More virus cases on cruise ship off Japan, Possible virus hot spot in Singapore
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Ten more people on a quarantined cruise liner in Japan have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Thursday, as health experts stepped up efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has provoked fears of a global pandemic.
The death toll from the virus in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563, with more than 28,000 confirmed infections there.
News of another virus hot spot emerged, linked to a mid-January company meeting in Singapore. At least three people caught the disease after a conference held with 94 overseas staff, including one from China’s central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
A Japan Coast Guard boat is seen before the Diamond Princess cruise ship approaching the port of Yokohama in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, 06 February 2020. The cruise ship with around 3,700 passengers on board docked in the morning to restock supplies. EPA-EFE/FRANCK ROBICHON
Authorities have not identified the company, but the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was investigating.
Singapore has reported 28 infections, some involving person-to-person transmission, a feature the WHO has said is deeply concerning and could signal a much larger outbreak.
A security guard checks the temperature of visitors at a seafood market in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, 06 February 2020. EPA-EFE/ALEX PLAVEVSKI
Financial analysts have cut their growth outlook for the world’s second-largest economy, with ratings agency Moody’s pointing to a risk to auto sales and production.
The virus has shut down cities and factories in China and disrupted global air travel. This week, it brought chaos to the sedate world of luxury ocean cruises.
About 3,700 people on Carnival’s Diamond Princess, docked off a Japanese port, face quarantine for at least two weeks on the ship, which has 20 virus cases, with testing continuing. Japan now has 45 virus cases.
In Hong Kong, a cruise ship with 3,600 passengers and crew was quarantined for a second day pending testing after three positive cases on board.
Taiwan, which has 13 cases, banned international cruise ships from docking.
Several countries, including the United States, have banned entry to visitors who have been in China over the previous two weeks.
