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Coronavirus LIVE: Iran reports 11 new deaths, Ireland confirms first case

The new coronavirus has killed nearly 3,000 people and infected more than 86,000 in dozens of countries

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South Korean Army soldiers wearing protective gears gather to spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus at the Dongdaegu train station in Daegu, South Korea

Industry body Assocham said on Sunday that with the Chinese economy getting impacted due to the coronavirus outbreak, India can push its exports in the global markets to fill up the space vacated by the neighbouring country.
 
The boduy said that while Indian exporters of electronics, pharmaceuticals, speciality chemicals and automobile segments depend on China for raw material and are facing supply constraints, there are several areas where there are increased opportunities for domestic traders.
 
Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in China rose to 2,870 on Sunday with the country's health authorities reporting 35 more deaths.  The number, however,  is lower than the 47 fatalities reported by authorities on Saturday.

All but one of the 35 deaths were in Hubei province, whose capital Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak.

China's National Health Commission also reported 573 new infections, bringing the total number of cases in mainland China to 79,824.


The new coronavirus, which has killed nearly 3,000 people and infected more than 86,000 in dozens of countries, is believed to have first emerged late last year in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals. 


In another development, India's Commerce Department is considering imposing duties on over a 100 products that the country imports from China in light of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. The issue is set to be discussed early next week as the department meets with industry bodies to discuss the widening supply gap for key imports.
2:46 AM

Firms may well have to airlift raw materials

The growing spread of coronavirus and its impact on production in China have left Indian companies scrambling for options. While airlifting raw materials from China is a measure that some firms are now considering, others are looking at neighbouring countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand for their sourcing requirements. Read on..
2:38 AM

UK coronavirus cases jump, PM Johnson says he expects more

Britain announced a jump in coronavirus cases on Sunday, with 13 new infections taking the total to 36, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he expected the number to rise further
2:37 AM

IT companies widen travel restrictions

As new cases of coronavirus started to emerge in many parts of the world, IT services firms have begun to impose strict travel restrictions, which is likely to result in business disruption in the coming days. Also, the demand from hospitality & travel and automotive verticals is expected to turn weak in the coming months, as tourism has been badly affected in the past two months
 
According to company executives, most IT firms have cut down unnecessary travels to countries like Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Italy.  Read on....
11:56 PM

Virus cases in Italy soar 40%

The number of people infected in Italy with the new coronavirus rose 40 per cent to 1,576 in just 24 hours, Italian authorities announced on Sunday, adding that five more infected people had died.
 
The news came as a new US government advisory urged Americans not to travel to the two Italian regions hardest hit by the virus.
11:55 PM

Collaborating with Iran authorities to set up screening process for stranded Indians, says Foreign Minister Jaishankar

9:58 PM

Two Nepali nationals having flu symptoms kept in isolation

Two Nepali nationals, who returned from China and South Korea, have been kept in an isolation ward of a government hospital in Nepal after they showed flu-like symptoms, officials said on Sunday.
 
Officials of the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku said swabs of throat and nose of the duo were sent to the National Public Health Laboratory to test for COVID-19.
 
The person who returned from China was kept in isolation since Saturday, while the one who came from Korea was kept in the isolation ward on Sunday, they said.
 
Both the persons came back to Nepal less than 14 days ago.
9:57 PM

Coronavirus will have short-term impact, airlines need to be flexible: Vistara CEO

As Vistara took delivery of its first wide-body Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft at the Boeing facility here to start long haul operations, the airline's CEO Leslie Thng said the recent coronavirus outbreak would have a short term impact on the aviation industry and that airlines need to remain flexible and nimble while dealing with the situation.
 
The recent novel coronavirus outbreak has killed nearly 3,000 people across the world, with 2,870 deaths in China alone.
 
n the coronavirus outbreak, Thng said, "If you look at the airline industry over a decade, there always are some episodes of shocks. Airlines will have to make some adjustments to the capacity, they have to make some adjustments to the frequency, etc. We have to just make sure that we (airlines) remain flexible and nimble." The new 787-9 aircraft, which has the registration number VT-TSD, is the first of the six that Vistara has purchased from Boeing.
9:52 PM

Tharoor writes to Jaishankar, seeks evacuation of stranded Kerala fishermen from Iran

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take urgent action over the issue of Kerala fishermen stranded in Iran following the coronavirus outbreak and explore all channels with Iranian authorities for their evacuation.
 
In a letter to Jaishankar, he said certain fishermen groups from India, including many from his Lok Sabha constituency of Thiruvananthapuram, are currently stranded in Iran following the outbreak of coronavirus in the region.
 
These are fishermen who have legally secured work permits and have been hired by local fishing companies to work in the country, Tharoor said.
9:51 PM

Woman quarantined in Indore for suspected Covid infection

A 27-year-old woman was quarantined in hospital here in Madhya Pradesh for suspected exposure to the novel Coronavirus on Saturday after she returned from Italy, an official said on Sunday.
 
The woman, who hails from Indore but currently studying in Italy, came into contact with a patient affected by the deadly virus at a social gathering in that party, he said.
 
"The woman was admitted to the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar Hospital (MYH) on Saturday evening after she showed symptoms of cold. She has been kept under medical supervision in a separate ward of the hospital for 14 days," said Dr Santosh Sisodia, District In-charge of Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP).
8:16 PM

UK reports 12 new coronavirus cases, bringing tally to 35

British health authorities on Sunday announced 12 more confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the country's overall tally to 35.
 
The government's chief medical officer, Prof. Chris Whitty, said one of the new patients “had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad.” Whitty said medical workers were still investigating the cause of that one infection.
 
Three of the new COVID-19 patients were contacts of an existing patient.
 
Of the remaining eight new cases, six infected people had recently traveled from Italy and two had arrived from Iran, both countries hard hit by the coronavirus that emerged late last year in central China. 
8:15 PM

Virus shuts famed French church in Rome

The French community church in Rome, St Louis of the French, closed its doors to the public on Sunday after a priest was infected with a new virus.
 
The church in the historic centre of Rome is famous for three paintings by the Baroque master Caravaggio, making it a destination for tourists and the faithful alike. A sign on the door Sunday noted in French that the church had been closed as a precaution by the French Embassy for both Masses and tourist visits until further notice.
 
The Religious Information Service news agency reported that the church was closed after a 43-year-old priest who had returned to Paris was hospitalized after being infected by coronavirus.
8:07 PM

Virus fears close down France's Louvre Museum

The spreading coronavirus epidemic shut down France's Louvre Museum on Sunday, with workers who guard its trove of art works fearful of being contaminated by the museum's flow of visitors from around the world.
 
"We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere," said Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers.
 
"The risk is very, very, very great," he said in a phone interview. While there are no known virus infections among the museum's 2,300 workers, “it's only a question of time," he said.
7:01 PM

All crew members have left virus-hit ship in Japan: minister

All crew members from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship off Japan have now disembarked, the country's health minister said.
 
The crew began leaving the Diamond Princess on Thursday for quarantine ashore after the last of the passengers had departed.
 
"Including the captain, all crew members disembarked," health minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters late Sunday.
 
Around 130 people -- including the captain and 98 health ministry officials who were working aboard -- tested negative for the virus as they left the vessel, he said.
 
They will spend 14 days at government-designated dormitories before being allowed to leave Japan, while the vessel will be disinfected before sailing again.
 
At least six people who were hospitalised after being taken off the ship have died, including a British male passenger, the health ministry said.
6:58 PM

Man quarantined in Maharashtra for suspected Coronavirus tests negative

A man who was quarantined in Nashik in Maharashtra for possible exposure to novel coronavirus after his return from Italy, has tested negative, officials said on Sunday.
 
The man, who hails from Chandrapur district, had returned to the country on February 26 from Italy, where he had gone for studies, an official said.
 
"He came directly to his sister's place in Nashik. As he suffered from cough, cold and fatigue, the health officials of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) conducted a medical check-up on him and got him admitted to the civil hospital here," district civil surgeon Dr Suresh Jagdale said.
6:42 PM

Armenia confirms first coronavirus case

Armenia on Sunday confirmed its first case of coronavirus, an Armenian citizen who recently returned from Iran and who was in stable condition in hospital.
 
Around 30 people who had been in contact with the patient had also been placed in isolation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.
 
Neighbouring Azerbaijan registered its first case of the COVID-19 virus on Friday, a Russian who had also arrived from Iran. On Saturday, Azerbaijan suspended all flights to Iran.

Georgia also has confirmed three cases and has temporarily banned Iranian nationals from visiting, along with suspending air links with China.

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First Published: Feb 25 2020 | 8:05 AM IST

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