China Virus Deaths Top 1,000 As Ukraine Readies Evacuation Of Citizens

There is now a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries, including one death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese health officials.

In Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic, 103 people died and 2,097 new cases were reported, the health commission said early on February 11.

The WHO has said the spread of the pathogen among people who have not been to China could be “the spark that becomes a bigger fire” and the global community must not let the epidemic get out of control.

Ukraine’s embassy in China said on February 10 that a charter plane is scheduled to land in Wuhan – the provincial capital of Hubei where the virus first emerged in December – and airlift 50 citizens to Kyiv the following day.

Once in Ukraine, the evacuated Ukrainians will be quarantined for 14 days.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases on a cruise ship with 3,700 passengers and crew on board quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama has doubled to 135.

One Ukrainian has tested positive for the infection aboard the ship.

While visiting a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 10 called the situation in Hubei province “still very grave” and “more decisive measures” were needed to contain the spread of the virus, said state broadcaster CCTV.

A WHO-led international team of experts landed in Beijing the same day to investigate the epidemic. It is headed by Bruce Aylward who oversaw the organization’s 2014-2016 response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa

There are 168 labs worldwide that have the technology to diagnose the virus, according to the WHO.

With reporting by DW, Reuters, AP, and Interfax