Coronavirus live updates: U.S. seeks to send expert team to China to combat coronavirus outbreak; Xi defends response

Scientists have identified certain parts of the world as hot spots for emerging diseases. (Blair Guild, Luis Velarde/The Washington Post)

By Gerry Shih, Simon Denyer and Siobhán O'Grady

BEIJING — A top U.S. health official said Tuesday that he offered to send a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to China to help with the coronavirus outbreak. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar did not describe the Chinese health minister’s response but said he hopes that Beijing will accept the offer.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that China had agreed to allow global health experts into the country. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Tuesday that his country is being “open, transparent, responsible” in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, as the number of cases continues to increase. Here’s what we know:

● The death toll has risen to 106 in China, with more than 4,565 cases of infection. Other countries in the region also are reporting more people infected — nearly all of them tourists from China.

● Germany reported three new cases late Tuesday, and said they are all connected to the country’s first patient, a 33-year-old man who was most likely infected by a Chinese business visitor from Shanghai who he met at a company workshop.

● Hong Kong announced dramatic measures to stem the flow of mainland Chinese into the territory, closing two railways, ferries and cross-border tour buses. Flights to mainland China will be slashed by half, and individual visas to Chinese will no longer be issued, starting Thursday. United Airlines suspended some flights from the United States to China after demand dropped.

● Several countries, including France, South Korea, Canada, Britain and the United States, are putting together plans to evacuate their citizens from the outbreak epicenter in Wuhan.

● Thailand has confirmed six more cases, bringing its total to 14 amid calls by many Asian populations to close the borders to Chinese visitors. Infections have been confirmed in France, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Canada and Sri Lanka. We’re mapping the spread here.

3:45 p.m.

German officials confirm three new coronavirus cases

BERLIN — German authorities confirmed three new coronavirus cases in the southern state of Bavaria on Tuesday evening, increasing the total number of cases in Germany to four.

The three new cases are connected to Germany’s first patient, a 33-year-old male, who was confirmed to have the virus Monday and is in a “medically good state,” according to regional health officials. Authorities did not immediately provide details on the three other infected individuals. All of them work for the same company, an automotive supplier in Bavaria.

The initial patient was most likely infected there Jan. 21 by a Chinese business visitor from Shanghai, who had entered Germany on Jan. 19 and did not display symptoms caused by the virus during her stay in southern Germany, according to preliminary details provided by German officials. She and the 33-year-old met at a workshop at the company.

Authorities said Tuesday that around 40 individuals had come into close contact with him and the Chinese visitor. All of them are now being tested for the virus.

3:35 p.m.

WHO says China will allow global health experts into country

China will allow the World Health Organization to send a team of experts into the country to study the coronavirus, the WHO said in a statement Tuesday, after a meeting between the organization’s director general and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“The two sides agreed that WHO will send international experts to visit China as soon as possible to work with Chinese counterparts on increasing understanding of the outbreak to guide global response efforts,” the statement said.

When asked whether the group would include American experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesman, told The Washington Post that there’s “No further information about composition or technical expertise of this group at this point.”

By Siobhán O’Grady

3:30 p.m.

In China, still more risk of dying from flu than the coronavirus, expert says

WASHINGTON — As cases of the coronavirus continue to spread, global health experts say people in China — and around the world — are currently more at risk of dying of influenza.

“The flu is a big deal in China,” said Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

People there are “more at risk of dying of the flu right now than they are of coronavirus,” he said, although incomplete government data makes it hard to assess the full effect of flu in China.

Flu takes a substantial toll around the world, including in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been at least 15 million cases of the flu and 8,200 deaths in the United States this season.

Huang said that getting a flu shot probably wouldn’t keep individuals from contracting the coronavirus, but could have systemic benefits by bringing down the rate of those presenting flulike symptoms and seeking treatment, thus preserving hospital resources.

Fear, Huang said, “could itself be as contagious as the virus.”

By Ruby Mellen

3:10 p.m.

Robot delivers food to people in quarantine in China

WASHINGTON — Travelers who flew from Singapore to Hangzhou, China, are being held in quarantine in a hotel this week, where they received a visit from a special guest: Little Peanut, a food delivery robot.

“Hello, everyone. Cute Little Peanut is serving food to you now,” the robot said as it made its way down a hotel hallway. “Enjoy your meal. If you need anything else, please message the staff on WeChat.”

Robot delivers food to people in coronavirus quarantine

Passengers on a flight that originated in Singapore and landed in Hangzhou, China, were quarantined at a hotel and brought food orders by a robot on Jan. 27. (Newsflare via AP)

Little Peanut moved along the carpeted hallway with ease, pausing when a man in slippers and a face mask opened his door to retrieve his meal. As the robot moved ahead, another door opened, and another man reached for his meal. The robot continued down the hall, and two more men popped out of doors opposite one another, each retrieving their meals as well.

The delivery system, which reduces human contact with the people in quarantine, was captured in cellphone footage shared this week on Chinese state media.

By Siobhán O’Grady

2:30 p.m.

Canada confirms third case of coronavirus

TORONTO — A third person has tested positive in Canada for the novel coronavirus, the British Columbia Center for Disease Control said Tuesday.

The man, who is in his 40s, travels regularly to China for business and was in Wuhan during his most recent trip, said Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer. He began experiencing symptoms of the virus more than 24 hours after his arrival in Vancouver last week and contacted his primary health-care provider. He is being kept in isolation at home, where he is “doing well,” she added, and does not require hospitalization.

Henry said the case “is not unexpected to us,” given travel patterns and family ties between British Columbia and China, and is unlikely to be the last. She stressed that the risk of contracting the virus remains “extremely low.”

Despite claims from some Chinese officials, Henry said that there is no evidence that the coronavirus can be spread while a carrier is asymptomatic and that the virus is not as infectious as influenza or measles.

“You have to be in relatively close contact with somebody to inhale those droplets if they cough or sneeze,” she said.

The man’s case is considered a “presumptive positive” pending confirmation from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but Henry said she is “confident” it is a case of the virus given the man’s travel pattern and symptoms.

By Amanda Coletta

2:00 p.m.

Wall Street bounces back after coronavirus-fueled sell-off

WASHINGTON — U.S. stock markets rebounded Tuesday after investors appeared to shake off immediate anxiety around the growing coronavirus outbreak.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 250 points at midday, one day after shedding more than 450 points in its worst one-day sell-off since October. The Standard & Poor’s 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq also rallied back, and were trading up 1.2 and 1.4 percent, respectively.

Still, investors are keeping close watch on the coronavirus. Analysts worry that China’s economy, which depends heavily on consumer spending, could take a hit given the massive slowdown in travel. There’s also concern that it could disrupt global supply chains.

The U.S. economy could be cushioned from any major damage, analysts say, especially if the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak is any indication. The spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed nearly 800 people and infected more than 8,000 others, temporarily stifled growth in China.

By Rachel Siegel

1:25 p.m.

United Airlines suspends some flights to China as demand drops

WASHINGTON — United Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier operating in China, said Tuesday afternoon that it is adjusting its near-term schedule and canceling 24 round-trip flights between the United States and China because so few people are traveling to China.

The cancellations affect flights from San Francisco International Airport, Newark Liberty 

International Airport, Dulles International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

“Due to a significant decline in demand for travel to China, we are suspending some flights between our hub cities and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai beginning Feb. 1 through Feb. 8,” the airline said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will adjust our schedule as needed.”

By Hannah Sampson

12:50 p.m.

Top U.S. health official says early cases may ‘skew’ understanding of coronavirus

WASHINGTON — Azar said experts are scrambling to understand how quickly the novel coronavirus spreads, as well as its lethality, based on limited information.

In a news conference on Tuesday, the health secretary emphasized that officials’ assessments are based on the publicly reported cases and that those “are naturally the most severe cases, because patients presented themselves to health-care providers.”

Another challenge is figuring out lethality without knowing what the total universe of cases might be. Right now, China is reporting more than 100 deaths from the more than 4,500 cases.

But Azar noted that those cases, too, “skew severe, including patients who are older or have other illnesses. The mortality rate may drop over time as we identify a broader set of cases.”

For those reasons, Azar said, “We are still determining the real speed of spread. … We are also still learning about the severity of the virus.”

By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Lenny Bernstein

12:35 p.m.

Authorities in Germany caution against ignoring flu risk as coronavirus spreads

BERLIN — Authorities in Europe urged citizens Tuesday to not ignore risks posed by the flu, after public focus largely shifted to the spreading coronavirus.

In Germany, which confirmed its first coronavirus case in southern Bavaria on Monday night, officials have sought to keep the coronavirus in perspective by citing flu figures.

“Severe flu seasons can kill up to 20,000 people annually in Germany,” said German Health Minister Jens Spahn. But health officials said they also did not want to diminish the risks posed by the coronavirus, even as the threat level across Europe remains relatively low.

The growing focus on the new virus may skew perception of the real risks it poses, but that doesn’t mean the public interest has been unhelpful, said Susanne Glasmacher of the Robert Koch Institute, a German government health agency.

“Some of the means of protecting against influenza are the same as against coronavirus: keeping a distance, washing your hands,” she said.

Encouraging more citizens to take such measures seriously “might in fact be beneficial for keeping influenza numbers low — perhaps it might even help to increase influenza vaccination coverage,” she said.

By Rick Noack

11:50 a.m.

Top U.S. health official says he offered to send CDC team to China

WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Tuesday that he reiterated an offer to China’s minister of health to send a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team to China to aid with the public health response to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a news conference Tuesday, Azar said he spoke with the Chinese minister of health on Monday and repeated an offer he made on Jan. 6 to send a CDC team.

Asked about the minister’s response, Azar did not respond directly, saying he “hopes the Chinese government will take us up on” the offer. “We are urging China that more cooperation and transparency are the most important steps you can take toward a more effective response,” Azar said.

Azar said health officials wanted more isolates of the virus from China to help better understand its transmission and to help in the development of vaccines and diagnostics. Top health officials also said that no option was off the table on further restricting travel from China, but they did not announce any new limitations.

By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Lenny Bernstein

11:30 a.m.

As outbreak spreads, Africa prepares for possible cases

WASHINGTON — Despite rapidly growing ties between China and many African countries, no coronavirus cases have been recorded anywhere in Africa since the outbreak began in China in late December. Still, John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned Tuesday that it’s “very possible that there are cases on the continent that have not been recognized.”

Speaking to reporters in Addis Ababa, he noted that cases were suspected in several countries but that none has been confirmed. As is true elsewhere, preparedness for the virus will vary country by country, Nkengasong said.

“Some countries have very strong surveillance systems, some have weak surveillance systems, and some we are working with them to strengthen those systems there,” he said. “This will be a test case of how those systems have been strengthened over the years.”

Large numbers of Chinese citizens live and work in Africa, running shops and restaurants and working on Chinese infrastructure projects. And in the last decade, airlines have accounted for the rapidly growing exchange: Air traffic between Chinese and African cities surged more than 630 percent in the last decade, Quartz reported last year.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of African students are studying in China, with more than 4,000 believed to be studying in Hubei province alone, according to the Associated Press.

As of Tuesday, Nkengasong said, there is “no need to charter flights to evacuate Africans out of Wuhan city.”

But some African students have expressed concerns they are trapped in the epicenter of the outbreak. Samson Opoku, a Ghanaian student leader in Wuhan, told Ghanaian radio station Joy FM that he and others “want evacuation back home to Ghana.”

“When the outbreak subsides or ends then we return and continue our academic work,” he said.

By Siobhán O’Grady

10:40 a.m.

Millions tune in to watch live stream of Chinese hospital construction

WASHINGTON — Blocked from traveling and encouraged to stay indoors, millions of Chinese have found an unusual way to pass the time: watching hospitals get built — in real time.

On Tuesday, remarkable numbers of Chinese netizens watched grainy, wide-angle footage of workers flattening earth at the site of two temporary hospitals being built to treat the growing number of patients in Wuhan.

Twin live streams showcasing work on the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals together had an average of 18 million concurrent views on Tuesday, according the South China Morning Post. The footage was hosted by CCTV, China’s state broadcaster.

Facing public anger, authorities promised to build two hospitals in 10 days — a response calibrated to show resolve and showcase Chinese know-how. The live streams appear to be a nod to calls for transparency.

The fact that so many people chose to watch the slow-moving coverage shows both the extent to which boredom is taking hold, as well as public interest in how the Chinese Communist Party is responding.

China’s leaders have vowed to use the hulking architecture of the state to help those affected. The footage, boring as it may be, gives ordinary people a rare chance to show they’re keeping watch.

By Emily Rauhala

10:10 a.m.

Xi defends China’s handling of outbreak in meeting with WHO

BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping defended his country’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic as “open, transparent, responsible” on Tuesday in a meeting with World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, even as the Chinese mayor at the epicenter of the outbreak apologized for withholding information from the public.

Calling the coronavirus a “demon,” Xi told Tedros that he would not “let a demon hide” as he vouched for his government’s ability to handle the crisis.

In return, China’s official Xinhua News Agency described Tedros as praising Xi for “personally commanding” the outbreak response and “showing excellent leadership.”

Although international experts have largely praised the speed and methods with which Chinese scientists have carried out research into the novel virus, the Communist Party leadership has come under growing criticism about its handling of the epidemic in its critical early days and its politicization of the international public health response.

Xi’s meeting with the WHO chief came a day after the mayor of Wuhan triggered a firestorm by publicly suggesting that he had not been allowed to speak out earlier about the epidemic.

China in recent days has also been criticized by Taiwan’s president for trying to block the self-ruled island from meetings at the WHO, a United Nations agency, for political reasons at a sensitive moment. China, which has considerable clout at the U.N., views Taiwan as its own territory and has sought to diplomatically isolate the island.

Taiwan reported late Tuesday that it had a first case of coronavirus transmission between two people on the island, raising fears of the virus’s spread. The majority of cases so far have involved people who became infected while traveling in central China.

By Gerry Shih

9:30 a.m.

Taiwan reports first case of domestic transmission

WASHINGTON — Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre confirmed Tuesday that one of its eight confirmed coronavirus patients appeared to be the first case of transmission on the island. All previous cases had been infected first in China, Taiwan said. But the new patient, a man in his 50s, was infected by his wife after she returned from working in China, Reuters reports.

Taiwan, despite its political divide with the government in Beijing, has close cultural and economic ties with mainland China. On Monday, an official at Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council told reporters that there were as many as 300 business people from Taiwan in Wuhan.

By Adam Taylor

8:45 a.m.

Charter flight carrying medical supplies leaves Japan for Wuhan as evacuations begin

TOKYO — A charter flight left Japan at 8 p.m. on Tuesday to evacuate around 200 people from Wuhan, officials said.

The plane is carrying masks, plastic gloves, protective clothing and food.

It was scheduled to leave Wuhan at 3 a.m. local time Wednesday and arrive back in Tokyo’s Haneda airport at 7:30 a.m. Officials said 650 Japanese citizens living in the worst-affected province of Hubei have asked to come home, with the initial 200 selected among those living closest to the airport and the market from which the disease is believed to have spread.

Those with symptoms will be taken directly to a hospital that specializes in treating infectious diseases, while those without symptoms will be taken to another hospital for tests.

The second group will then be allowed to go home, but urged not to venture outdoors for two weeks during the incubation period of the virus, with health officials visiting them on a daily basis to monitor their condition.

Other flights will be added as soon as possible, officials told reporters.

South Korea will send four flights to Wuhan on Thursday and Friday to evacuate around 700 of its nationals who have asked to come home.

The government plans to send provide some 2 million masks and other medical relief items, including 200,000 items of protective clothing and goggles, on the planes, Yonhap news agency reported.

By Simon Denyer

8:30 a.m.

Countries move forward with evacuation plans

BERLIN — Several countries continued to move forward with plans to evacuate their citizens from the coronavirus epicenter Wuhan.

Among the nations pursuing or considering such plans are France, South Korea, Morocco, Britain, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Russia, Reuters reported.

French authorities said they will initially focus on the evacuation of citizens who are not showing any symptoms of the virus, with a flight from Wuhan expected to arrive back in France on Thursday. The second flight for infected citizens has yet to be scheduled.

In neighboring Germany, the Der Spiegel magazine reported that at least one military aircraft was expected to leave for Wuhan later this week to evacuate German citizens. The plans were not officially confirmed and the German Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British authorities were still finalizing their own plans, too. Via its Twitter account, the British embassy in Beijing urged British nationals in Hubei province willing to leave the region to call a 24/7 hotline before 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The British government had previously faced pressure to enact a plan. The opposition Labour Party’s Emily Thornberry accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of “not doing whatever it takes to protect our citizens from harm,” according to the Evening Standard newspaper on Monday.

By Rick Noack

7:30 a.m.

Chinese embassy in Copenhagen demands apology over coronavirus cartoon

BERLIN — The Chinese embassy in Denmark has demanded an apology over a coronavirus cartoon published in one of the country’s highest-circulation newspapers, Jyllands-Posten.

The cartoon showed a Chinese flag with what appeared to represent five coronavirus particles instead of the five typical yellow stars.

The illustration — published by the same paper that drew international attention with the satirical Muhammad cartoons in 2005 that sparked rioting across the Middle East — struck a nerve with Chinese officials in Denmark.

In a release, a spokesperson for the embassy called the cartoon “an insult to China” that “hurts the feelings of the Chinese people.”

“Without any sympathy and empathy, it has crossed the bottom line of civilized society and the ethical boundary of free speech and offends human conscience,” the statement read, adding that the cartoonist Niels Bo Bojesen and the paper should “reproach themselves for their mistake and publicly apologize to the Chinese people.”

The paper stood by the cartoon on Tuesday, with its editor in chief Jacob Nybroe saying that “there is no mockery or scorn in the drawing.”

“We can’t apologize for something we don’t think is wrong,” Nybroe added, according to the paper’s own coverage of the controversy.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended the country’s freedom of expression and satire, even though she did not directly comment on the cartoon in question itself.

By Rick Noack

6:00 a.m.

Philippines restricts visas for Chinese nationals

MANILA — In the Philippines, immigration authorities temporarily suspended the issuance of visas upon arrival for Chinese nationals. Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente said that this was “to slow down the influx of group tours,” and possibly prevent the entry of the virus.

China is one of the country’s top sources of tourists, accounting for over a million visits in 2018. The country is hoping to record 9.2 million international arrivals this year. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said that her department did not find it necessary to adjust tourism targets just yet.

“We remain optimistic that the tourism industry will be resilient,” said Puyat. “Nevertheless, we continue to monitor the situation. Our primary concern is the safety of visitors and locals.”

Political analyst Antonio La Viña says that these countries’ precautionary measures are expected to have economic impacts, but he cautioned against these actions possibly taking on racist tones.

“Countries have no choice but to take such an approach as there is no alternative,” he said. “What would be temporary economic impacts could have long term consequences if that happens and not corrected.”

By Regine Cabato

5:30 a.m.

Infected German man came into contact with Chinese visitor, authorities say

BERLIN — German authorities have confirmed the first coronavirus case in the country. The 33-year-old male patient in southern Bavaria has been isolated and is being monitored, officials said in a news conference on Tuesday.

He is in a “medically good state,” according to the regional health ministry.

The patient was most likely infected by a Chinese business visitor from Shanghai, who entered Germany on Jan. 19 and did not display symptoms caused by the virus during her stay in southern Germany, according to preliminary details provided by German officials.

She and the 33-year old met at a workshop in the offices of a German automotive supplier where the man works.

Authorities said Tuesday that around 40 individuals had come into close contact with him and the Chinese visitor.

Germany is the second European nation to confirm a coronavirus case. French authorities have so far reported three cases.

German health minister Jens Spahn said “it was to be expected that the virus would reach Germany.”

“After the [coronavirus] suspicion was confirmed, everyone who was in close contact with him is being examined,” Spahn said, adding that the risk to Germans “remains low.”

By Rick Noack

5:05 a.m.

Three Russian regions close borders with China

MOSCOW — Russia has closed its border with China in three of its Far East regions amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak, according to state-run news agency Tass.

It’s one of a number of precautions Russia has taken, though the country’s consumer safety regulator, Rospotrebnadzor, said Tuesday morning that there haven’t been any cases of coronavirus recorded here yet. The border crossings in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Khabarovsk and Amur regions will be closed until Feb. 7.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on his website Tuesday that monitoring of hotels and popular tourist sites has been heightened.

“If any alarming signals are identified, medical brigades will be dispatched to these sites immediately to carry out all-round checks,” he said.

Russia is also blocking organized tour groups from China, according to Tass, which cited Russia’s travel industry union. Meanwhile, Russia’s embassy in China has contacted 158 citizens in the Hubei province, including 113 in the city of Wuhan, which is on lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of the disease.

By Isabelle Khurshudyan

4:55 a.m.

Japan announces first coronavirus case for someone not from Wuhan epicenter

TOKYO — Japan on Tuesday recorded its first case of coronavirus in someone who had not visited the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, but had come into contact with tourists from there.

The Japanese man, a tour bus driver in his 60s, drove two groups of Chinese tourists from Wuhan earlier this month, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said.

Kato told a news conference the man had worn a mask when he was working.

He was one of two new cases of coronavirus confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the total of cases in Japan to six.

The other cases involved four Chinese tourists from Wuhan, and a Chinese national living in Japan who returned home after visiting Wuhan.

By Simon Denyer

4:10 a.m.

Hong Kong leader restricts flow of mainland Chinese into city over virus fears

HONG KONG — Facing public pressure across the political aisle, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday announced dramatic measures to stem the flow of mainland Chinese into the territory, including the closure of railways, ferries and cross-border tour buses.

Flights to mainland China will be slashed by half, and the Hong Kong government will stop issuing individual travel visas to mainland Chinese, starting from Thursday.

The decision, Lam said, was made along with authorities in Beijing. All in all, about half of Hong Kong’s border checkpoints with mainland China will be closed.

“The flow of people between the two places needs to be drastically reduced,” Lam said.

By Shibani Mahtani

3:45 a.m.

North Korea imposes one-month quarantine on recent arrivals

TOKYO — North Korea, which already banned foreign tourists from entering the country, has now imposed a one-month quarantine on any foreigners who come in, including diplomats and aid workers.

The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said it had been informed by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry that “all foreigners” who have recently visited China will be isolated and kept under medical supervision for a month.

The measures mirror steps taken by the country during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014, entry requirements were even stricter, with anyone entering the country, including North Korean nationals and regime officials, held in quarantine for 21 days.

In a post on its Facebook page spotted by the NK News service, the Russian Embassy said foreigners arriving by air will be placed under quarantine at a hotel just north of the capital Pyongyang, while those crossing by train will be kept a hotel in the border town of Sinuiju.

“These measures are aimed at protecting the life and safety of our employees accredited to the DPRK diplomatic missions and international organizations, as well as the prevention of a pandemic of a new type of coronavirus,” the Russian Embassy said, referring to the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported earlier that quarantine centers are being set up at the country’s borders, ports and airports where anyone believed to have been exposed to the illness will be isolated.

The Ebola-related restrictions were kept in place for four months.

By Simon Denyer

3:30 a.m.

Thailand fears $1.6 billion loss in tourism revenue from China

HONG KONG — Thailand is facing a $1.6 billion loss in tourism revenue with the shutdown of Chinese cities and banning of tour groups, an official said Tuesday.

Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told local media that China’s decision to restrict tour groups would have a deep impact on the tourism industry, which relies heavily on Chinese visitors.

Thailand also confirmed six more infections on Tuesday, taking its tally up to 14, the most in the region outside China. All of the new cases were travelers from China.

“Now we will expand screening to all Chinese from China and prepare equipment to screen 100 percent,” said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said according to Reuters.

By Shibani Mahtani

3:20 a.m.

Kazakhstan toughening up visa requirements for Chinese

DUBAI — Kazakhstan will now require medical certificates from Chinese visitors and has stopped issuing electronic visas in effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak into the country, an official said Tuesday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Shukhrat Nuryshev also said there were no plans to close the border, and the country was seeking to repatriate 98 of its citizens stuck inside the outbreak’s epicenter in Wuhan, Reuters reported.

By Paul Schemm

3:00 a.m.

Number of Chinese on lockdown rises to 54 million

TOKYO — The number of Chinese citizens on travel lockdown has increased to 54 million with the addition of Shiyan.

China is attempting to seal off the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, centered around Wuhan in Hubei province and cutting all travel links.

Shiyan, the “Detroit of the East,” is an industrial city of over 3.4 million known for its auto sector.

By Simon Denyer

2:45 a.m.

Growing calls in Hong Kong to close border with mainland China

HONG KONG — Even some pro-establishment politicians here are backing calls for the government to close the border with mainland China, regardless of the economic impact and the potential political fallout from the decision.

Beijing has sovereignty over Hong Kong, but under the “one country, two systems” arrangement, Hong Kong maintains its own immigration system.

James Tien, a prominent businessman and honorary chairman of the pro-business and pro-Beijing Liberal Party, urged the government to consider starting by closing the mainland border for a period of a month.

Though it is a “very painful” suggestion for someone who’s advocated for a business-friendly environment, “special times call for special measures,” Tien wrote in a Facebook post.

The territory is already reeling from the impact of eight months of political unrest over fears that Hong Kong’s autonomy is being eroded by Beijing.

Tourism has been hit particularly hard, with a pronounced drop in visitors from mainland China. Some unions even in this sector, however, are similarly advocating for the border closure, arguing that the government must prioritize public health over short-term economic gain.

“If everyone is unwell, economics won’t be important anymore,” said Alex Tsui, chairman of the pro-democracy Hong Kong Hotel Employees Union, noting that the 2003 SARS epidemic that hit the territory particularly hard spread through hotels.

“Our industry is very high risk, and hotels are a dangerous place for a virus to spread,” he said. “The safety of the Hong Kong people and our hotel workers have to be the priority.”

The Hong Kong government has encouraged civil servants, other than those delivering health care and other essential public services, to work from home after the Lunar New Year holiday, which ends on Tuesday.

Sports facilities and museums have been closed indefinitely, and major banks, financial institutions and law firms have also asked workers to self-quarantine. Trading however will return to normal on Wednesday.

By Shibani Mahtani

What you need to know about coronavirus

Updated January 28, 2020

Follow our updates: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its travel warning to a level 3, urging U.S. citizens to avoid all nonessential travel to China. The U.S. government is increasing staff to conduct screenings at 20 airports that handle almost all passengers traveling into the country from China.

Mapping the spread of the new coronavirus: The United States, Germany, Sri Lanka, France, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Macao and South Korea have all confirmed cases of the infection.

Over the weekend, health officials confirmed three new U.S. cases, bringing the total to five. The patients — in Southern California, Chicago, Arizona and Washington state — had traveled from Wuhan.

In Wuhan, the Chinese city of 11 million people where the coronavirus outbreak began last month, train stations, ferries, buses and the airport all have shut down. Travel bans were extended in central China to put more than 50 million people effectively on local lockdowns.

What is coronavirus and how does it spread? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses whose effects range from causing the common cold to triggering much more serious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Do you have questions about the virus? Ask them here. And here’s what we know so far.