China coronavirus toll soars to 490, total confirmed cases over 24000
Beijing: The death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak rose to 490 on Tuesday while the total number of confirmed cases mounted to 24324, Chinese health officials announced on Wednesday.
By the end of Tuesday, a total of 490 people had died after being infected and 24,324 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions, China's National Health Commission reported.
It said 65 deaths were reported on Tuesday, all from Hubei province and its capital Wuhan. Also 3,887 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported on Tuesday, it said. Also on Tuesday, 431 patients became seriously ill, while 262 were discharged from hospital after recovery.
The commission added that 3,219 patients remained in severe condition and 23,260 people were suspected of being infected with the virus.
A total of 892 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery, it said.
Over 2.52 lakh who were in close contacts with patients had been traced with over 1.85 lakh others still under medical observation, it added.
By the end of Tuesday, 18 confirmed cases had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), including one death, 10 in the Macao SAR and 11 in Taiwan, it said.
As the novel coronavirus, regarded as the most virulent in recent years, showed no signs of abatement, China has intensified its efforts to contain its spread by opening more hospitals in Hubei province to exclusively treat its patients.
A 1000-bed makeshift hospital was opened on Monday. Another 1,300-bed hospital is set to be ready on Wednesday. Both will be run by hundreds of military medical personnel.
Authorities in Wuhan on Tuesday said they would build eight more mobile cabin hospitals to treat the patients, China Daily reported.
All the Chinese cities including Beijing have been reporting daily increase in the cases of the virus, which has no cure yet. The virus has now spread to over 20 countries.
The Philippines reported the first overseas death from the virus on Sunday while 176 cases have been reported from abroad so far. India has reported three cases of the coronavirus. All the three patients from Kerala recently returned from the affected Wuhan city.
India on Tuesday further tightened visa rules by cancelling the existing visas for Chinese and foreigners who had visited the country in the last two weeks.
On February 2, India temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the outbreak.
Currently, 647 Indians and seven Maldivians, who have been evacuated from Wuhan and Hubei are in 14-day quarantine at a medical camp in Manesar, near Delhi.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media here that 16 foreigners in China have been infected with the virus. She, however, declined to provide details of their nationalities in her Tuesday media briefing, citing privacy concerns.
According to reports, those infected included four Pakistanis and two Australians.
Wuhan has thousands of foreigners as it is an education hub. Hundreds of Pakistani have been pleading to their government to evacuate them citing successful evacuation by the Indian government.
China has struggled to contain the virus despite implementing unprecedented measures, including virtually locking down more than 50 million people in Hubei.
While the virus cases increased by the hour, Chinese health officials attributed the spiralling rate of cases and the death toll to shortages of hospitals mainly in Hubei and its provincial capital Wuhan.
Also Chinese officials have converted the national auditorium and gymnasium in Wuhan into a hospital to exclusively treat growing number of coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that the outbreak of the deadly virus does not yet constitute a "pandemic".
In its report on Tuesday, they WHO said dramatic measures taken by China to rein in the virus has prevented significant spread abroad.
The UN health agency's chief also called for greater global solidarity, accusing some governments of wealthy countries of being "well behind" in sharing data on virus cases.
"While 99 percent of cases are in China, in the rest of the world we only have 176 cases," the UN health agency's chiefs aid in a technical briefing to the WHO's Executive Board in Geneva.
Earlier, the WHO categorised the coronavirus as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
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Devine’s all-round brilliance trumps Nandini’s hat-trick as GG edge DC by 4 runs
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Nandini Sharma’s maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women’s Premier League match here on Sunday.
This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss.
Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209.
Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt.
Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three.
Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries.
Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win.
Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay.
The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark.
Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3).
Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick.
