Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE: No Concern about Price Rise So Far, Says FM as Ministry Meets to Review Situation

Johnson Offers Sympathies to Xi | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed his sympathies to those hit by the coronavirus outbreak, a spokeswoman for Johnson's office said. "He offered his sympathies for those affected by the outbreak of coronavirus in China. President Xi thanked the UK for its support and in particular welcomed the donation of vital medical equipment to China," the spokeswoman said.

Foreign firms are struggling to resume work in virus-hit China as they face disrupted supply chains, rising inventory and quarantine rules meant to contain the deadly epidemic, the EU chamber of commerce said. With many pharmaceutical companies globally sourcing from China, pharmacies may also face a shortage of antibiotics and other drugs if the epidemic is not resolved soon, said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Children of China's Docs to be Given Extra Exam Points | Children of China's frontline medical workers battling the deadly coronavirus will be awarded extra exam points when applying for schools and higher education, local officials said. Doctors and nurses in Hubei province — where the outbreak originated and which has reported the majority of deaths — have been lionized online and by state media.

During their meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman, pharma companies requested the government to consider airlifting of API supplies from China, in order to avoid any shortage of pharma manufacturing and availability of drugs.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says she would hold a meeting with the secretaries of different ministries tomorrow and then announce steps to deal with the situation in consultation with the Prime Minister's Office. "There could be some disruptions in supplies and concerns have been expressed by the representative of pharma, solar and chemical industries," she adds. 

Will Soon Announce Measures to Deal with Impact on Industry: FM | "The government will soon announce measures to deal with the impact of Coronavirus outbreak on the domestic industry," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says after meeting representatives of the industry to review the situation following the outbreak of the deadly virus in China.

No Concerns about Price rise: FM | "There are no concerns about price rise (of medicines) so far," says FM Nirmala Sithraman on the impact of Coronavirus. Responding to  question, she also says that it is too early to talk about impact of Coronavirus outbreak on the Make in India initiative.

No shortage of Meds & Masks in Hospitals: FM | There is no report of shortage of masks and medicines in Indian hopitals, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "In fact, there was a demand from those who manufacture medical devices to remove ban on exports" she adds.

500 To Leave Cruise Ship Quarantined in Japan Tomorrow | Around 500 people will leave Diamond Princess, the cruise ship quarantined Japan ship on Wednesday, an official said. A number of Indians on board the ship tested positive for coronavirus, and are said to be responding well to the treatment.

Outbreak Not Out of Control, But Dangerous: UN Chief | UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says that the coronavirus outbreak that began in China is not out of control but it is a very dangerous situation. He adds, "the risks are enormous and we need to be prepared worldwide for that."

Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong: China & India have been keeping close communication on the epidemic. Recently PM Modi sent a letter of condolence to President Xi Jinping, expressing his recognition of the tremendous effort made by Chinese govt to deal with the outbreak. The Indian side assured the readiness to stand by China and provide the assistance that India can, to face this challenge.

Outbreak Has no Impact on Chinese Economy's Fundamentals: Envoy | The Chinese government has sufficient resources and policy tools to cope with economic fluctuations following the coronavirus epidemic. The outbreak has not been able to impact strong fundamentals of China's strong economy: Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong.

Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong says there is a cumulative drop in the number of coronavirus cases in China.

Sun Weidong, Chinese Envoy to India: This is a cumulative drop of over 50%. The epidemic in Hubei and Wuhan is being managed more effectively. There is a rapid increase in cure rate from 1.3 % to 8.2%. Over 12,000 people have recovered and are being discharged from hospitals. https://t.co/lC2BlGRVKO

— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2020

As of February 17, outside the Hubei province, the number of confirmed cases have been declining for 14 consecutive days across China: Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong.

China Ambassador Says Epidemic Under Control | Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong says that the coronavirus epidemic us under control and number of positive cases is on the decline in China. "There is an increase in cure rate .The number of new cases is on the decline fromm 5,000 a day to 2,000 a day," he sayd. He adds, "This epidemic is preventable, controllable and curable." Wediong adds that the sudden outbreak has brought severe challenge to China and the world. "The Chinese government has taken control measures," he says.

Chinese Courts to Promote Online Services | Chinese courts have been mobilized to promote and improve online litigation services as the country is battling the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to the Supreme People's Court (SPC). The move aims to better meet people's judicial needs and ensure the smooth and orderly operation of courts despite the coronavirus outbreak, said a new SPC circular on Tuesday. The circular demands courts at all levels make good use of mobile and online litigation service platforms and move their work online, including case filing, mediation, evidence exchange, court hearing, sentencing and document delivery, Xinhua news agency reported.

Coronavirus virus killed another 98 people in mainland China, bringing the total death count to 1,868. Daily new cases rose by 1,886 to a total of 72,436.

88 Tested Positive with Coronavirus on Ship off Japan | Meanwhile, 88 more people test positive for coronavirus on the Diamond Princess ship off Japan coast. The new cases came from a total of 681 fresh results, the ministry said, taking the total number of positive cases on the Diamond Princess to 542. All passengers and crew on board a ship quarantined off Japan have now been tested for the new coronavirus, the government said today as more countries moved to evacuate citizens from the boat.

The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center is the designated facility for coronavirus cases in China's biggest city, which was previously used to treat victims of the 2002-03 SARS epidemic (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and was hastily expanded to handle the current outbreak. But doctors said the scale of the COVID-19 health crisis, which has killed more than 1,800 people, mostly in China, and infected nearly 72,500 worldwide, has pushed the medical centre to its limits.

Shanghai Coronavirus Hospital Tries Array of Treatments in 'Big Test' | In a sprawling medical compound an hour's drive from downtown Shanghai, doctors are employing a patchwork of coronavirus treatments in a race to save victims of an epidemic for which there is still no established cure. "Admitting so many severe cases all at once is a big test for us," Lu Hongzhou, the centre's co-director, told reporters through a face mask during a government-organised tour on Monday. The centre so far has admitted 320 confirmed coronavirus cases, 135 of whom have recovered and been discharged, while one has died, Lu said.

UK to Repatriate Citizens from Ship Quarantined Off Japan | The British government today became the latest country to announce it will evacuate its citizens stranded on board a cruise ship quarantined off Japan because of the new coronavirus. Britain said it would organise a flight to repatriate its nationals from the Diamond Princess vessel, where more than 450 people have tested positive for COVID-19. That follows the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea all saying they will evacuate their citizens from the boat, with more than 300 Americans arriving back on home soil yesterday.

Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China.

Nuanphan Sukho, who runs a clothing and beverage store near the palace, told EFE her daily income has fallen by 50 percent, by up to 1,000 or 2,000 baht (around $32-64), due to the absence of Chinese customers. "Chinese customers buy a lot. We also sell to Western (tourists), but they buy less than the Chinese," says Sukho, 61, in the entrance of her shop. The arrival of Chinese visitors to Thailand has increased tenfold in the last two decades with almost 11 million tourists in 2019, representing a third of the total arrivals to the country.

COVID-19 Hits Thai Economy as Key Sector Suffers | On a normal day, the Thai capitals iconic Grand Palace is flooded with Chinese tourists taking photos under statues of mythical giants and Buddhist icons. But now, they are rarely seen. Thailand is the top destination for Chinese travellers, but the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has devastated the Thai tourism sector and the normally bustling entrance to the dazzling palace complex is hauntingly quiet. Towards the end of January, the Chinese government banned organised tourist trips in a bid to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. The move has delivered a massive blow to Thailand where tourism accounts for up to 20 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The NPC's Standing Committee's February 24 meeting will also discuss a proposal to delay the annual session scheduled from March 5, among other matters, Efe quoted sources telling Xinhua news agency. Nearly 3,000 delegates from across China gather for the annual meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, held over at least 10 days, to pass bills and set the country's main economic and political targets.

Beijing to Postpone NPC's Annual Meet over COVID-19 | The annual 10-day session of China's National People's Congress, (NPC) scheduled in March may be postponed on account of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country, sources said today. Ahead of that another NPC meeting on February 24, is likely to discuss a draft banning illegal wildlife trading and "abolish the bad habit of eating wild animals", sources told Xinhua news agency. 

Xu went into hiding after authorities broke up a December gathering of intellectuals discussing political reform in the eastern coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province, prior to the coronavirus crisis. Over a dozen lawyers and activists were detained or disappeared after the Xiamen gathering, according to rights groups -- and Xu's detention appears linked to his presence at the meeting, explained Poon. But while on the run, Xu continued to post information on Twitter about rights issues. On February 4 Xu released an article calling on Xi to step down and criticised his leadership across a range of issues including the US-China trade war, Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests and the coronavirus epidemic, which has now killed nearly 1,900 people.

China's ruling Communist Party has severely curtailed civil liberties since Xi took power in 2012, rounding up rights lawyers, labour activists and even Marxist students. Another source, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said Xu had been arrested in the southern city of Guangzhou. Guangzhou police did not respond to requests for comment.

China Arrests Activist Who Criticised Xi over Coronavirus: Rights Group | Police in China have arrested a prominent activist who had been a fugitive for weeks and criticised President Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus epidemic while in hiding, a rights group today. Anti-corruption activist Xu Zhiyong was arrested on Saturday after being on the run since December, according to Amnesty International. The "Chinese government's battle against the coronavirus has in no way diverted it from its ongoing general campaign to crush all dissenting voices," said Patrick Poon, China researcher at Amnesty International, in an emailed statement.

Singapore Airlines to Cut Flights as Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Demand | Singapore Airlines today said that it will temporarily cut flights across its global network, including Mumbai, in the three months to May as the deadly coronavirus outbreak has impacted the flight demand to the city-state. Key affected destinations include Mumbai, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo, the airline said in a statement. "Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will temporarily reduce services across our network due to weak demand as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak," the carrier said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and make further adjustments as necessary." The airline added that affected customers will be "notified and re-accommodated onto other flights.