China faced deepening isolation over its coronavirus epidemic on Saturday as the death toll soared to 259, with the United States and Australia leading a growing list of nations to impose extraordinary Chinese travel bans. The United States toughened its stance Friday by declaring a national emergency, temporarily barring entry to foreigners who had been in China within the past two weeks. The United States, Japan, Britain, Germany and other nations had already advised their citizens not to travel to China. 'Unkind'Beijing insists it can contain the virus and called Washington's advice against travel to China "unkind". Thailand joins China, Germany, Japan, France and the United States with confirmed domestic infections.

Source: The Guardian February 01, 2020 09:00 UTC