Steps being taken by affected countries to contain coronavirus

BusinessToday.In

Feb 28, 2020,
Updated Feb 28, 2020 8:12 PM IST

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More than 83,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in 52 countries so far. The global death toll has now reached over 2,800. Officials already fear that the disease could spread aggressively in countries with weaker health systems and poor sanitation. Here's how some of the most affected countries are coping with Covid-19.

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South Korea
South Korea has been preparing itself to fight the outbreak since as early as November 2019. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had devised a method of testing any early signs of coronavirus and eliminating known signs of the disease. South Korea has deployed high-tech resources and is responding aggressively to the outbreak. The government of South Korea has also been tracking the movements of travellers arriving from China. Tracking the use of credit cards, keeping an eye on CCTV footage and mandating citizens to download an app which keeps track of their health status every day are some significant methods undertaken by the government so far. As for those who are already infected, the government has published an extremely detailed list of their whereabouts, as well as their travel history.

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China
The coronavirus-hit China's death toll has now crossed 2800. China has reported 29 fresh cases (the lowest in weeks) with more confirmed cases having risen to 78,497, an official said on Thursday. Beijing has been facing pressure to contain the coronavirus outbreak as new confirmed cases have been reported due to movements from abroad. Officials from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention China (China CDCP) said in the statement that the central government has put the capital on top priority in terms of epidemic prevention. Rigorous measures have also been undertaken like those adopted in epicentre Hubei, to contain the epidemic. In order to contain the virus, people returning from Hubei to Beijing have been quarantined at home for 14 days.

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ItalyOn Thursday, as per the data provided by the country's civil protection agency, the overall confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus had risen to 650. More than 300 people have also confirmed positive for coronavirus in Lombardy, which is centred in Italy's financial capital Milan. Meanwhile, the country's death toll, which was 12 till a few days back, has now risen to 17 after five more people died on Thursday. This one has been the worst contagion recorded by Europe so far. The governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, has put himself in quarantine after one of his staff tested positive. The minister announced the news on Facebook live late on Wednesday from behind a protective face mask. The Italian government officials have also taken various steps, one being urging the citizens not to panic. According to some reports, a government consultant, who has been fighting on the frontlines, had decided to test hundreds of people, even those without any symptoms. Analysts also fear that the outbreak could bring Italy's fragile economy back to its fourth recession in 12 years.

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IraqThe total number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has risen to seven in the country. The health ministry said that a 51-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus had returned from Iran. The man has been kept in quarantine. Iraq, which is culturally and religiously on good terms with Iran, receives millions of Iranian pilgrims. In a bid to contain the epidemic, Iraq has banned all public gatherings. The country has also banned travel to 9 countries, namely, China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Bahrain and Kuwait. The government has also ordered shutdown of schools and universities. Cinemas, cafes, clubs and another public gathering spots nationwide are supposed to remain in lockdown from February 27 to March 7.

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IranIran's health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour confirmed 245 new cases, up by 106 fresh cases-the highest for a single day. The number of deaths are 26 till date. Iran announced its first confirmed case on February 19. On February 25, Iran's deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, also tested positive. The minister looked visibly feverish while addressing the press conference in Tehran. He has been put in isolation. Iranian authorities have announced domestic travel restrictions for suspected and confirmed cases. Teams have been deployed at city entrances to control movements. Such controls have already come into force. The team will be doing temperature checks. All suspected cases would be quarantined for 14 days.

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France
France has so far confirmed 17 novel coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, the death toll remains at two. France has been on high alert after the news of the outbreak broke in neighbouring Italy. The first casualty of the coronavirus was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist who died in the hospital mid-February. The French government has asked citizens to avoid all non-essential outings and to keep children home.

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JapanAs of Friday, Japan has 226 confirmed cases of the COVID-19. Six people have so far died in Japan. Unlike other major countries, Japan hasn't imposed travel restrictions yet. As of now, in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, Japanese government has asked all schools to close temporarily from Monday.

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USUnited States has so far confirmed 60 cases of novel coronavirus. US President Donald Trump assured that the situation was under control and that the risk of coronavirus spread was "very low". Some precautions have been announced by Michael Wilkes, Professor of Medicine and Global Health at UC Davis to protect oneself from contracting the virus. Wilke suggested on seeking medical attention and isolating oneself if they suspect any symptoms of the virus. In terms of community measures, large gatherings such as in sporting or music events are avoidable.

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Hong KongHong Kong has so far reported 93 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections and two fatalities have also been reported as the outbreak worsens. Among the latest confirmed cases some were from Diamond Princess Cruise ship, who returned to the city from Japan. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) revealed that newly infected cases of two women aged 80 and 76 who had visited the Fook Wai Ching She Buddhist temple at Maylun, have also been found. Infectious disease specialist Joseph has urged the CHP, the Centre for Health Protection, to track down visitors who had visited the temple without masks. He also urged the Department of Health to use a supercomputer to keep track of the spread of virus.

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Taiwan
The total number of confirmed cases in Taiwan has increased by two to 34. Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung announced that the 33rd case is believed to have come from Osaka, Japan. Among 34 patients, nine have been discharged from the hospital after recovery. Taiwan, in order to prevent the virus spread, has imposed travel restrictions to Japan. The country has asked those who have plans to visit the east Asian nation to take high precautions.