Asian countries yesterday ramped up measures to block the spread of a new virus, as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300, raising concerns in the middle of a major holiday travel rush.
Nations across the Asia-Pacific region stepped up checks of passengers at airports to detect the SARS-like coronavirus, which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Fears of a bigger outbreak rose after a prominent expert from China’s National Health Commission late on Monday confirmed that the 2019 novel coronavirus can be passed between people.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Authorities previously said there was no obvious evidence of person-to-person transmission and animals were suspected to be the source, as a seafood market where live animals were sold in Wuhan was identified as the center of the outbreak.
However, the WHO, which was concluding a fact-finding mission in Wuhan, was still being cautious, saying at a briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, that “not enough is known to draw definitive conclusions about how it is transmitted.”
However, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said that “more cases should be expected” in China and in other countries.
Hundreds of millions of people are criss-crossing China this week in packed buses, trains and planes to celebrate the Lunar New Year with relatives.
Almost 80 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the total number of people hit by the virus in China to 291, with the vast majority in Hubei, the province where Wuhan lies, the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) said.
Other cases have also been confirmed in Beijing and Shanghai, plus Guangdong, Zhejiang and Henan provinces.
Wang Guangfa (王廣發), one of the doctors on the NHC team investigating the epidemic, told Hong Kong TV station iCable News that he was receiving treatment after becoming infected.
Taiwan also confirmed its first case, a woman taken to a hospital on arrival at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from Wuhan.
Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang (周先旺) told state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) that the death toll had risen from four to six.
China said it would attend a special WHO meeting today, which would determine whether to declare a rare global public health emergency over the disease, which was also detected in Thailand, Japan and South Korea among four people who had visited Wuhan.
At four airports in Thailand, authorities introduced mandatory thermal scans of passengers arriving from high-risk areas of China.
Anyone exhibiting signs of fever is to be quarantined for 24 hours for monitoring.
About 1,300 passengers are expected each day in Thailand from Wuhan over the Lunar New Year, which starts on Friday.
In Hong Kong, where memories of SARS still haunt the territory, authorities said they were on “extreme high alert,” with passengers from Wuhan required to fill out health declarations and face possible jail time if they do not declare symptoms.
Enhanced screening measures have also been set up at airports in Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore and the US.
A man showing symptoms of the disease who had traveled to Wuhan has been put in isolation in Australia as health officials await test results, authorities said.
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