On Sunday at 5 PM, India shared a big round of applause for 5 minutes, for health care workers, who are still working day & night to save the lives of others.

India lauds efforts of frontline warriors

PM Modi's initiative gets an overwhelming response

Chief secretaries of all the states, during a high-level meeting decided to lockdown 75 districts of the country with more Coronavirus positive cases and allow only essential services to operate till March 31 in wake of the coronavirus outbreak in India.

Lockdown in 75 districts due to Coronavirus outbreak across all India

The whole country is following the public curfew today following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to voluntarily staying inside houses to check the spread of corona virus.

Deserted streets in India after self-imposed shutdown for 14 hrs amid Coronavirus outbreak

India underway voluntary lockdown 'Janata Curfew' for 14 hrs

Myanmar stopped a cruise boat carrying hundreds of tourists from docking in the country, a senior tourism official said on Tuesday, citing fears passengers could be carrying the coronavirus.

The Silver Spirit, a luxury liner operated by Monaco-based Silversea Cruises, last docked at the Thai island of Phuket and was scheduled to stop at Thilawa, outside Myanmar's commercial capital of Yangon on Wednesday.

"We have informed the ... port authorities that the entry of this ship should not be allowed," Khin Maung Soe, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, told Reuters by phone.

He said he did not know whether any of the passengers were showing symptoms of the virus.

"Even if passengers haven't shown the symptoms so far, they might when they arrive in Myanmar and it will be difficult for the country to control," he said.

"If things get worse, our people might get affected."

A statement by the Ministry of Health and Sports published on Facebook said the ship should not be allowed to enter because it had docked in countries with a high number of cases of the virus, including Thailand which has 43.

The boat has more than 400 passengers on board, a ministry spokesman said. It was not immediately clear where the ship would go next.

Myanmar borders China, where the virus first broke out late last year in the central city of Wuhan before spreading rapidly but has reported no confirmed cases so far, though several people have been quarantined in a Yangon hospital.

The government has urged citizens to avoid public gatherings and the country's military cancelled its annual parade scheduled for late March, citing the virus.

While the outbreak appears to be easing in China, it has surged elsewhere and countries other than China now account for about three-quarters of new infections.

Japan on Monday confirmed at least 19 new coronavirus cases, bringing the number of infections in the country to 980, including passengers who were infected on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Last month, a cruise ship arrived in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville having been turned away at five other ports after leaving Hong Kong.

Silversea Cruises in owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Myanmar stopped a cruise boat carrying hundreds of tourists from docking in the country, a senior tourism official said on Tuesday, citing fears passengers could be carrying the coronavirus.

Myanmar stopped a cruise boat carrying hundreds of tourists from docking in the country, a senior tourism official said on Tuesday, citing fears passengers could be carrying the coronavirus. The Silver Spirit, a luxury liner operated by Monaco-based Silversea Cruises, last docked at the Thai island of Phuket and was scheduled to stop at Thilawa, outside Myanmar's commercial capital of Yangon on Wednesday. "We have informed the ... port authorities that the entry of this ship should not be allowed," Khin Maung Soe, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, told Reuters by phone. He said he did not know whether any of the passengers were showing symptoms of the virus. "Even if passengers haven't shown the symptoms so far, they might when they arrive in Myanmar and it will be difficult for the country to control," he said. "If things get worse, our people might get affected." A statement by the Ministry of Health and Sports published on Facebook said the ship should not be allowed to enter because it had docked in countries with a high number of cases of the virus, including Thailand which has 43. The boat has more than 400 passengers on board, a ministry spokesman said. It was not immediately clear where the ship would go next. Myanmar borders China, where the virus first broke out late last year in the central city of Wuhan before spreading rapidly but has reported no confirmed cases so far, though several people have been quarantined in a Yangon hospital. The government has urged citizens to avoid public gatherings and the country's military cancelled its annual parade scheduled for late March, citing the virus. While the outbreak appears to be easing in China, it has surged elsewhere and countries other than China now account for about three-quarters of new infections. Japan on Monday confirmed at least 19 new coronavirus cases, bringing the number of infections in the country to 980, including passengers who were infected on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship. Last month, a cruise ship arrived in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville having been turned away at five other ports after leaving Hong Kong. Silversea Cruises in owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Myanmar turns away cruise ship over coronavirus fears

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has ordered his Cabinet officials to purchase 5,000 coronavirus test kits, following the confirmation of the second coronavirus case in Karachi and surfacing of multiple suspected cases in the country.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/suspected-case-of-coronavirus-reported-in-pakistan-nepal-confirms-first-case-276469">A suspected case of coronavirus reported in Pakistan, Nepal confirms the first case&nbsp;</a>

Shah, while chairing a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said that 53 tests for coronavirus cases from Sindh have been so far been conducted, of which only two have been confirmed, Express Tribune reported

."The government has released Rs 100 million for adopting preventive measures and to deal with any emergencies [pertaining to coronavirus cases," he was quoted as saying.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-confirms-fifth-case-of-coronavirus-284027"> Pakistan confirms fifth case of coronavirus</a>

The provincial government also ordered the closure of all educational institutions and released Rs 100 million for the coronavirus emergency fund to combat the virus.

According to health officials, the Sindh government has purchased 40,000 imported surgical facemasks from a private firm. Authorities have also started disseminating audio and text messages in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages among the general public to raise awareness about the virus.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-resumes-flights-to-coronavirus-hit-china-screens-passengers-for-virus-278443"> Pakistan resumes flights to coronavirus-hit China, screens passengers for virus</a>

On Tuesday, Pakistan confirmed its fifth case of coronavirus amid strict safety measures to contain the spread in the country."We have now the fifth confirmed case of COVID19 in federal areas.

The patient is stable and is being managed well," Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Zafar Mirza told Geo News. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the patient is a 45-year-old woman from the northern mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan, who arrived from Iran a few days ago.

Despite the surging cases, the federal cabinet today rejected the Ministry of Health`s proposal for declaring a "health emergency" in the country to tackle the virus. The cabinet in its meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, emphasized on strengthening coordination between provinces to increase awareness about the virus among the people, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, while speaking to the media after the meeting on Tuesday.

The disease that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last year has triggered panic around the world after it killed 3,100 people around the world (mostly in China) and affected more than 80,000 around the world.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has ordered his Cabinet officials to purchase 5,000 coronavirus test kits, following the confirmation of the second coronavirus case in Karachi and surfacing of multiple suspected cases in the country.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has ordered his Cabinet officials to purchase 5,000 coronavirus test kits, following the confirmation of the second coronavirus case in Karachi and surfacing of multiple suspected cases in the country. Also read: A suspected case of coronavirus reported in Pakistan, Nepal confirms the first case Shah, while chairing a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said that 53 tests for coronavirus cases from Sindh have been so far been conducted, of which only two have been confirmed, Express Tribune reported ."The government has released Rs 100 million for adopting preventive measures and to deal with any emergencies [pertaining to coronavirus cases," he was quoted as saying. Also read: Pakistan confirms fifth case of coronavirus The provincial government also ordered the closure of all educational institutions and released Rs 100 million for the coronavirus emergency fund to combat the virus. According to health officials, the Sindh government has purchased 40,000 imported surgical facemasks from a private firm. Authorities have also started disseminating audio and text messages in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages among the general public to raise awareness about the virus. Also read: Pakistan resumes flights to coronavirus-hit China, screens passengers for virus On Tuesday, Pakistan confirmed its fifth case of coronavirus amid strict safety measures to contain the spread in the country."We have now the fifth confirmed case of COVID19 in federal areas. The patient is stable and is being managed well," Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Zafar Mirza told Geo News. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the patient is a 45-year-old woman from the northern mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan, who arrived from Iran a few days ago. Despite the surging cases, the federal cabinet today rejected the Ministry of Health`s proposal for declaring a "health emergency" in the country to tackle the virus. The cabinet in its meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, emphasized on strengthening coordination between provinces to increase awareness about the virus among the people, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, while speaking to the media after the meeting on Tuesday. The disease that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last year has triggered panic around the world after it killed 3,100 people around the world (mostly in China) and affected more than 80,000 around the world.

Sindh CM calls for purchase of 5000 COVID-19 test kits as confirmed cases reach 5 in Pakistan

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-myanmar-farmers-lose-their-land-sand-mining-for-singapore-is-blamed-284116">Myanmar stopped a cruise boat</a> carrying hundreds of tourists from docking in the country, a senior tourism official said on Tuesday, citing fears passengers could be carrying the coronavirus.

The Silver Spirit, a luxury liner operated by Monaco-based Silversea Cruises, last docked at the Thai island of Phuket and was scheduled to stop at Thilawa, outside Myanmar's commercial capital of Yangon on Wednesday.

"We have informed the ... port authorities that the entry of this ship should not be allowed," Khin Maung Soe, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, told Reuters by phone.

He said he did not know whether any of the passengers were showing symptoms of the virus.

"Even if passengers haven't shown the symptoms so far, they might when they arrive in Myanmar and it will be difficult for the country to control," he said.

"If things get worse, our people might get affected."

A statement by the Ministry of Health and Sports published on Facebook said the ship should not be allowed to enter because it had docked in countries with a high number of cases of the virus, including Thailand which has 43.

The boat has more than 400 passengers on board, a ministry spokesman said. It was not immediately clear where the ship would go next.

Myanmar borders China, where the virus first broke out late last year in the central city of Wuhan before spreading rapidly but has reported no confirmed cases so far, though several people have been quarantined in a Yangon hospital.

The government has urged citizens to avoid public gatherings and the country's military cancelled its annual parade scheduled for late March, citing the virus.

While the outbreak appears to be easing in China, it has surged elsewhere and countries other than China now account for about three-quarters of new infections.

Japan on Monday confirmed at least 19 new coronavirus cases, bringing the number of infections in the country to 980, including passengers who were infected on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Last month, a cruise ship arrived in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville having been turned away at five other ports after leaving Hong Kong.

Silversea Cruises in owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Two more Iranians infected with coronavirus have died, media website Eghtesaonline said on Tuesday, taking to 14 the toll in the Islamic Republic, which has the highest tally of deaths outside China, where the virus emerged late last year.

Two more Iranians infected with coronavirus have died, media website Eghtesaonline said on Tuesday, taking to 14 the toll in the Islamic Republic, which has the highest tally of deaths outside China, where the virus emerged late last year. "Tests showed they had the new coronavirus," the head of the Medical Science University of Saveh said, according to the website. Iran's state TV said a team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) will arrive in the country on Tuesday. On Monday, the health ministry said 61 people had been infected in Iran and that around 900 other cases were suspected. Also Read: China, South Korea, Iran worst-hit from COVID-19, WHO warns of pandemic Iran has yet to say how many people it has quarantined but the semi-official Mehr news agency said 320 people had been hospitalised in the Shi'ite holy city of Qom, where Tehran confirmed its first two deaths last week. The outbreak in Iran comes as its clerical rulers face mounting US pressure that has hit the economy hard. Washington exited Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with major powers in 2018 and has reimposed sanctions on the country. The outbreak threatens to isolate Iran even further, with several countries suspending flights after coronavirus cases in travellers from Iran were confirmed in Canada, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Iraq. Also Read: Washington pledges $1 billion for coronavirus vaccine as pandemic risks grow Some neighbouring countries have closed their borders. An airport representative said on Tuesday that Dubai International Airport has suspended all flights to and from the Islamic Republic, except for Tehran. Six Arab countries have reported their first cases of coronavirus, with those infected all having links to Iran. Kuwait said on Tuesday the total number of infected people there had risen to eight. Bahrain said it also had eight cases, four of whom were Saudi nationals and two Bahrainis. To prevent the spread of the virus, Iranian authorities have ordered the nationwide cancellation of concerts, soccer matches, closures of schools and universities in many provinces as a precaution.

Iran's coronavirus death toll reaches 14

Clashes, jeers and stone-pelting during coronavirus evacuation in Ukraine

The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 2,117 after 108 more people died in Hubei province.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/coronavirus-poses-risks-to-fragile-recovery-in-global-economy-imf-281671">Also Read: IMF warns of risk to global economy from coronavirus&nbsp;</a>

More than 74,500 people have now been infected with the new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-department-of-pharma-asks-dgft-to-restrict-export-of-12-drug-ingredients-formulations-281654">coronavirus</a> nationwide.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinatowns-across-the-world-turn-into-ghost-towns-281682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, two people died in Iran after testing positive on Wednesday, the health ministry said. It is the first deaths from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-chinese-ship-docks-at-chennai-port-2-crew-members-tested-for-infection-281679">virus</a> in the Middle East.

The coronavirus has now claimed the lives of eight people outside mainland China which has now spread to at least 29 countries.

The United Arab Emirates last month had become the first country in the Middle East to report cases of coronavirus.

In China, President Xi greater protection of medical staff fighting the virus after the death of prominent doctors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/students-welfare-better-off-in-china-pak-minister-tells-angry-parents-demanding-evacuation-from-wuhan-281668">Also Read: Students' welfare better off in China, Pak minister tells angry parents&nbsp;</a>

At least seven doctors have died fighting the virus. Xi said China must "strengthen efforts to relieve the stress of medical workers, provide them with daily necessities, arrange time for their rest and give them encouragement."

As the virus continued to cause worldwide concern, several hundred passengers on cruise ship the Diamond Princes who were stranded off Yokohama in Japan disembarked even as health officials said 79 new cases had been detected.

At least 621 coronavirus cases were detected on the cruise ship off Yokhoma, authorities said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 2,117 after 108 more people died in Hubei province. Also Read: IMF warns of risk to global economy from coronavirus More than 74,500 people have now been infected with the new coronavirus nationwide.

The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 2,117 after 108 more people died in Hubei province. Also Read: IMF warns of risk to global economy from coronavirus More than 74,500 people have now been infected with the new coronavirus nationwide. Watch Video: Meanwhile, two people died in Iran after testing positive on Wednesday, the health ministry said. It is the first deaths from the virus in the Middle East. The coronavirus has now claimed the lives of eight people outside mainland China which has now spread to at least 29 countries. The United Arab Emirates last month had become the first country in the Middle East to report cases of coronavirus. In China, President Xi greater protection of medical staff fighting the virus after the death of prominent doctors. Also Read: Students' welfare better off in China, Pak minister tells angry parents At least seven doctors have died fighting the virus. Xi said China must "strengthen efforts to relieve the stress of medical workers, provide them with daily necessities, arrange time for their rest and give them encouragement." As the virus continued to cause worldwide concern, several hundred passengers on cruise ship the Diamond Princes who were stranded off Yokohama in Japan disembarked even as health officials said 79 new cases had been detected. At least 621 coronavirus cases were detected on the cruise ship off Yokhoma, authorities said.

Coronavirus outbreak: China's Hubei province reports 108 more deaths; 2 dead in Iran

The death toll in China's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-cases-top-500-on-cruise-ship-off-japan-281384">coronavirus</a> surged past 2,000 on Wednesday after 136 more deaths were reported by the country's health commission even as an elderly Hong Kong man who contracted the new coronavirus died.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sees-fall-in-coronavirus-deaths-who-urges-caution-apple-takes-hit-281448">Also Read: China sees fall in coronavirus deaths, WHO urges caution, Apple takes hit</a>

"A 70-year-old male patient who was infected with the novel coronavirus deteriorated and succumbed in Princess Margaret Hospital this morning," the Hospital Authority said in a statement.

It is the&nbsp;second fatality from the outbreak in Hong Kong.

The number of those infected by the virus has climbed to 74,185 even as the number of new cases fell for the second straight day. China's National Health Commission reported 1,749 new cases.&nbsp;The death toll from the virus stood at 2,004 reported mainly in central Hubei province.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wuhan-coronavirus-six-videos-that-triggered-a-panic-281227/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The World Health Organization's (WHO) emergencies programme chief, Mike Ryan said: "Right now, the strategic and tactical approach in China is the correct one."

Meanwhile, Passengers who have tested negative for the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-be-kidnapped-by-china-taiwan-tells-who-in-bid-for-separate-virus-tally-281370"> coronavirus</a> began leaving a cruise ship off Yokohama in Japan. At least 500 people are expected to disembark from the ship in the coming hours.

The virus has already spread to at least 29 countries. South Korea on Wednesday reported 15 new confirmed cases with &nbsp;Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirming the cases. The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-new-gold-thieves-steal-thousands-of-surgical-masks-from-hospital-in-japan-281426"> virus</a> cases in South Korea has now jumped from 31 to 46 even as South Korea has blocked entry to foreigners coming from Hubei which is the epicentre of the virus.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the economy had reached an emergency situation and required stimulus as the epidemic had disrupted demand for South Korean goods such as cars, computer chips and smartphones as statistics revealed Japan and Singapore economies were also experiencing a slowdown and on the brink of recession.

The death toll in China's coronavirus surged past 2,000 on Wednesday after 136 more deaths were reported by the country's health commission even as an elderly Hong Kong man who contracted the new coronavirus died.

The death toll in China's coronavirus surged past 2,000 on Wednesday after 136 more deaths were reported by the country's health commission even as an elderly Hong Kong man who contracted the new coronavirus died. Also Read: China sees fall in coronavirus deaths, WHO urges caution, Apple takes hit "A 70-year-old male patient who was infected with the novel coronavirus deteriorated and succumbed in Princess Margaret Hospital this morning," the Hospital Authority said in a statement. It is the second fatality from the outbreak in Hong Kong. The number of those infected by the virus has climbed to 74,185 even as the number of new cases fell for the second straight day. China's National Health Commission reported 1,749 new cases. The death toll from the virus stood at 2,004 reported mainly in central Hubei province. Watch Video: The World Health Organization's (WHO) emergencies programme chief, Mike Ryan said: "Right now, the strategic and tactical approach in China is the correct one." Meanwhile, Passengers who have tested negative for the coronavirus began leaving a cruise ship off Yokohama in Japan. At least 500 people are expected to disembark from the ship in the coming hours. The virus has already spread to at least 29 countries. South Korea on Wednesday reported 15 new confirmed cases with Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirming the cases. The virus cases in South Korea has now jumped from 31 to 46 even as South Korea has blocked entry to foreigners coming from Hubei which is the epicentre of the virus. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the economy had reached an emergency situation and required stimulus as the epidemic had disrupted demand for South Korean goods such as cars, computer chips and smartphones as statistics revealed Japan and Singapore economies were also experiencing a slowdown and on the brink of recession.

Death toll in China's coronavirus passes 2,000 as another person dies in Hong Kong

The number of new cases of a coronavirus in China fell slightly, more than three weeks after the outbreak's epicentre was locked down, and a Chinese tourist died from the virus in France, the first fatality in Europe.

The number of new cases of a coronavirus in China fell slightly, more than three weeks after the outbreak's epicentre was locked down, and a Chinese tourist died from the virus in France, the first fatality in Europe. The coronavirus, thought to have emerged at a wildlife market in the central Chinese province of Hubei, has presented the ruling Communist Party with the huge challenge of halting its spread while at the same time minimising damage to the world's second-largest economy. Beijing's latest figures showed 68,500 cases of the illness and 1,665 deaths, most of them in Hubei. The National Health Commission on Sunday reported 2,009 new cases, down from 2,641 the previous day, and 142 new deaths, just one lower than the 143 the previous day. All but four of the new deaths were in Hubei. Also Read: France confirms first coronavirus death outside Asia as China toll rises to 1,500 The province and its capital, Wuhan, have been virtually sealed off and locked down since January 23, with schools, offices and factories shut and most travel suspended. The virus is believed to have an incubation period of 14 days which would appear to indicate it has been spreading since the lockdown was imposed. "China should strengthen the unified leadership of efforts to control the epidemic," President Xi Jinping said in comments reported by the Xinhua news agency. Outside mainland China, there have been about 500 cases in some two dozen countries and territories, with four deaths - in Japan, Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, the Philippines and now France. In the French case, an 80-year-old Chinese man died at a Paris hospital of lung infection due to the flu-like virus, authorities said on Saturday. "We have to get our health system ready to face a possible pandemic propagation of the virus, and therefore the spreading of the virus across France," said Health Minister Agnes Buzyn. Robin Thompson, an expert in mathematical epidemiology at Britain's University of Oxford, said that with nearly 50 cases in Europe, death was not surprising. "The most important thing to point out, however, is that there still hasn't been sustained person-to-person transmission in Europe," he said. [ Statues with face masks in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Hubei province, China (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Lack of urgency After an extended Lunar New Year holiday, China urgently needs to get back to work. But some cities remain in lockdown, streets are deserted, employees are nervous, and travel bans and quarantine orders are in place around the country. Those returning to Beijing from the holiday have been ordered to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus. Many factories are yet to re-open, disrupting supply chains in China and beyond for everyone from smartphone makers to car manufacturers. While there has been some hope expressed this week that the disease may be peaking in China, numbers keep rising and a trend has been hard to discern, especially after a reclassification that widened the definition of cases. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was impossible to tell where the epidemic will spread. "We are concerned by the continued increase in the number of cases in China," Tedros told the Munich Security Conference in Germany. "We are concerned by the lack of urgency in finding the response from the international community. Most of all, we are concerned about the potential havoc this virus could wreak in countries with weaker health systems," he added. Also WHO defends China's handling of coronavirus as death toll rises to 1,665 Knocking growth The biggest cluster outside China has been on a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, quarantined off Japan's Yokohama, with 70 more cases reported on Sunday. That took the total out of about 3,700 passengers and crew onboard to 355. Those testing positive are sent to the hospital. The United States said on Saturday it plans to send an aircraft to pick up American passengers and take them back home where they face another two weeks of isolation "out of an abundance of caution". Hong Kong said it planned to do the same for some 330 of its residents, while Canada said it too would send a plane for its citizens on the vessel. Another cruise ship, the MS Westerdam, finally docked in Cambodia on Thursday after being rejected by ports in several other countries and territories. The ship was believed to be free of the virus but an 83-year-old American woman from it tested positive on landing in Malaysia, health authorities there said. The sickness, now officially labelled Covid-19, has killed about 2 per cent of those infected. Cases have spread faster than other respiratory viruses this century. The economic ripple effects go far beyond China. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the coronavirus might knock two- to three-tenths of a per cent of US growth in the first quarter. The sporting world has suffered too. In the latest disruption, Chinese gymnasts were forced to cancel attendance at next week's World Cup in Melbourne because of Australian travel curbs.

Chinese tourist dies in France as coronavirus cases show slight decline

The death toll in China's coronavirus leaped to 242 in just one day with over 60,000 infected, China's health ministry said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-woman-dies-of-suspected-coronavirus-infection-280322">Also Read:&nbsp;Iran woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection</a>

Hubei's health commission said another 14,840 new cases were reported in the area. The previous record rise in the toll was 103 on February 10.

In Hubei province, at least 56 million people have been placed under virtual quarantine by Chinese authorities.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wuhan-coronavirus-will-air-travel-make-you-sick-280374/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

At least 1,355 people have now died nationwide due to the virus. The virus has already spread to at least 27 countries with Singapore reporting 50 new cases.

Meanwhile, WHO chief Tedros said a WHO-led advance team that travelled to China this week had made good progress.

Outside China, the biggest cases have been reported on a cruise ship quarantined off the Japanese port of Yokohama in which 175 tested positive for the virus out of 3,700 people onboard.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sporting-events-that-fell-victim-to-coronavirus-280070">In Pics: Sporting events that fell victim to coronavirus</a>

As the death toll climbed to a new high, China's yen slipped against the dollar in offshore trade, while stocks in Asia also faltered.

In the United Nations, China's ambassador Zhang Jun said: "Facing the epidemic, we have always adopted an open, transparent and highly responsible attitude," after criticism that China hadn't reacted fast enough to the epidemic.

"We have reported the epidemic information to the WHO, the relevant countries, and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan regions as soon as it is available, shared the genetic sequences of the virus, actively communicated with other countries in order to come up with responses," Jun asserted.

The death toll in China's coronavirus leaped to 242 in just one day with over 60,000 infected, China's health ministry said. Also Read: Iran woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection Hubei's health commission said another 14,840 new cases were reported in the area.

The death toll in China's coronavirus leaped to 242 in just one day with over 60,000 infected, China's health ministry said. Also Read: Iran woman dies of suspected coronavirus infection Hubei's health commission said another 14,840 new cases were reported in the area. The previous record rise in the toll was 103 on February 10. In Hubei province, at least 56 million people have been placed under virtual quarantine by Chinese authorities. Watch Video: At least 1,355 people have now died nationwide due to the virus. The virus has already spread to at least 27 countries with Singapore reporting 50 new cases. Meanwhile, WHO chief Tedros said a WHO-led advance team that travelled to China this week had made good progress. Outside China, the biggest cases have been reported on a cruise ship quarantined off the Japanese port of Yokohama in which 175 tested positive for the virus out of 3,700 people onboard. In Pics: Sporting events that fell victim to coronavirus As the death toll climbed to a new high, China's yen slipped against the dollar in offshore trade, while stocks in Asia also faltered. In the United Nations, China's ambassador Zhang Jun said: "Facing the epidemic, we have always adopted an open, transparent and highly responsible attitude," after criticism that China hadn't reacted fast enough to the epidemic. "We have reported the epidemic information to the WHO, the relevant countries, and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan regions as soon as it is available, shared the genetic sequences of the virus, actively communicated with other countries in order to come up with responses," Jun asserted.

Coronavirus death toll surges to highest in one day in China's Hubei province

The number of deaths due to China's coronavirus epidemic jumped to 722, surpassing the toll from the SARS outbreak on the mainland and Hong Kong almost two decades ago. More than 34,500 confirmed infections reported across the country.

Tencent denies showing real nCoV death toll, says media reports doctored

The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak has now surpassed that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, epidemic nearly two decades ago, as the number of fatalities reaches 900

Coronavirus deaths exceeds that of SARS

More than 900 people have now died in mainland China from the coronavirus that emerged in the central city of Wuhan at the end of last year with the World Health Organization (WHO) deploying a team to the country to investigate the outbreak. More than 80 Chinese city governments have launched some form of quarantine measures.

Inside Wuhan's Quarantine Centres | WION-CGTN Exclusive report from Wuhan | nCoV report