry announced that all arriving passengers from China would be screened. Georgia also temporarily shut down all flights to Iran.[58]
On 26 February, Georgia confirmed its first COVID-19 case. A 50-year-old man, who returned to Georgia from Iran, was admitted to Infectious Diseases Hospital in Tbilisi. He came back to the Georgian border via Azerbaijan by taxi.[59][60][61][62]
On 28 February, Georgia confirmed that a 31-year-old Georgia woman who had travelled to Italy tested positive and was admitted to Infectious Diseases Hospital in Tbilisi.[62]
29 more are being kept in isolation in a Tbilisi hospital, with Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze stating there was a “high probability” that some of them have the virus.[63]
On 5 March, Five people have tested positive for the new coronavirus COVID-19 in Georgia increasing the total number of people infected in the country to nine. Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze made the announcement at the recent news briefing following today. He said, all of the five people belong to the same cluster who travelled together to Italy and returned to Georgia on Sunday.[64]
On 7 March, Three people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Georgia increasing the total number of people infected individuals in the country to twelve. Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said at a news briefing the following day that there is still no reason to panic. One of the infected individuals is Gamkrelidze's son Nikoloz. Gamkrelidze wrote on his Facebook that he contracted the illness from a coworker, who has been tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Georgia has suspended direct flights with Italy in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country. Coronavirus in Georgia has mostly been detected in passengers who have travelled in Italy recently.[65]
As of 1 March, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection had identified 100 cases (Including 2 Suspected Recovered Cases) in Hong Kong, with 36 patients since recovered and 2 died.[66][67][68] By 2 April, the number of confirmed or probable cases in Hong Kong has risen to 767 after an influx of returning overseas students. 467, or 60.89% of cases were imported cases.[69]
The Government of India issued a travel advisory to its citizens, particularly for Wuhan, where about 500 Indian medical students study.[70] It directed seven major international airports to perform thermal screening of passengers arriving from China.[71][72]
On 30 January, India confirmed its first case in a student who had returned from Wuhan University to Kerala.[73] In early February, two other cases were confirmed in Kerala in people who had also been in China. All three of them successfully recovered.[74]
105 people were quarantined across Maharashtra for possible exposure to the virus, four of whom were kept under observation, as of 1 March, with the rest being discharged. Another suspected case was detected at the Mumbai Airport on 1 March.[75]
On 2 March, three other people were tested positive, taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to six.[76] 16 Italian tourist along with their cab driver and 6 people in Agra were newly tested positive. Between 3 February and 1 March, India saw a calm phase in regards to the global coronavirus outbreak as no new case was reported. But things have changed rapidly since then as between 2 and 10 March 47 people have tested positive for COVID-19. These cases have been reported from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Haryana, J&K, Punjab and Ladakh, making a total number 75 confirmed cases as of 12 March.[77] On 12 March, India confirmed its first death due to COVID-19, a 76-year-old man from Karnataka.[78].Assam's first positive case was confirmed on 31st March a 53 years old man from Karimganj. 347 people who attended Nizamuddin Congregation in Delhi are in Assam now and others are in different places in India. According to Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam has 26 confirmed positive cases as of 4th April.[79] It is to be mentioned that all but one of the 26 cases are related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in Old Delhi.[80]
152 new Covid-19 cases in Delhi have been confirmed,including 53 who attended congregation in Nizamuddin. 4053 people detained under section 65 for violating government orders during the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus.A Delhi government run hospital was shut down on 1st April after a doctor tested positive coronavirus. Odisha Government just sanctioned Rs 54 Lakh to feed stray animals during lockdown.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India has risen to 3,577 with 275 (including 1 migration case) recovered and 83 died reported as of 5 April 2020.[81]. On 24 March, the prime minister ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, affecting the entire 1.35 billion population of India.[82][83] On Sunday, April 5, the Prime Minister of India has requested all Indians to show their solidarity in fighting Corona virus and supporting the lock down by switching all lights at their homes at 9 PM for 9 minutes.[84]
Indonesia
Map of the outbreak in Indonesia (as of 26 March):
The first two cases in the country was confirmed on 2 March.[85] As of 2 April, There have been 1,790 confirmed cases, 170 deaths, and 112 recoveries.[86]
By 21 February, a total of 18 people had been confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 infections[89] and four COVID-19 deaths had occurred.[88][90] On 24 February, according to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, twelve COVID-19 deaths had occurred in Iran, out of a total of 64 SARS-CoV-2 confirmed infections.[91][92]
On 25 February, Iran's Deputy Health Minister, Iraj Harirchi tested positive for COVID-19, having shown some signs of infection during the press conference.[93] On 3 March, the official number of deaths in Iran rose to 77, the second highest deaths recorded outside China after Italy which has surpassed Iran, although the number of deaths is believed to be higher, up to 1,200 deaths due to Iranian Government's censorship and its eventual mishandling of virus outbreak.[94][95][96][97] Iran currently has the most cases in Western Asia as well as the fourth most cases worldwide, with China, South Korea, and Italy surpassing Iran.[citation needed]
Iran's death toll goes to 2,234 on 26 March as 29,000 cases are reported. Public gatherings are banned as is transportation between cities; public parks are closed.[98]
The first case was confirmed in a 30-year-old Chinese national who had previously travelled to Wuhan, developed a fever on 3 January, and returned to Japan on 6 January.[citation needed] TOKYO: Coronavirus infections in Japan topped 2,000 cases on Tuesday, according to a Reuters calculation based on ministry data and media reports. A centre for disabled people in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, found seven more infections on Tuesday, bringing the total there to 93, Kyodo News reported. New York Times reported that Japan, which has the capacity to test 7,500 people per day, has tested a fraction of COVID19 patients (including asymptomatic carrier), comparing Japan's situation to South Korea's one where about 360,000 South Koreans have been tested as of 26 March 2020. Columbia University professor Jeffrey Shaman suggested that Japan would not realise how things are going badly until it is too late.[103]
On 2 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.[104][105] Jordan has 212 confirmed infections on 26 March. Anyone who disobeys nightly curfew will be fined up to 500 dinars (around $700). The government placed Irbid under quarantine after it recorded 26 cases in the area.[98]
The first case in the country was confirmed on 24 February. The Kuwaiti prime minister stressed that the State of Kuwait greatly values the contribution of the large Indian community there and would continue to ensure their safety and welfare in the present situation, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.
Modi expressed his thanks and appreciation for the reassurance.
Both leaders discussed the domestic and international aspects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.
On 18 March, the first three cases in the country were confirmed.[107] yrgyzstan has confirmed its first three coronavirus cases, Healthcare Minister Kosmosbek Cholponbayev said on Wednesday.
Three Kyrgyz nationals tested positive after arriving from Saudi Arabia, he told a briefing
On 21 February 2020, Lebanon confirmed the first case of COVID-19, a 45-year-old woman travelling from Qom, Iran tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was transferred to a hospital in Beirut.[110] Lebanon had 386 cases and nine deaths through 25 March, when it instituted a lockdown through 12 April. Essential services, such as drugstores and supermarkets, must close at nightfall.[98]
The number of COVID-19 infections remained unchanged at 333, NNA said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet decided to extend the curfew to April 13, citing the increasing number of coronavirus infections.
Eight Chinese nationals were quarantined at a hotel in Johor Bahru on 24 January after coming into contact with an infected person in neighbouring Singapore.[111] Despite early reports of them testing negative for the virus,[112] three of them were confirmed to be infected on 25 January.[113][114]
On 16 February, the 15th infected patient involving a Chinese female national had fully recovered, becoming the 8th patient cured from the virus in Malaysia.[115] The following day, the first infected Malaysian also reportedly recovered, becoming the 9th cured.[116]
In March 2020, several Southeast Asian countries experienced a significant rise in cases following an event held by Tablighi Jamaat at Jamek Mosque in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, where many people are believed to have been infected.[3] By 17 March, almost two thirds of the 673 cases confirmed in Malaysia were related to the event.[3][117] More than 620 people, including those from other countries, who attended the event have tested positive, making it the largest-known centre of transmission in South East Asia.
As of 3 April, there are over 3,000 confirmed cases, with 50 deaths.[118]
On 10 March, the first case have been confirmed, a 57-year-old French citizen came from Moscow-Ulaanbaatar flight on 2 March and symptoms were shown on 7 March.[120]
On 23 March, Myanmar confirmed its first and second COVID-19 cases.[121] Myanmar reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, a 69-year-old man who also had cancer and died in a hospital in the commercial capital of Yangon, a government spokeswoman said.
He had sought medical treatment in Australia and stopped in Singapore on his way home, according to the health ministry.
A Nepali student who had returned from Wuhan[122] became the first case of the country and South Asia on 24 January, after a sample sent to WHO Collaborating Centre Hong Kong.[123][124] He was discharged after his condition improved[125][126] and was told to quarantine himself at home. Another case was confirmed on March 23, 2020. A 19-year-old female who returned from France via Qatar was diagnosed positive of Corona Virus in Kathmandu, Nepal.[127] Her family is in quarantine. She is being treated in Teku hospital, Kathmandu. With this, two cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Nepal.[128] Similarly, 25 March 2020, Minister of Information Ganesh Srivasta had announced that another Nepali worker who came from Gulf country has been tested positive of Corona Virus.[citation needed]
The first case in the country was confirmed on 26 February. On 1 March, two more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Karachi and Islamabad, bringing the country's total to four.[135] The first and second reported patient has travel history to Iran, where health officials believe he got infected.[135]
On 3 March, Pakistan confirmed its fifth case. In Sindh province, 960 people who had recently travelled home after pilgrimages to Iran have been quarantined.[137]
On 6 March, Pakistan confirmed it's sixth case in Karachi. Also on the same day, the first patient had recovered from COVID-19 in Karachi and was discharged from the hospital. The seventh patient with COVID-19 was reported in Karachi on 8 March.[138] Nine new cases in Karachi were reported the next day.[139] As on 15 March, the total number of people infected has risen to 53, while 2 have recovered.[citation needed]
By the 17th of March, 212 coronavirus cases have been reported in Pakistan.[citation needed]
As of 19th of march, 380 confirmed cases and 2 deaths have been reported in Pakistan.[140]
On 20 March, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan jumped to 454 after Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan andKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa announced an increase in their provincial tallies.[141] 2 deaths have been reported till now.
According to the statement issued by the Sindh health ministry, 37 new cases of the contagion have emerged, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in Sindh to 245 with 151 in Sukkur, 93 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. Of them, three of the patients have fully recovered from the deadly disease. The third patient, who tested negative for the virus today, is a resident of Hyderabad, and was diagnosed in Karachi.[citation needed]
As of 22 March 2020, Pakistan reports 730 active Covid-19 patients, as they seal all international airline activities and enforce a 15-day lock-down in Sindh and a 11-day lock-down in Balochistan. As Pakistan battled economic crisis, Pakistani PM Khan ordered to distribute the unused funds of the World Bank grant for infrastructural projects of $40 million to buy Covid-19 kits.[citation needed] Islamabad: The number of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan reached 1,865 on Tuesday, showing a constant upward trajectory with officials scrambling to contain the spread of the dreaded disease by appealing to the public to remain inside as people in many cities were seen roaming out. The Ministry of Health Services in its update on dedicated website showed that the largest province of Punjab had maximum 652 patients.
As of 31 March, there have been 2,084 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines. Out of the 2,084 cases, 88 deaths and 49 recoveries have been recorded.[144] The first case in the country was confirmed on 30 January.[145] There are suspicions of community transmission in the country, as a person without any travel history abroad has been infected by the disease.[146]
Rodrigo Duterte threatened on 1 April to use force if people riot or defy lockdown orders. “My orders are for the police, the military and the villages, in case there’s trouble and there’s an occasion where they fight and your life is threatened, shoot them dead,” Duterte. The country has 2,311 confirmed cases and 96 deaths, but the number is expected to increase as more testing is done.[151]
Qatar confirmed its first case on 29 February, in a person who had returned from Iran. The first death in Qatar was recorded in on 28 March, a 57-year old Bangladeshi national who was already suffering from chronic disease. On 31 March, Qatar reported its second Coronavirus death and 88 new cases, taking its tally to 781. The Health Ministry announced that 11 infected people have already recovered.
Russia implemented preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country by imposing quarantines, carrying raids on potential virus carriers and using facial recognition to impose quarantine measures.[152]
On 31 January, two cases were confirmed, one in Tyumen Oblast, another in Zabaykalsky Krai. Both were Chinese nationals, who have since recovered.[153][152]
On 27 February, Saudi Arabia announced temporary suspension of entry for individuals wanting to perform Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca or to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, as well as tourists. The rule was also extended to visitors traveling from countries where SARS-CoV-2 posed a risk.[154]
On 28 February, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia announced a temporary suspension of entry for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens to Mecca and Medina. Citizens of the GCC who had been in Saudi Arabia for more than 14 continuous days and didn't show any symptoms of COVID-19 would be excluded from this rule.[154]
Saudi Arabia confirmed the first case on 2 March, a Saudi national returning from Iran via Bahrain.[155]
On Thursday, 19 March Saudi Arabia suspended the holding of daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayers inside and outside the walls of the two mosques in Mecca and Medina  to limit the spread of coronavirus.[156] As of Thursday, 334 confirmed cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia with eight cases been recovered.[157] No deaths have been reported.
On Friday, 20 March, Saudi Arabia announced it is going to suspend all domestic flights, buses, taxis and trains for 14 days amid global coronavirus outbreak.
At the virtual G20 meeting, chaired by King Salman on 25 March, collective pledges were made to inject $4.8 trillion into the global economy to counteract the social and financial impacts of the pandemic.[98]
On 26 March, authorities announced a total lockdown of Riyadh, Mecca and Medina, plus a nation-wide curfew. 1,012 cases and four deaths are reported.[98]
The first case in Singapore was confirmed on 23 January.[158] Subsequently, the first locally transmitted cases were reported on 4 February. Yong Thai Hang, a shop that mainly serves Chinese tourists, was identified as the locus of the infection, where four women without recent history of travel to China contracted the virus.[159]
As of 5 April, there are a total of 1,309 confirmed cases[160] with 6 deaths.[161]
The first confirmed case of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea was announced 20 January 2020.[162] On 19 February, the number of confirmed cases increased by 20 and on 20 February by 53, giving a total of 104, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Korea (KCDC), with the sudden jump mostly attributed to "Patient No. 31" who attended a gathering at a Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony church in Daegu.[163]As of 20February2020[update], the number of confirmed cases in South Korea was the third largest after China and the infections on the Diamond Princess.[citation needed] By 24 February, the number of confirmed cases in South Korea was the second largest;[164]as of 14March2020[update], the number was the fourth largest. A reason for the high number of confirmed cases is the high number of tests conducted. In South Korea more than 66,650 people were tested within a week of its first case of community transmission, and South Korea quickly became able to test 10,000 people a day.[165]
The first case in the country was confirmed on 27 January.The country had 29 cases by 16 March, and has 146 cases as of 01 April.[citation needed].As of 1st of April 2020 Sri Lankan authorities have tracked down over 14000 people who had contacted the identified patients and had ordered self quarantine for such people.
Due to Syria already coping with the rampant civil war, fearing that Syria will be the most affected country is raising concerns, following a number of cases found in neighboring Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, and collapsed healthcare system as the result of the civil war.[166] The Government of Iraqi Kurdistan, in a rare collaboration with its Syrian counterpart on 2 March, ordered complete closure of Syrian–Iraqi border to halt the spread.[167]
The first case in Syria was confirmed on 22 March.[168][169]
On 11 March 2020 (UTC+03:00), Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that a Turkish man who had contracted the virus while travelling in Europe was the country's first coronavirus case.[176]
On 12 March 2020, the Turkish government announced that primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and universities in Turkey would be closed starting from 16 March 2020.[177]
The first case in the United Arab Emirates was confirmed on 29 January.[178][179] It was the first country in the Middle East to report a confirmed case.[180]
The first death due to COVID-19 was reported on 20 March.[181]
A curfew was implemented from 8 pm to 6 am on 26 March after beaches, malls and airports were closed. Public transportation was shut down. A nationwide disinfection and sterilization campaign was launched to commence during curfew hours.[98]
Between 22 January – 25 February, 16 patients were discovered, mostly related to a group of workers returned from Wuhan, and their relatives. Others include two Chinese nationals, a Vietnamese receptionist who had contact with them, and a Vietnamese-American who had a two hours layover in Wuhan while travelling from the United States. As of 25 February, all 16 cases were recovered.[183][184][185][186][187][excessive citations]
On 6 March, 28 patients were announced by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. Most cases are linked to "patient number 17", flight VN0054 from London to Hanoi with its passengers, and "patient number 34". The only case unrelated to all mentioned new clusters is a Vietnamese worker back from Daegu.[188]
From 6 to 27 March in Vietnam continually confirming cases of COVID-19 infection
On 30 January, North Korea's news agency KCNA declared a "state emergency" and reported the establishment of anti-epidemic headquarters around the country.
On 7 February, South Korean media outlet Daily NK claimed that five North Koreans in Sinuiju of North Pyongan Province died. Within the same day, The Korea Times reported that a North Korean female living in the capital Pyongyang was infected. Despite no confirmation by North Korean authorities on the claims, the country has implemented stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus.
On 29 February, Kim Jong-un called for stronger measures to be taken to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to North Korea.
On 18 March 2020, Kim Jong-un ordered the construction of new hospitals in North Korea while also continuing to deny any cases of COVID-19 in North Korea. North Korean state media also reported that groundbreaking on a new hospital was underway the day prior on Tuesday 17 March. Kim Jong-un reportedly told a newspaper linked to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea that the construction of new hospitals was being done for general improvement of the nation's healthcare system without mentioning COVID-19.
On 20 March 2020, North Korean media said that more than 2,590 people had been released from quarantine in North Pyongan and South Pyongan provinces. All but three quarantined foreigners had been released.
On 26 March, the Financial Times and Reuters report that North Korea is secretly asking for foreign aid to combat Covid-19 while denying they have any cases in the country. Daily NK, a news site focusing on North Korea, reported that 180 North Korean soldiers died of the virus in January and February and another 3,700 were sent to quarantine. NK also reported that five people had died of the coronavirus in Sinuiju, while South Korean newspaper ‘‘Chosun Ilbo’’ reports two suspected cases in that city.[189]
Yemen
Although there is no confirmed case in Yemen, the country is seen to be extremely vulnerable to the outbreak, given the dire humanitarian situation due to the civil war, exacerbated by the famine, cholera outbreaks, and military blockade by Saudi Arabia and allies.[190][191] As a response to the growing threat, the Houthis declared suspending every flight from Yemen to other countries on 15 March.[192] Yemeni officials also stepped up to battle against the threat from the coronavirus.[193]
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said on 26 March that it would partially suspend its operations in Houthi rebel-held areas because of restrictions imposed by the rebels. As a result, Oxfam America declared it would be forced to end services critical to coronavirus prevention, including hygiene promotion and primary health care.
Prevention in other countries and territories
British Indian Ocean Territory
As of 4 April there have been no cases in the British territory. Access to the islands, already heavily restricted due to the presence of a military base on Diego Garcia, have been further curtailed, with licenses for visiting vessels suspended.[194] All people arriving into the territory are subject to a 14-day quarantine; social distancing measures have also been enacted.[195]
There are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tajikistan.[196] An article in The Diplomat raised questions about Tajikistan's lack of reported coronavirus cases.[197][198]
There are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkmenistan.[199], although the government's ban of the word "coronavirus" on the streets and blocking of the news source, Turkmenistan Chronicles, has lead to doubt regarding its claim of no cases.[200]
Notes
↑ Cities under "Imported" category has only active cases that are imported from outside Mainland China. In other words, there are currently no active local cases in these cities.
This article documents the chronology and epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic originating in Wuhan, China. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect.
On 23 January 2020, the central government of China imposed a lockdown in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei in an effort to quarantine the centre of an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); this action is commonly referred to as the "Wuhan lockdown". The World Health Organization (WHO), although stating that it was beyond its own guidelines, commended the move, calling it "unprecedented in public health history".
This article documents countries and territories affected by and their responses to the coronavirus responsible for the ongoing 2019–20 pandemic first detected in Wuhan, Hubei, China. It may not include all the most up-to-date major responses and measures.
Leishenshan Hospital is an emergency specialty field hospital built in response to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. The facility is located at No.3 Parking Lot of the Athletes Village in Jiangxia District, Wuhan, Hubei. Stage one of construction was completed on 6 February 2020, and the hospital opened on 8 February 2020. The hospital is planned to have a stage two expansion in the near future.
Experts have doubted the information provided by the Chinese government related to the epidemic, raising concerns that the government has deliberately under-reported the extent of infections and deaths. Although Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reported on 24 March 2020 that spread of domestically transmitted epidemic has been basically blocked and the outbreak has been controlled in China, experts cast doubts over these claims, and described them to be "premature".
This article documents the February 2020 chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect.
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was first identified to have spread to Malaysia on 25 January 2020. Reported cases remained relatively low until a large spike in cases in March 2020, most of them linked to a religious event held in Kuala Lumpur in late February and early March. Within a few weeks after the event, Malaysia had become the country with the highest cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in South East Asia. As of 5 April 2020, there are 3,662 confirmed cases in the country, with 61 deaths reported.
The passengers and crew of many cruise ships were found to be infected with the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Many of these ships had substantial spread of the disease, although many did not. On the British-registered Diamond Princess, which had been quarantined at Yokohama from 4 February 2020 for nearly a month, there was substantial spread of the virus amongst the passengers and crew, drawing headlines worldwide throughout February. The ship had had about 3,700 passengers and crew on board; around 700 people were infected in the incident, and twelve died. On 20 February, the World Health Organisation stated that the ship accounted for more than half of the reported infections around the world, outside of China.
During the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic, Iran reported its first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on 19 February 2020 in Qom.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had its first case in Macau confirmed on 22 January 2020.
An ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was first confirmed to have spread to the Republic of Italy on 31 January 2020, when two Chinese tourists in Rome tested positive for the virus. One week later an Italian man repatriated back to Italy from the city of Wuhan, China, was hospitalised and confirmed as the third case in Italy. A cluster of cases was later detected, starting with 16 confirmed cases in Lombardy on 21 February, and 60 additional cases and the first deaths on 22 February. By the beginning of March, the virus had spread to all regions of Italy.
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was first manifested by a cluster of mysterious pneumonia in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China. A Wuhan hospital notified the local center for disease control and prevention (CDC) and health commissions on December 27, 2019. On December 31, Wuhan CDC admitted that there was a cluster of unknown pneumonia cases related to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market after the unverified documents appeared on the Internet. The potential disease outbreak soon drew nationwide attention including that of the National Health Commission (NHC) in Beijing which sent experts to Wuhan on the following day. On January 8, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of the pneumonia. The sequence of the virus was soon published on an open-access database. Measures taken by China have been controversial. They were praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for improvements over SARS-CoV-1 responses, but maligned by many in the international community for being slow to publicly disclose key facts or deceptive about the outbreak and for aggressively censoring information relating to the outbreak and public discontent from citizens online.
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic spread to many countries around the world, with the most affected countries being the United States, Italy, Spain, China, France, Iran, Switzerland and South Korea. National response measures have been varied, and have included containment measures such as lockdowns, quarantines, and curfews. This is a dynamic list of different responses by various nations across the world.
Liu Wen (刘文) is one of the "whistleblowers" of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and a neurologist at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital.
Liu Fan was a deputy chief nurse of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei, China. She was the first nurse to die from SARS-CoV-2 infection, at the age of 59.
As the largest city in China, Shanghai is one of the cities outside Hubei province with a comparatively large number of COVID-19 cases. As of 25 March 2020, 433 confirmed cases cumulatively occurred in the city, including 94 cases imported from abroad. Of the 98 active hospitalized cases ending at midnight, 90 were in stable condition, 6 were in critical condition, and 2 were in severe condition; 330 had recovered and been discharged, and 5 died.
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic reached the province of Henan, China.
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic reached the province of Sichuan, People's Republic of China on 20 February, 2020, with its first case confirmed on the next day.
Lin Zhengbin was a Chinese physician and organ transplant expert at Wuhan Tongji Hospital.
Fangcang Hospital refers to a kind of makeshift hospitals used in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, most notably in Wuhan. Such hospitals were intended for large-scale medical isolation and instituted through the acquisition of existing space, some even large-scale event venues and renovated colleges and universities.
↑ 疫情通报（列表）. nhc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 March 2020.; current information about the 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Chinese provinces, other countries in the globe, see 疫情实时大数据报告. baidu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 March 2020.
↑ Catherine Putz (3 April 2020). "Where In the World Are There No Coronavirus Cases?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 4 April 2020. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon demonstrating in late March how *not* to social distance.{...}
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