The number of coronavirus cases in China is skyrocketing. More than 700 people have now died of the infection. At the weekend, more Germans are to be flown out of the Hubei province.
In China, 86 people died from the infection with the novel corona virus within 24 hours. This was announced by the national health commission. With the exception of five cases, all came from the central Chinese province of Hubei, where the lung disease had broken out.
This means that the official total number of deaths in mainland China and Hong Kong from the corona virus has increased to at least 722 people. A further 3399 cases of infection have been recorded since Friday – more than 34,500 people are now infected in China.
The Federal Foreign Office is working on the departure of 20 Germans
The virus had spread from the megacity Wuhan, which the authorities have currently rigorously sealed off, to almost 30 other countries since December.
There are now 14 confirmed infections in Germany – most of them are employees of a Bavarian company and their families, including two children.
At the weekend, more Germans are to be brought back from Wuhan. “Individuals” did not report until after the return flight last Saturday or did not make it to the airport in time, the Federal Foreign Office said. Every effort is made to enable these people to leave the country.
A total of about 20 people are expected to come to Germany. They may be able to fly out with a larger group of British. According to reports from “Spiegel”, they are to be quarantined in a clinic in Berlin-Köpenick.
Chinese doctor’s death investigation
China’s state watchdog has sent a team of investigators to Wuhan to investigate the death of doctor Li Wenliang. Li had warned early of the outbreak of the new virus, but was warned shortly afterwards by the police and was initially not allowed to spread anything about it. It later became known that he was infected himself. Li has since died of lung disease.
The death of the 34-year-old ophthalmologist sparked great sympathy: for many Chinese, his fate symbolizes the consequences of the cover-up and slow reaction by the authorities.
Xi “completely confident”
China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping said that the fight against the spread of the novel corona virus is in a “decisive phase”: the whole country is mobilized and has taken strict measures to prevent it. “We are fully confident and able to defeat the epidemic.”
From the perspective of the World Health Organization WHO, however, the further course of the epidemic is difficult to predict. Apart from the areas that are particularly affected, the situation in China currently appears to be relatively stable, said a WHO expert. A Chinese health care professional had expected the epidemic to peak in the middle of next week.
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