Iran reported a 50% increase in coronavirus infections, while New York City, Brussels, Berlin and Indonesia all reported their first cases. New cases were reported in Thailand and across the US. Hard-hit South Korea saw its total climb past 4,200.
The OECD warned that global economic growth will sink to levels not seen in more than a decade and central banks pledged to act after the market rout.
In Italy, all members of the Lombardy regional government are undergoing tests after one proved positive. The worldwide death toll from the outbreak surged past 3,000. European stocks and US futures pared their advance.
- New case reported in Thailand
- Global cases reach 89,000; death toll rises to 3,044
- Indonesia reports first cases, India has two new infections
- Coronavirus drives China factories to record slump
- Goldman predicts Fed will cut by half point in March
- G7 finance ministers will coordinate virus response
New case in Thailand
Thailand has reported one new coronavirus case, bringing the total number of such cases in the country to 43 since January, a senior health official said on Monday.
The new case is a 22-year-old Thai woman who has worked as a tourist assistant with another Thai patient, a driver for foreign tourists, Sukhum Kanchanaphimai, the permanent secretary of the health ministry, said in a news conference.
Cases surge in Iran
Iran, the hub of the outbreak in the Middle East, said the number of confirmed cases surged by 523 to 1,501. So far 66 people have died from the infection, the health ministry said. It said 7,280 suspected cases were sent to hospitals and 4,312 were tested.
Lombardy regional government to be tested
All members of the Lombardy regional government are undergoing tests after one member tested positive, Health Secretary Giulio Gallera said in a Facebook video. Governor Attilio Fontana had said last Wednesday that one of his staff tested positive for the virus, and that although he remained healthy, he was putting himself in isolation.
Confirmed cases in Italy jumped by more than 500 to 1,694 on Sunday with 41 deaths. Lombardy, the region that includes Milan, accounted for almost 1,000 cases.
Virus pushes global economy toward contraction
Global economic growth will sink to levels not seen in more than a decade, challenging central banks and governments to respond to a fast-changing situation, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said.
As central banks around the world try to calm a market panic, the Paris-based group also warned of a possible global contraction this quarter. It cut its full-year growth to 2.4% from 2.9%, which would be the weakest since 2009.
Portugal records first confirmed case
Portugal recorded the country’s first confirmed coronavirus case at a hospital in the northern city of Oporto, state-owned broadcaster RTP said, without saying how it obtained the information.
Cases rise in Germany, Belgium
The number of cases in Germany has risen to 150, from 129, according to the latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute. More than half, or 86, are in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, while the capital Berlin reported its first case.
Separately, Brussels reported its first infection -- a person who had travelled from a coronavirus risk area and will stay in quarantine -- the Belga news agency said, citing official sources. Belgium now has eight confirmed cases and federal government ministers will meet on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Austria sent back a bus with 45 students coming from the German city of Aachen because one of the students had been in contact with an infected person. Deutsche Telekom cancelled a cyber security conference scheduled for March 11 in Bonn and DMG Mori closed its location in Pfronten, Germany after one of its workers was infected.
India reports two more cases
Two people have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus in India -- one in the country’s capital New Delhi and another in the southern state of Telangana, the Press Information Bureau of India reported Monday.
Earlier, Indonesia confirmed its first cases. A 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter -- who had recently been in contact with a Japanese tourist -- have been infected.
Credit Suisse may split teams
Credit Suisse Group AG is considering splitting teams in Switzerland into different offices to ensure business can continue, which would be an extension of what has already been rolled out in Asia, according to a person familiar with the matter. The bank is also weighing whether to ask employees in the country to work remotely.
Hong Kong for retail sales tumble 12th straight month
Hong Kong retail sales by value tumbled again in January, entering a 12-month losing streak after a Lunar New Year holiday interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak and amid months of anti-Beijing protests.
Italy’s Misiani sees deficit-GDP at 2.4%
Italian Deputy Finance Minister Antonio Misiani sees the 2020 budget deficit-GDP ratio reaching 2.4% on measures to boost the economy. The government had expected the ratio at 2.2% and new measures would add 0.2 percentage points, Misiani told the Italian daily Il Messaggero.
Italy’s government is seeking to widen the nation’s budget deficit to pay for at least $4 billion in proposed emergency economic measures as it grapples with Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak.
Central banks step in; G7 finance ministers to meet
Global central bankers pledged action aimed at stabilising markets rattled by the outbreak as pressure builds on them to ease monetary policy to safeguard their economies. Goldman Sachs economists say central banks may deliver the reductions in tandem for the first time since 2008. Stocks rallied and Europe’s debt risk fell the most since September. The Bank of Japan said in an emergency statement that it would strive to provide ample liquidity and the Bank of England followed up with a pledge to ensure all necessary steps are taken to protect stability. The commitments came after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell opened the door to cutting interest rates in the US.
Separately, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Group of Seven finance ministers need to ensure that their responses are “as coordinated as possible” in order to be effective. They will hold a teleconference this week and there will be “concerted action”, Le Maire said, adding he spoke to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday.
South Korea adds more cases
The country reported 123 more cases, taking its tally to 4,335. Earlier on Monday, Jung Eun-kyeong, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the nation’s coronavirus fatality rate stood at 0.5% -- with the figure spiking to 3.7% for people aged 80 and older.
Lufthansa extends mainland China flight suspension
Lufthansa extended a suspension of flights to mainland China until April 24 and to Tehran until April 30, according to a statement. The airline will also cut capacity to Italy.
Austria sends German students back across border
Austria sent back a bus filled with 45 students coming from the German city of Aachen because one of the students had been in contact with an infected person, authorities in Tyrol province said.
The group was on the way to a skiing holiday in Seefeld, Austria, and the bus had already passed the border when a teacher became aware of the case and reported it to Austrian authorities.
Australia confirms human-to-human transmission
Australian health authorities confirmed the country’s first two cases of human-to-human transmission of the virus.
One Sydney woman was infected by her brother who had earlier returned to Australia from Iran before being diagnosed with Covid-19. Authorities could not explain how the second infected person, a male health worker, contracted the illness -- but they said he had been in direct contact with patients.
A separate third case, not locally transmitted, was also confirmed.
Nike briefly closes Europe HQ
Nike’s European headquarters in the Dutch town of Hilversum will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for cleaning after an employee was infected with the coronavirus, Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing an internal company e-mail. The infected employee has been told to stay home for 14 days, ANP said.
German capital confirms first positive case
Berlin confirmed its first case of the virus, and the infected person is being treated in isolation while authorities investigate with whom they came into contact. Germany has around 130 cases, with more than half in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
“Right now, it’s the uncertainty that is causing the most damage to German industry,” Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told ARD television. He added that he would would discuss possible stimulus measures with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz.
South Korea says its fatality rate is 0.5%
Jung Eun-kyeong, the director of the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the nation’s coronavirus fatality rate stood at 0.5% -- with the figure spiking to 3.7% for people aged 80 and older.
She also said that out of the total countrywide case tally of 4,212, some 57% are affiliated with the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. The obscure South Korean religious sect has drawn global attention in recent weeks after being linked to a sudden spike in virus cases in the nation.
Indonesia confirms first virus infections
The Southeast Asian nation confirmed its first two cases of the illness, according to local news portal Kompas, which cited President Joko Widodo. A 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter -- who had recently been in contact with a Japanese tourist -- were infected, the newspaper reported. It added that the women have been hospitalized, but Widodo declined to reveal where they were being treated.
Last month, Indonesia -- one of Asia’s most populous countries -- said it had no confirmed cases, but some public health experts were sceptical.
New York City reports first case
New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced its first positive virus case.
“We have already identified close contacts of the individual, who may have been exposed, and will take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” it said in a tweet.
The statement came hours after Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York state’s first case had been discovered in a lab in Albany, adding that there was no reason for undue anxiety and that the general risk in New York remained low. The infected woman, in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling in Iran, Cuomo said, and was in isolation at home. He said she had respiratory symptoms and was not in serious condition.
The New York Times reported earlier that a New York woman with the virus was isolated in her Manhattan home.
Seattle, King County report second virus death
Health officials in Seattle, the county seat, confirmed the deaths in a statement and also said four additional cases had been reported, bringing the the total number in the area to 10. The new infections impacted the elderly, including a woman in her 80s, another in her 90s, and two men in their 70s.
South Korea confirms hundreds of new cases
China’s neighbour confirmed 476 new cases, for a total of 4,212, according to a health ministry statement. The country’s death toll was 22 as of midnight, it said. Among the new infections, 377 were from the hard-hit city of Daegu and 68 from neighbouring North Gyeongsang province.
California county has three new cases
California’s Santa Clara County reported three new virus cases on Sunday, boosting its total infections to seven. The new cases include a man with chronic health issues and his wife, who recently visited Egypt, along with another woman who also has chronic health issues. All three are hospitalized, the health department said. The county is just south of San Francisco and includes Palo Alto and Mountain View.
US says no further drug shortages
The US has no further reports of a drug shortage because of the coronavirus outbreak in China after talking to manufacturers over the weekend, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn told a White House task force.
The agency, on Thursday, confirmed that a drug it didn’t identify was in short supply because the site used by the manufacturer in China is affected by the coronavirus.
“The FDA has gone out and worked proactively with drug manufacturers and there are 20 drugs for which the entire molecule or a critical element of the molecule is made exclusively in China,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Sunday on CBS. He said the one drug “may be in shortage for a short period of time”.
Egypt, Algeria report new cases
There were new cases reported in North African nations, as the virus spreads in the Middle East.
Egypt’s health ministry and the World Health Organization said a new case had been discovered there, the Egypt Today newspaper reported. The patient was in a stable condition and isolated in a hospital to receive treatment as his acquaintances were being checked, the newspaper said. It’s the second case reported by Egypt.
Neighbouring Algeria has two new cases, state TV reported, citing the country’s health ministry. A 53-year-old woman and her daughter were diagnosed with the illness, it said.
CDC lab examined for taint: Axios
A top federal scientist said he fears an Atlanta lab where the government made test kits for the coronavirus has been contaminated, Axios reported Sunday, citing people it didn’t identify.
The government ordered an independent investigation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab, and moved manufacturing of the virus test kits to another location, Axios said.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, in a statement to Axios, said that government agencies worked together to resolve the problems with the tests.
UK to hold emergency virus meeting
The UK faces a “significant challenge” from coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell an emergency meeting on Monday.
The government’s Cobra group will approve detailed plans to tackle the outbreak, as infections are expected to rise. The number of confirmed cases jumped to 36 on Sunday, with 33 in England, one in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one in Scotland.
The UK also is also setting up a “war room” and public information campaign to contain concern that already prompted panic buying of groceries and products such as hand sanitizers.
Twitter halts employee travel
Twitter Inc. suspended all non-critical business travel and events, a step to reduce risks that employees may become exposed to the coronavirus, the company said Sunday in a blog post.
“This policy is effective immediately and will continue until the World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control deem it appropriate to step back from pandemic precautionary measures or when a vaccine becomes available,” the company said.
UN health agency rejects travel bans
The World Health Organization said blocking the entry of travellers from nations fighting the coronavirus may be counterproductive and hurt local economies.
Since the outbreak began, WHO said more than 38 countries restricted travel to or from China, epicentre of the outbreak, or other nations. The limits include denial of entry and quarantine for returning passengers. The US took those steps last month.
“Several countries that denied entry of travellers or who have suspended the flights to and from China or other affected countries, are now reporting cases of Covid-19,” the United Nations agency said Sunday in its update.
WHO continues to advise against applying travel or trade restrictions.
Scotland resident has virus after Italy visit
A patient who recently visited Italy has been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Scotland, the first in the UK nation, the government said Sunday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led a meeting of the government resilience committee and will be in London Monday for a UK emergency meeting on the outbreak. The Scottish group will meet again on Monday, according to a statement.
Washington researchers link cases six weeks apart
Researchers at two Washington state health centres may have evidence suggesting the coronavirus may have been circulating, undetected in the state for six weeks, one researcher said.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington said genetic similarities between the state’s first case on Jan 20 -- also the first in the US -- and a case announced Friday indicated the newer case may have descended from the earlier one.
“I believe we’re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China,” tweeted Trevor Bedford, an associate professor at the Hutchinson centre. The Associated Press reported on the study earlier Sunday.
Monaco reports first virus case
Monaco on the French Riviera reported its first coronavirus case, the World Health Organization confirmed its daily update report.
The patient, a man thought to be in his 50s, is being treated in Nice as authorities try to identify who the patient came in contact with in recent days, according to a tweet from the Monaco Life news website.
France adds 30 cases
France reported an additional 30 coronavirus cases on Sunday, up from 100 a day earlier, mostly located in two clusters, Director General for Health Jerome Salomon said.
He reiterated recommendations that citizens reduce their social life, avoid fragile and old people, and check their temperatures twice a day while in affected clusters or returning from risky foreign areas.
Salomon said few children have developed serious infections, possibly because their respiratory systems are less mature and thus not allowing the virus to take hold.
Italian cases increase 50%
Italy’s confirmed coronavirus infections jumped to 1,694 from 1,128 a day earlier, the nation’s emergency chief Angelo Borrelli said on Sunday.
There are 34 possible virus-linked deaths, the Italian Civil Protection official said Sunday at a Rome news conference, an increase of five from the previous day.
US plans ‘radical’ jump in tests
The US expects a significant jump in tests available to detect the spreading cornoavirus, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.
“We now have 75,000 tests available out there,” Azar said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “Over the next week, that will expand radically.”
The US is ramping up testing to learn how the infection has spread to people who didn’t visit China, where the outbreak began, or other locations with multiple cases. The health agency is still investigating the death in Washington state, the first for the US, he said.