With 89 fatalities reported on Saturday, Feb. 8, death toll attributed to the deadly novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV has become equivalent to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002-03. Till, now 813 fatalities and 37,552 cases have been reported from all over the world.
With cases mounting at a rapid pace, several cruise lines have joined airlines in suspending operations on certain routes to and from China. Meanwhile, after an American citizen was reported dead in Wuhan, a Japanese citizen has also died due to coronavirus infection.
Coronavirus: death toll and latest cases
As of Saturday, China reported 89 deaths and 2,656 new cases of novel coronavirus infection, bringing the total death toll equivalent to the SARS toll of 813, in 2002-03.
In mainland China, where the Wuhan coronavirus originated, the death toll has reached 811 and the number of cases has climbed up to 37,198, Global Times reported.
In central China's Hubei province, that has served as the epicenter of the epidemic, 81 fatalities were reported, out of a total of 89 in mainland China. Out of 2,656 new cases, 2,147 cases were reported in Hubei, according to Global Times. Till now, the province has reported 27,100 cases with 780 fatalities. Hubei's capital Wuhan, where the disease is said to have originated, from a local sea-food and wet market, reported 1,379 of the latest cases.
Cruise lines suspend operations to and from China
Several cruise lines have suspended operations on certain routes, to and from China. They have barred certain travelers as well, in order to curb the spread of the pathogen.
On Friday, Feb. 7, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines banned travelers with Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passports, regardless of when or whether they have recently been to mainland China.
On Friday, four passengers on board Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas ship, were sent to hospital, after 27 travelers were screened for coronavirus at New Jersey. Similarly, 64 passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, docked at Japan's Yokohama, were tested positive, bringing Japan's total tally of coronavirus patients to 90, highest in any country outside China.
Japanese coronavirus patient dies in Wuhan
A Japanese man in his 60s died of coronavirus in Wuhan on Saturday, thus becoming the first Japanese and the second foreigner to die of the deadly disease. The man was admitted on Jan. 22 with severe pneumonia and died at a Wuhan hospital, Japan's Foreign Ministry confirmed Saturday, Japan Times reported.
