The death toll from the new corona virus in China has risen to 53 and the number of infections has gone to 1,975, according to Chinese state media on Sunday morning (Dutch time). In Canada, the disease has probably also emerged.
In this slow blog the NU.nl editors will update you a few times a day about the latest developments regarding the corona virus.
The deaths were among others in Henan province, which is next to Hubei province where the virus broke out, and the city of Shanghai. In both cases it concerns the first deaths in these places. Only in China have people been killed so far.
The World Health Organization WHO initially did not want to speak of an international problem, but did speak of an “emergency for China”.
The virus has since spread to various countries, such as the United States, Japan and Australia. On Friday the first cases of illness were confirmed in Europe, when three people were found to be infected in France.
Virus may have surfaced in Canada
Health authorities in the Canadian city of Toronto report the suspected first infection in Canada. The fifty-year-old man had just returned from Wuhan and has symptoms of an airway disorder.
He is in the hospital and is stable. Relatives of the man, who had picked him up from the airport, are closely monitored.
Canada fears a repeat of the SARS epidemic from 2002 and 2003. Then 44 people died in the North American country. It was the only country outside of Asia where SARS caused fatalities.
Several cities locked
The Chinese authorities have now locked 15 cities as a measure. Several roads have been blocked and public transport has been stopped. Almost all flights have been canceled at Wuhan Airport.
The Chinese New Year is celebrated on Saturday, which means that many residents usually travel to their families. As a precaution, some New Year’s celebrations in the capital Beijing were canceled.
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