Coronavirus news – live: British honeymooner among dozens of new cases reported on quarantined cruise ship, as US announces $100m aid
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Your support makes all the difference.The third person to have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK is believed to have caught the disease in Singapore.
It comes as Japan reported 41 new cases of the illness on a quarantined cruise ship near Yokohama. Before the new cases, 20 infected passengers had been escorted off the Diamond Princess.
Meanwhile, a Chinese doctor who had been threatened by police after sounding the alarm about the coronavirus died.
The illness has killed 636 people and infected 31,161, with 260 cases recorded outside of China.
Follow the latest updates
Passengers on a cruise ship in New Jersey have been loaded onto ambulances and sent for coronavirus testing, Chris Riotta reports:
38 tested for coronvavirus in Scotland
Tourists visit Edinburgh Castle, in Scotland (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty)
Thirty-eight people have now been tested for coronavirus in Scotland – with all of the results coming back negative.
The Scottish Government revealed the latest figures as global data showed the number of reported new cases of the virus has started to decline.
There were roughly 3,900 new cases reported worldwide on 5 February, falling to 3,700 on 6 February and 3,200 on 7 February, World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show.
As of 2pm on Friday, 620 people have been tested for coronavirus across the UK and three cases have been confirmed.
It is understood the third person to be diagnosed in the UK is a middle-aged man who contracted the virus in Singapore.
He is thought to have been diagnosed in Brighton and transferred to St Thomas' Hospital in London, where there is an infectious disease unit, on Thursday afternoon.
Two other patients, who had recently travelled from China, are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle.
One is a student at the University of York, while the other is a family member.
Singapore raised alert level sparks panic-buying
Singapore’s decision to raise its coronavirus alert level has sparked panic-buying across the island.
As Singapore's infected tally hit 33, the alert level was raised to orange - a level reached during the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2009 H1N1 influenza - which indicates the virus is severe and passes easily between people.
Videos posted on social media show long queues and empty shelves at supermarkets on the island.
Trade minister Chan Chun Sing warned “hoarding items unnecessarily” would “create undue panic”, which is “unhelpful to the situation at hand”.
Singapore's highest alert level is red, which indicates the virus is spreading widely and can result in major disruption such as closing schools.
WHO warns against hoarding of protective gear
(Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)
Demand for masks, gowns, gloves and other protective gear has risen by up to 100 times and prices have soared due to the coronavirus outbreak, producing a "severe" disruption in supply, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.
"This situation is exacerbated by widespread use of personal protective equipment outside patient care," he told reporters in Geneva, adding that he had spoken to manufacturers and distributors to ensure supplies for those who need them.
He also said he could see practices like hoarding in order to ensure higher prices and called for solidarity from the public and private sector.
WHO criticises 'widespread inappropriate use' of face masks
(Kevin Frayer/Getty)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has criticised the "widespread inappropriate use" of protective equipment such as masks amid the coronavirus outbreak, leaving it with insufficient stocks.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said there was a four to six month backlog for certain personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies.
He said there had been "widespread inappropriate use" of the equipment outside of patient care and praised suppliers who had decided to only issue stock to medical professionals.
He told a press conference: "This situation has been exacerbated by widespread, inappropriate use of PPE outside patient care.
"As a result, there are now depleted stockpiles and backlogs of four to six months.
"Global stocks of masks and respirators are now insufficient to meet the needs of WHO and our partners."
US warns of Italy travel restrictions
The US State Department has warned of travel restrictions at all Italian air and maritime ports of entry.
It said: "Italian public health officials implemented mandatory thermal screening at all Italian air and maritime ports of entry in response to the recent novel coronavirus outbreak.
"Travellers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice."
First Canadian coronavirus evacuees land
(Chris Wattie/AFP via Getty)
A plane from Wuhan, carrying an initial group of 176 Canadian evacuees, has landed at Trenton air force base in Ontario.
A second group, who left China on a US flight, is expected to arrive later after switching planes in Vancouver, Francois-Philippe Champagne, minister of foreign affairs, said.
A further 39 Canadians are on board the American evacuation flight, Global Affairs Canada said.
No one on board the plane from Wuhan that landed in Trenton showed symptoms of the coronavirus or other illness during the flight, health minister Patty Hajdu told CBC Radio.
All evacuees will be quarantined on the base for two weeks, separated from each other in a building that resembles a small hotel, with families kept together.
Coronavirus to cost global economy '£217bn in first quarter'
The coronavirus outbreak will cost the world’s economy more than £217bn in the first quarter of this year, experts have estimated, Chris Baynes reports.
Capital Economics predicted global GDP growth would stall for the first time in more than a decade, even if the epidemic is brought under control soon.
The warning came hours after luxury fashion brand Burberry scrapped its profit forecast for the year as the coronavirus outbreak threatens turmoil for global businesses.
United States willing to spend $100m to help coronavirus-hit countries
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has declared the US is prepared to spend up to $100m to help China and other coronavirus-impacted countries.
He said in a statement: "This commitment - along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector -demonstrates strong US leadership in response to the outbreak."
Mr Pompeo added that the US government's commitment would be met through existing funds "both directly and through multilateral organisations".
'We are human, we are hurting'
Before the Chinese city of Wuhan was locked down to contain the deadly new coronavirus, more than 5 million people fled, but many chose to stay and wait out the storm, while some even fought to return home to care for isolated loved ones.
Those cut off from relatives by coronavirus lockdowns in China – which have quarantined some 50 million people – speak to Viola Gaskell
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