More than 100 people, whose children are trapped in China since the new coronavirus broke out in China, urged the Pakistani government to bring back the students locked down in Hubei province. They held a demonstration in Karachi on Sunday. There are more than 1,000 students in Hubei and the government has ruled out their evacuation. The pressure is mounting on the government after India and Bangladesh evacuated their citizens.
105 more deaths in China, toll reaches 1,770
The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak touched 1,770 in China on Sunday with the National Health Commission confirming 105 more deaths. Around 100 deaths were reported in Hubei province where the epidemic was first detected. Of the 2,048 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, 1,933 were from Hubei, taking the total number of infected people to 70,548.
Forty US nationals on board cruise ship infected
More than 40 US citizens on a cruise ship have been infected with Covid-19, a US health department official said at a CBS news programme. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday had evacuated 400 US nationals on board the quarantined ship in Japan and flown them back to the US. The official said the 40 infected people will be sent to a hospital in Japan.
UK tests 3,109 people so far
The UK Department of Health and Social Care has carried out 3,109 tests of suspected coronavirus cases till Sunday with more than 117 more people undergoing tests. In the country, nine people have tested positive so far, eight of whom have since recovered and discharged from hospitals. Doctors have advised anyone who visited east and southeast Asian countries and showing symptoms like cough and fever to isolate themselves and call the NHS.
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Singapore govt to spend out of trouble
Singapore, one of the economies badly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, plans to roll out huge public spending to bail out itself. The finance minister of the island nation will announce the annual budget on Tuesday as the country struggles with the impact of the deadly infection. Singapore has confirmed the largest number of Covid-19 cases outside China. The southeast Asian nation’s economy is dependent on trade and China is one of its largest trading partners.
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Protest in Hong Kong against quarantine centres
Hong Kong saw protests for the second day against the administration’s plan to secure some buildings into quarantine centres. At least 100 people protested in the Fo Tan district where health department plans to turn a residential complex into a quarantine centre.