Coronavirus infections exceed 70,000 in China
The number of patients infected with a new coronavirus across China reached 70,548, while the death toll rose to 1,770, health authorities said Monday.
An additional 2,048 infections and 105 deaths were reported in a 24-hour period, according to the National Health Commission.
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The number of deaths represented a decline over Saturday, when 142 new deaths were recorded. The number of infections rose slightly, from 2,009 infections reported Saturday.
The central Hubei province, the epicentre of the Covid-19 disease, introduced strict new measures intended to control the spread of the virus on Sunday.
These included strengthening the lockdown of residential communities and ensuring 24-hour control of people’s movements; banning all vehicles from the road except for emergency services, official cars, vehicles transporting essential goods and public transportation; and enforcing real-name registration to purchase cold medicine from pharmacies.
Meanwhile, two US chartered flights carrying hundreds of passengers from a cruise ship have left Japan, the US Embassy in Tokyo said.
About 340 Americans, who had been stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the port of Yokohama, are on their way to the United States after they were screened for symptoms.
Upon their arrival in the US, they will have to go through another 14 days of quarantine.
Those who tested positive for the Covid-19 disease remain in Japan.
