BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Following is the latest on the novel coronavirus outbreak:
A United nations UN) agency estimated that a shortage of industrial parts from China caused by the corona virus outbreak has set off a “ripple effect” that caused exports from other countries around the world to drop $47 billion last month.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says figures from Chinese businesses suggest an annualised two per cent decline in output in China. That has led to shrinking supplies for automotive, chemicals, communications and other industries in many countries, in turn reducing their export capacity.
The agency said that the preliminary figures show industries outside of China that rely on components, parts and other inputs from the country aren’t able to export goods as much as they had before the virus erupted. The outbreak began late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, shutting down factories and quarantining workers at home.
The drop in Chinese output results in a “ripple effect throughout the global economy” that rises “to the tune of a $50 billion fall in exports across the world”, said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, director of the UNCTAD international trade and commodities division.
Exports from the European Union alone made up about one-third of that, or nearly $15.6 billion. Exports of the United States were second, at nearly $5.8 billion, and Japan was third at almost $5.2 billion.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), meanwhile, said the virus outbreak hit passenger flight demand in January, slowing monthly growth to its lowest level since April 2010, when a volcano erupted in Iceland, causing massive airspace closures and days of travel chaos in Europe.
IATA, which represents some 290 airlines making up most of the world’s air traffic, said that figures for January this year would only represent the “tip of the iceberg” as China only began imposing major travel restrictions toward the end of the month.
Domestic air traffic in China fell 6.8 per cent in January, year-on-year, as a result of the coronavirus restrictions.
Six cases in New York
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that the wife, two children and a neighbour of a New York lawyer who is hospitalised in critical condition with COVID-19 have also tested positive for the disease. That increases the number of confirmed cases in the state to six.
Yeshiva University, where one of the children is a student, said it’s cancelling classes at the upper Manhattan campus where he is enrolled.
The positive test results for the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 came one day after Cuomo announced that the student’s father had become the second coronavirus case in New York state. The family has been quarantined at home in suburban Westchester County. The neighbour is also self-quarantined at home.
Britain braces
As Britain braces for a much wider spread of the new coronavirus, some government officials and lawmakers are worried not just about the nation’s health, but about their own.
Hundreds of lawmakers drawn from across the UK work alongside thousands of staff in the crowded, crumbling Parliament complex in London.
While most people who contract the virus experience mild symptoms and recover quickly, the risk rises with age. The average age of lawmakers in the House of Commons is 50 and in Parliament’s Upper Chamber, the House of Lords, it is 70.
Scottish lawmaker Carol Monaghan yesterday asked in Parliament whether lawmakers might be able to work remotely, using electronic voting and conference calls, to help stop the spread of the virus. Britain currently has 85 confirmed coronavirus cases, but the Government says that number is likely to rise dramatically.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson replied his Government would “say a little bit more in the next couple of days about what we’re going to do to delay the advance of coronavirus in Parliament and at other large gatherings”.
Israelis urged to stop shaking hands
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israelis to stop shaking hands in light of growing concerns over the new coronavirus and suggests instead they adopt the Indian greeting of “namaste” instead.
At a press conference yesterday announcing new steps to deal with the virus, Netanyahu pressed his hands together in a prayer position and bowed when he made his suggestion, stressing the need for personal hygiene.
He also added additional European countries to a list of destinations from which returning Israelis would need to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Meanwhile, Israel’s chief rabbi is urging observant Jews to refrain from kissing “mezuzot”, a small item encasing a prayer scroll posted by Jews on doorposts. Observant Jews typically touch the item and then kiss their hands when walking through a doorway. Chief Rabbi David Lau made the call in a letter Wednesday.
Italian schools close for two weeks
Italian media say the Italian Government has ordered schools nationwide to close for the next two weeks to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
State-run RAI, the ANSA and LaPresse news agencies reported yesterday that Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte had agreed on the closure during a Cabinet meeting.
Italy has seen its virus caseload explode since the first positive test was registered in northern Lombardy on February 19. Since then, more than 2,500 people in Italy have tested positive, and 79 have died. Italy is the epicentre of Europe’s outbreak.
In the early days of the outbreak, officials closed schools in Lombardy and Veneto, the two hardest-hit regions. Over the weekend, they closed schools in Emilia Romagna.
Lithuania cancels indoor 30th anniversary events
The Baltic nation of Lithuania has cancelled most of the indoor events planned for the 30th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union because of the coronavirus.
The speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament said authorities yesterday decided to call off the events since many of the people expected to attend the events are elderly and at higher risk of infection.
Parliament speaker Viktoras Pranckietis said most foreign leaders also cancelled scheduled trips to attend the anniversary events in Lithuania. He didn’t name names, but invitations had been sent to lawmakers in Ukraine, Poland and neighbouring Baltic states Latvia and Estonia.
There will be several events in downtown Vilnius, including a flag-raising on Independence Square on March 11 and an evening concert.
Lithuania so far only has reported one virus case.
London book fair off
The London Book Fair has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The fair, which usually draws more than 25,000 writers, agents and publishers to one of the international publishing industry’s biggest gatherings, was due to take place at London’s Olympia conference venue March 10-12.
Organiser Reed Exhibitions said that it had decided “with reluctance” to cancel the event.
The decision came after several major publishers, including HarperCollins and Penguin Random House, pulled out of the fair because of the disease, citing the risk to staff.
Also yesterday, organisers announced that Asia’s biggest casino industry trade show has been postponed because of the virus.
Global Gaming Expo Asia, originally scheduled to be held on May 19-21 in Macao, will be held at the end of July.
More than 13,000 people attended last year’s expo, jointly organised by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions.
Facebok
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the social network is stepping up its efforts to combat virus-related misinformation by giving the World Health Organization free advertising.
Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook account that the company is working with national health ministries and global organisations like the World Health Orgnization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF to get out timely and accurate information on the virus.
Zuckerberg said Facebook will also give “support and millions more in ad credits” to other unspecified organisations.
Facebook has previously taken other measures to fight virus hoaxes and misinformation, including removing false claims and conspiracy theories and showing users a pop-up directing them to the World Health Orgnization or their local health authority for the latest information.
Chinese researchers start clinical trials of two antiviral drugs
A Beijing-based intensive care doctor now working in Wuhan – the city at the epicentre of China’s coronavirus outbreak – says designated hospitals in the city are seeing an increasing number of empty beds after a large number of virus patients were discharged.
Du Bin added, however, that there’s always the possibility of another spike in new cases.
Du said yesterday that a major cause of deaths in younger patients may have been the prolonged application of certain high-dosage treatments that ended up causing more harm than good.
Cao Bin, a doctor specialising in respiratory research who is also currently in Wuhan, told reporters, “The war is not over.”
Cao said Chinese researchers have led initial clinical trials of two antiviral drugs and will soon share the results of the trials with the World Health Organization.
European Central Bank puts brakes on executive board, employees
The European Central Bank (ECB) says it’s restricting all non-essential travel by members of its executive board and employees through April 20 as a precautionary measure amid the global coronavirus outbreak.
The central bank for the 19-nation eurozone said yesterday that visits to its Frankfurt headquarters and its public visitor centre are being suspended for the same period. It is postponing or cancelling conferences that were due to be held at the bank – but says that news conferences after regular policy-setting meetings of its governing council are unaffected, and that the next one will go ahead March 12 as planned.
The ECB stressed that the move was a precaution and there have been no recorded cases yet of bank employees being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
