President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the US is working closely with Beijing to combat the coronavirus outbreak as the deadly infection claimed 490 lives in China and spread to over 20 countries, including India and America, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency.
"Protecting Americans' health also means fighting infectious diseases," Trump said in his State of the Union speech while highlighting the initiatives taken by his administration in the healthcare sector.
"We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the coronavirus outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat," he said.
The US on Tuesday evacuated over 300 more people on two new flights out of the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicentre of the fast-spreading new coronavirus. Last week, it evacuated 195 Americans from Wuhan.
The death toll in coronavirus outbreak rose to 490 in China on Tuesday. One death was reported earlier this week from the Philippines.
Worldwide, the virus, so far, has spread to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, India, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, United States, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Spain, UAE and Sweden.
"As we pray for all who are sick, we know that America is constantly achieving new medical breakthroughs," Trump said in his speech.
The president underlined that his administration has launched ambitious new initiatives to substantially improve care for Americans with kidney disease, Alzheimer's, and those struggling with mental health challenges.
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