Wednesday, February 5
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has risen to 490 after more deaths were reported in Hubei province. The virus originated in Wuhan, Hubei’s provincial capital.
A further 24,324 people on the Chinese mainland have been infected China’s National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
US confirms new case
The United States has confirmed its twelfth case of coronavirus, the first in the state of Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement that the patient is “an adult with a history of travel to Beijing, China prior to becoming ill”.
It added that the patient was “exposed to known cases” while in China and was now isolated at home.
Canadians who do not need to be in China should leave: Ottawa
Canadian citizens who do not need to be in China should leave while they still can, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said.
“We are advising Canadians whose presence in China is not essential to depart via commercial means while they remain available,” he told reporters.
Canada intended to fly out 200 citizens on Wednesday but will wait another 24 hours because of bad weather, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier.
About 350 US evacuees from Wuhan land in California
Two planes carrying about 350 US citizens out of Wuhan has arrived at a US military base in California.
The US travelers on two State Department-chartered flights will be quarantined for 14 days after landing, the US Defense Department said.
WHO convening experts on drugs, vaccines to set research agenda
Experts will meet in Geneva from February 11-12 to set research and development priorities for coronavirus drugs, diagnostics and vaccines to combat the outbreak, the WHO said.
WHO Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a multinational WHO-led team would go to China “soon”.
Gates Foundation announce $100m for coronavirus response
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to commit up to $100m for the global response to the coronavirus.
The funding will be used to strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts, the foundation said, including protecting at-risk populations and developing vaccines and diagnostics.
