Latest on the coronavirus spreading in China and beyond
(Reuters) - Here are the latest developments in the new coronavirus outbreak:
* China raised the death toll to 811 on Sunday, passing thenumber killed globally by the SARS epidemic, as authorities madeplans for millions of people to return to work on Monday afteran extended Lunar New Year break. * The cabinet said workers in key industries such as foodand medical supplies must be helped to return to work as soon aspossible. Many workplaces and schools will remain closed. * Chinese railways, airlines and other public transport wereordered to take a coordinated approach and minimise the risk oftransmitting disease. Workers should return in "batches". * A British man who contracted the new coronavirus whileattending a conference in Singapore may have infected sevenother people when he stopped off at a chalet in a Frenchmountain village for a few days on his way home. * The man was Britain's third case and health experts saidhe appeared to be linked to a fourth announced on Sunday. * The second case of the fast-spreading new virus to beconfirmed in Spain was a British man also thought to beconnected with the chalet group. * Local Chinese authorities said they had not blocked AppleAAPL.O supplier Foxconn 2317.TW from resuming production amidthe coronavirus outbreak, denying an earlier report in theNikkei Business Daily. The company would restart production onceinspections were completed, they said. * China said a total of 71.85 billion yuan ($10.26 billion)had been allocated as of Saturday afternoon to fight the virus. * An American hospitalised in the provincial capital Wuhan,where the outbreak began, became the first confirmed non-Chinesevictim. A Japanese patient there also died. * A Chinese doctor who issued an early warning about thevirus outbreak before it was officially recognised died of thevirus on Friday. * The virus has spread to at least 27 countries andterritories, according to a Reuters count based on officialreports, infecting more than 330 people. * There have been two deaths outside mainland China, in HongKong and the Philippines. * Chinese-ruled Hong Kong introduced a two-week quarantineon Saturday for all people arriving from the mainland, or whohave been there during the previous 14 days. Malaysia expandedits ban on visitors from China. * Taiwan, which has 16 cases, banned international cruiseships from docking. * France said it did not recommend travelling to Chinaunless there was an "imperative" reason. Italy asked childrentravelling from China to stay away from school for two weeks. * Asian share markets slipped on Friday and oil price gainsstalled, as the growing death toll and economic damage from thecoronavirus outbreak put a lid on the week's sharp rally. * China's central bank said its economy could be disruptedin the first quarter due to the virus outbreak, adding that itwould step up policy support. * Chinese President Xi Jinping assured U.S. President DonaldTrump on Friday that China is doing all it can to contain thevirus and was confident it could defeat the epidemic with nolong-term consequences for economic development. * China will halve tariffs on some U.S. imports amid growingrisks from coronavirus.
(Compiled by Uttaresh.V and Philippa Fletcher)
