Deaths from the coronavirus surpassed 3,000 in China, although the first country hit by the disease also announced progress on discharging people after treatment. California called a state of emergency, underscoring the global spread of the disease.
Global cases from the coronavirus outbreak topped 95,500 and the death toll rose to 3,285. Fatalities moderated in China and cases appeared to slow in South Korea.
The declaration in the most populous US state followed passage in the House of Representatives of a US$7.8-billion spending package to fund measures to combat the outbreak, showcasing a strengthening response in the world’s largest economy.
In other developements:
Airlines to lose $113bn
The airline industry could lose up to $113 billion in revenue this year due to the impact of the new coronavirus, an industry body warned, as the epidemic spreads rapidly worldwide.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated revenue losses to airlines' passenger business of between $63 billion and $113 billion — with the higher figure for a scenario where the virus spreads more widely.
The more dire prediction amounts to a 19 percent loss in worldwide passenger revenues, IATA said.
"Financially, that would be on a scale equivalent to what the industry experienced in the global financial crisis," said a statement from the group.
It was a far bleaker assessment than two weeks ago, when IATA forecast revenue losses would come in at $29.3 billion.
But since then the virus has spread rapidly outside China, where it first emerged late last year, and has now reached some 80 countries and territories. More than 95,000 people have been infected and over 3,200 have died worldwide.
"The turn of events as a result of COVID-19 is almost without precedent," said IATA head Alexandre de Juniac, following a meeting in Singapore.
"In little over two months, the industry's prospects in much of the world have taken a dramatic turn for the worse."
Swiss report first death
A 74-year-old woman in western Switzerland has died, the country's first death from the rapidly spreading disease outbreak, regional police said.
The woman had been hospitalised at Lausanne's University Hospital in the canton of Vaud since Tuesday, police said. She was a high-risk patient suffering from chronic disease, authorities added.
In Switzerland, 58 infections have been confirmed so far. The country has frequent exchanges with neighbour Italy, where around 3,100 people have been diagnosed with the disease and 107 died, as well as France and Germany, where coronavirus cases have also been reported.
Swiss health authorities said on Wednesday that so far mostly young people had contracted the disease in Switzerland, but were likely to pass it on to older people who are more at risk.
The Swiss government has banned events and gatherings of more than 1,000 people and advised people to keep their distance, avoid shaking hands and refrain from the traditional Swiss triple-kiss greeting.
Companies like UBS and Nestle have imposed travel bans, while fragrance maker Givaudan on Wednesday opted to shutter a site near Zurich because an employee contracted the disease.
109 new cases in Germany
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany jumped by 109 within a day, a public health institute said.
As of Thursday morning, there were 349 cases spread across all but one federal state, up from 240 on Wednesday morning and compared with 262 on Wednesday afternoon, the Robert Koch Institute said.
The hardest-hit state is the western region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous, with 175 cases.
Bosnia confirms first two cases
Bosnia confirmed its first two cases of the new coronavirus — a middle-aged man who recently visited Italy and his child, the health minister of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic said.
Alen Seranic said the man, who returned from Italy late last month, had been confirmed earlier this week as having coronavirus. He is in a stable condition and is being kept in isolation in hospital in the city of Banja Luka.
"His wife tested negative for coronavirus but his child was found positive last night," Mr Seranic told a news conference in Banja Luka.
Health authorities will test school children who have had contact with the infected child, as well as all other members of the infected family, he said. The school will be closed for the next couple of days.
"This is the first case of infection that was not unexpected, it was expected after the outbreak in Italy, which is among our biggest trade partners," Mr Seranic said.
145 new cases in Korea
South Korea confirmed another 467 cases of coronavirus infection on Thursday, bringing the tally to over 6,000.
According to the earlier report from the health authorities, 4,326 cases occurred in Daegu, the worst-hit city in the country's southeast, with a shortage in hospital beds there becoming increasingly dire.
The death toll from the pneumonia-causing virus has risen to 37, up four from Wednesday, according to a Health and Welfare Ministry.
Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city, is home to a branch of a minor Christian sect where mass transmissions are believed to have occurred among group members.
Over 2,000 people with the virus are waiting to be admitted to hospitals, according to local media. Of those who have died, five did so while in self-quarantine.
The government has turned various facilities into temporary treatment centers to care for those with symptoms, but the spread of the virus has outpaced such efforts.
Also amid the surging demand for face masks, the government decided to ban exports of domestically produced ones starting Friday. It earlier had set a ceiling of 10 percent of daily output for exports.
Infections are also increasing in other metropolitan areas, with the number of cases in the capital Seoul reaching 103.
US Forces Korea said Thursday that two dependents of service members stationed in Daegu have tested positive for the pneumonia-causing virus, making them the fifth and sixth people linked to US military members based in South Korea to be confirmed as infected.
According to health authorities, 88 patients have been released after making a full recovery, while more than 21,000 people are still being tested.
Travel bans spread
Indonesia will impose restrictions on travellers from Italy, South Korea and Iran, widening a ban previously imposed on China, as the nation seeks to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Starting March 8, Indonesia won’t allow entry nor transit of persons who have been to Tehran, Qom and Gilan in Iran; Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Piedmont in Italy; Daegu and Gyeongsang province in South Korea in the past 14 days, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Thursday.
Travellers from the three countries but weren’t in those specific areas must present a certification of good health upon checking in at the airport, Mr Marsudi said in Jakarta.
Jakarta, which this week reported its first two cases of infection, banned direct flights from mainland China and suspended visas on arrival for Chinese citizens since last month.
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces the government will continue travel bans for China and Iran, and will extend the ban to South Korea, in press conference in Canberra.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga separately said his country has expressed strong concern to India over the South Asian nation’s suspension of visas to Japanese citizens.
India, which has seen a rise in cases thanks in part to visiting tourists from Italy, earlier this week also cancelled visas for Italians, Iranians and South Koreans issued on or before March 3, according to India Today.
Kim sends letter to Moon
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a personal letter to South Korean President Moon Jae In commiserating with South Koreans over the coronavirus outbreak, the presidential office said.
Consoling South Koreans going through difficulties, Kim said in Wednesday's letter that he believes they can overcome the epidemic and that all South Koreans can stay healthy, the office said.
Kang Min Seok, spokesman at the presidential office told a press briefing that Moon has sent a letter of gratitude to Kim in return.
First human-to-animal transmission
The pet dog of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong has been confirmed to be infected with a “low level” of the virus, marking what’s likely the first known instance of human-to-animal transmission. Tests confirmed the virus in the pet’s nasal and oral cavities, “which indicates a low-level of infection,” Hong Kong’s agricultural and fisheries department said in statement late Wednesday.
Facebook sees first infection
Facebook Inc said an employee in Seattle has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the first known infection within the company as the virus continues to spread in the region.
The employee, a contractor, was last in Facebook’s Stadium East office in Seattle on Feb 21. The company alerted employees Wednesday night and said the Seattle office will be closed to all employees until March 9. Employees in Seattle are also being encouraged to work from home until the end of the month.
Microsoft work-from-home guidance
Microsoft Corp became the largest employer in Washington state’s Puget Sound region to tell all workers to do their jobs from home if possible, until March 25, after King County made a similar recommendation to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Workers whose roles require their presence on site should go to their locations, except those aged 60 or over, pregnant or have underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems, the Redmond, Washington-based software maker said Wednesday in a blog post. Workers in those groups should discuss the appropriate leave options with their managers, the company said.
Microsoft, one of the biggest employers in the Seattle area, had previously given workers the option of working from home. Washington state has so far been hardest hit by the virus in the US, with nine deaths and 31 cases in King County alone.
China deaths moderate
China on Wednesday reported an additional 31 coronavirus deaths by March 4, bringing the total to 3,012, with all of the newest fatalities coming from Hubei province, the original source of the outbreak. The country also reported an additional 139 confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 80,409. Discharged patients climbed by 2,189 to 52045.
While doubts remain over whether the Chinese statistics show the full picture, the surging number of recovering patients has spurred optimism. Sixty-two percent of those who’ve been officially diagnosed with the disease are now better and out of hospital, according to the data from the National Health Commission on Wednesday.
California governor declares emergency
California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to make more resources available and loosen regulations. The state had its first death Wednesday from a resident in Placer County, whose case was linked to travel on a cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico last month.
More than 50% of the roughly 2,500 people on that cruise were Californians, Newsom said. The state is sending people up and down the state to find passengers for monitoring. The ship, the Grand Princess, is now being rerouted from a separate sailing and is being held off the coast of San Francisco as the state prepares to test guests on board, Newsom said. Twenty-one passengers and crew members are showing symptoms.
Washington conference
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said Wednesday that a person infected with the coronavirus had contact in New York with people who attended the organization’s policy conference in Washington this week.
“To our knowledge, no one who attended the conference has tested positive for coronavirus at this time,” AIPAC said in an emailed statement to conference participants. The people exposed to the infected person have been added to the self-quarantine list, it said.
AIPAC, an influential pro-Israel lobby, said it has been in close contact with Washington’s health department. “There is no evidence of community spread in DC,” according to the District of Columbia Health Department. Among the speakers at the AIPAC conference were Vice President Mike Pence, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
Qantas accused of sub-standard cleaning practices
Substandard plane-cleaning practices on a Qantas Airways Ltd plane may have put workers and passengers at risk of catching the new coronavirus, according to a workplace safety watchdog.
The airline’s method of cleaning planes that could have carried infected passengers is “inadequate,” SafeWork NSW said in a March 2 notice to Qantas that was released by a trade union. “Workers and other persons may be exposed to a risk of injury or illness,” the state government body said in its report.
A spokesman for the airline said it’s considering appealing the notice. “Qantas is not known for being complacent when it comes to safety or the cleanliness of our aircraft,” it said in a statement.
CDC lifts most restrictions on testing
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted most restrictions on coronavirus testing on Wednesday, saying in a new set of guidelines that doctors could use their judgment in deciding what patients to test.
“This expands testing to a wider group of symptomatic patients,” the agency said in a document posted on its website. Testing decisions should be based on how the virus is spreading in a given community, as well as whether a patient has symptoms consistent with possible coronavirus infection.
The CDC has been criticised by local doctors and health officials over overly restrictive testing criteria that had prevented physicians from testing sick people who hadn’t traveled to affected areas or had contact with known patients. Also, the original test kit the CDC produced had flaws that led to shortages of testing capacity, which are only now being resolved.
Drugmakers promise affordable vaccines, treatments
Executives from Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers committed to affordable access of potential coronavirus vaccines and treatments, at a briefing with reporters Wednesday.
“We’re keenly aware of what’s at stake here,” said Stephen Ubl, head of PhRMA, the industry’s lobbying arm.
Daniel O’Day, chief executive officer of Gilead Sciences Inc., said there are many factors that need to be considered when pricing a drug, such as what other treatments are available and how to ensure there’s an ability to reinvest into medicines for other potential pandemics.
Price gouging targeted
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is investigating price gouging in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle region, where 10 people have died from the illness. Many stores are out of hand sanitiser and face masks, and panicked shoppers are stocking up on essentials.“My office is investigating price gouging in the wake of the Covid-19 public health emergency,” Ferguson said in a statement, referring to the name of the disease caused by the virus. “We do not identify the targets of our investigations, but we are taking formal investigative actions. If you see price gouging, file a complaint with my office.”Washington, unlike most US states, doesn’t have a specific price-gouging law.
United to reduce flights, freeze hiring (3.10pm NY)
United Airlines Holdings Inc plans to cut back on flights, freeze hiring and halt merit pay raises as it grapples with a rapid decline in travel demand. The domestic schedule will be pared 10% in April and international flying will be chopped 20%, United said in a message to employees. Similar reductions will probably be necessary for May, Chief Executive Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby said in the memo.
United has also imposed a hiring freeze through June and deferred merit-based salary increases for management until July 1, in an effort to prepare the company financially for a steep downturn in business. The Chicago-based carrier will also offer employees voluntary unpaid leaves of absence.
Italy closes schools until March 15
Italy said it would close its schools until March 15 as it redoubles efforts to curb the worst outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in Europe.
The decision came after Italian emergency chief Angelo Borrelli reported an additional 28 deaths, bringing the total to 107. The number of coronavirus cases increased to 3,086 from 2,502 on Tuesday in an outbreak that has crippled activity in the rich northern regions.
UK lawmakers discuss contingency plans
The UK Parliament is working on contingency plans to keep functioning if there are restrictions placed on public gatherings to delay the spread of coronavirus. The UK said Wednesday that cases jumped by 34 to a total of 85.
Ministers “will be saying a little bit more in the next couple of days,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons after he was asked about using conference calls and electronic voting to pass legislation.
NY students to be flown home
About 300 City University of New York and State University of New York students and related faculty studying in China, Italy, Japan, Iran and South Korea will be flown back in a charter plane to Orange County, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a media briefing. They will then be quarantined and monitored for 14 days in dormitories, he said.
Cuomo and state health officials plan to meet with Westchester County government and health leaders Wednesday to track the spread of the virus after six people tested positive in the county. Cuomo said they’re looking into whether any of the patients took public transportation.
Four more test positive in New York
Relatives and a neighbor of a lawyer who contracted the coronavirus in Westchester County all have tested positive for the infection, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
The lawyer’s wife, 14-year-old daughter, 20-year-old son and a person who drove him to the hospital all came down with the sickness, the governor said during a briefing. Yeshiva University in Manhattan’s Washington Heights and Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy in the Bronx, where the children attended, both have been closed.
The attorney is in intensive care, Cuomo said.
US Business leaders caution against overreacting
US Chamber of Commerce officials and travel industry leaders urged businesses and consumers not to overreact to the spread of coronavirus and to take precautions while going about business as usual.
“Fear and panic undermine our ability to contain the virus, to minimize disruptions to daily life and to keep our economy humming along,” the chamber’s chief executive officer, Tom Donohue, said at a press conference in Washington.
BOE’s Bailey says coronavirus means bank must be nimble (9.40am NY)
The Bank of England needs to be nimble in its efforts to tackle the coronavirus threat, according to incoming Governor Andrew Bailey.
Speaking before UK lawmakers Wednesday, Bailey said collective action may be needed to offset the impact on supply chains. There is mounting speculation that the BOE will follow the Federal Reserve with an emergency interest-rate cut.
France reports 45 new cases, total is 257
France has 45 new cases, public health authority Sante Publique France said on its website. The number of fatalities is unchanged at four.
UK cases jump by 34 to 85
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care said in a tweet that the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases stands at 85 people as of 9 am local time on March 4.
EU fears cascading economic effects
The coronavirus is threatening to plunge both France and Italy into recession, and a prolonged epidemic could ripple through the region’s economy and financial markets and cause a “vicious sovereign-bank loop,” European finance ministers were warned by officials on Wednesday.
“A longer and more widespread epidemic could have a disproportionate negative impact through uncertainty and financial-market channels,” according to a European Commission briefing note on the economic impact, seen by Bloomberg. “Cascading effects could stem from liquidity shortages in firms that have to stop production, amplified and spread out by financial markets.”’