WHO increases global risk degree of novel coronavirus from moderate to high

The World Health Organization (WHO) has increased the global risk degree of the novel coronavirus strain 2019-nCoV from moderate to high, citing an error in its previous report. According to the report, the total number of 2019-nCoV confirmed cases globally till Sunday reached 2,014, including 1,985 in China.

In Beijing reports that World Health Organisation Chief has arrived in Beijing yesterday to discuss ways of containing the spread of the new coronavirus, as the death toll has reached 106 with around 4000 people infected so far.

In Canada, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer and the Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu confirmed during a press briefing last evening that a Toronto resident has tested positive for being infected with the novel coronavirus. Another Medical officer of Ontario has confirmed that a second individual had been presumptively confirmed as having contracted the virus. After this, the Global Affairs Canada issued a travel advisory cautioning against all travel to Hubei province in China.

In Sri Lanka, first case of a person infected with the new virus from China came up yesterday. Health authorities yesterday said the patient is a Chinese woman in her 40s who arrived in Sri Lanka last week as a tourist from China's Hubei province.

In UK, health Minister said yesterday that around 1,500 people who came to



Britain from the Chinese epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in the past two weeks must put themselves in isolation. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said authorities cannot be 100 percent sure that the virus cannot spread from a person who exhibits no flu-like symptoms.

In Germany, magazine Spiegel has reported that country's air force will fly planes to Wuhan this week to fetch stranded citizens. Amidst the mounting crisis, Embassy of India is in talks with China for further steps regarding Indians in Wuhan.

Indian Embassy is considering all options which includes evacuation of Indians in Wuhan. It has been urging the Indians in Wuhan to provide all their details so that all the formalities with  Chinese authorities may be completed. Hubei has suspended the services for the application of ordinary passports and exit-entry permits for Chinese persons. 

However, Special channels will be opened for individuals who have to leave the mainland for urgent reasons. China govt says it is considering requests from the countries in this regard. Chinese officials say that Wuhan residents have sufficient daily necessities supply including meat, eggs, vegetables and local govt has allocated 6,000 taxis and car-hailing services to make sure each community has in average 3 vehicles for urgent trips.