A man in the Philippines has become the first person outside China to die from the outbreak, while the overall death toll has risen above 300 and the number of confirmed cases of infection increased to more than 14,000. President Rodrigo Duterte approved a temporary ban on all travellers, except Filipinos, from China and its autonomous regions. Beijing has criticised Washington’s order barring entry to the US to most foreigners who visited China in the past two weeks. Rapid spreadThe number of confirmed cases in China has surpassed the number in the 2002-03 outbreak of Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Most cases reported so far have been people who visited China or their family members.

Source: The Irish Times February 02, 2020 08:15 UTC