Coronavirus news – live: ‘Super-spreading event’ sparks panic as entire city told to stay at home after quarantine declared across Daegu

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World Health Organisation gives an update on coronavirus

The mayor of Daegu, South Korea’s fourth largest city, has urged its 2.5 million population to refrain from going outside amid a spike in coronavirus cases within the region.

Kwon Young-jin said the city was facing “an unprecedented crisis”, with 49 reported patients traced to an infected individual who had attended a local church.

But the World Health Organisation director general insisted the number of South Korean cases is “really manageable”, adding he hopes officials can contain the outbreak at an “early age”.

It comes as the Japanese government confirmed the death of two citizens, both in their 80s, who contracted the virus while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. More than 620 people onboard the ship – which was carrying 3,700 passengers – have tested positive for the condition.

Meanwhile in the UK, a total of 5,549 British nationals had been tested as of 2pm on Thursday. Nine cases of the virus have been discovered so far.

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Key Points

• South Korean city in lockdown after 'super-spreading event'
• Two infected passengers from stricken cruise ship die
• Worldwide death toll surpasses 2,110
• BA announces further cancellations for flights to China

[20 February 2020 09:39 · Samuel Lovett]

Two Russian nationals aboard cruise ship confirmed as positive

Another two Russian nationals aboard a quarantined cruise ship docked near Tokyo have been diagnosed with coronavirus, Russia's embassy in Japan said on Thursday.

The two individuals will be taken to hospital soon, the embassy said in a post on social media. That brings the number of Russians who have contracted the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise liner to three.

The cruise ship has the biggest concentration of coronavirus infections outside China.

Operated by Carnival Corp, the ship has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on 3 February.

(The cruise liner was carrying 3,700 passengers at the point of outbreak)

[20 February 2020 09:51 · Samuel Lovett]

Scientists rushing to develop vaccine

Scientists across the globe are working to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Professor Shattock, of Imperial College London, revealed his team began trials of an experimental jab on animals on 10 February.  According to him, a vaccine could potentially be produced much faster than conventional methods. 

"We have the technology to develop a vaccine with a speed that’s never been realised before," he said. "We have successfully generated our novel coronavirus vaccine candidate in the lab – just 14 days from getting the genetic sequence to generating the candidate in the lab. 

"This will go into the first animal experiments on Monday [10th February]. If this work is successful, and if we secure further funding, the vaccine could enter into clinical studies (with human participants) in early summer."

At Oxford University, Professor Sarah Gilbert of the Jenner Institute said: “Novel pathogens such as COVID-19 require rapid vaccine development. 

“By using technology that is known to work well for another coronavirus vaccine we are able to reduce the time taken to prepare for clinical trials." 

Information about the newly-named COVID-2019 is being widely shared among the scientific community. 

However, most research is raw, with plenty of papers posted online without being peer-reviewed. Some of the material lacks scientific scrutiny, experts say, and some has already been exposed as flawed, leading to withdrawals.

[20 February 2020 10:10 · Samuel Lovett]

Concern over Japan's economy as coronavirus spreads

Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Thursday the spreading impact from the coronavirus outbreak was the biggest concern for Japan's economy and he was closely watching developments.

Sales from Japanese shoppers and Chinese tourists have fallen at Japanese department stores from February, which warrants attention, Nishimura told reporters after the government issued its monthly economic report.

Japan's government kept its view that the economy is recovering moderately in a monthly report in February as the labour market remained solid, but it warned about risks to the outlook from the coronavirus epidemic.

[20 February 2020 10:20 · Samuel Lovett]

Australian evacuees from virus-hit ship begin second quarantine

Around 180 Australians evacuated from the virus-stricken cruise ship berthed in Japan have arrived in the city of Darwin to begin a second quarantine period.

The former cruise ship passengers will spend the next two weeks in a camp facility near the northern Australian city, Australian health officials said.

The Diamond Princess ship had been docked at the port of Yokohama since early this month in a quarantine that was widely considered a failure. The quarantine ended Wednesday and passengers who tested negative for the virus began leaving.

The group of Australian evacuees was flown from Japan in the early hours of Thursday morning on a Qantas 747 chartered by the Australian government.

[20 February 2020 10:30 · Samuel Lovett]

British couple diagnosed with coronavirus 'in best place' for treatment

A British couple diagnosed with coronavirus in Japan have said they are "in the best place" as they posted pictures from their hospital beds.

David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, have been transferred for hospital treatment from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been quarantined near Yokohama, Japan.

Around 70 other Britons from the ship are due to fly back to the UK from Tokyo on Friday on a repatriation flight organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In a Facebook post, Mr Abel said: "We arrived in lovely hospital a couple of hours ago.

"Taken by ambulance blues & twos the entire journey.

"Outside the hospital I came over a bit weird and nearly passed out. Every pore on my body opened and i was wheelchaired to our room.

"Full health inspection and now we know what's going on. We both contracted a cold (unaware of) and it has not yet turned into pneumonia. (we do have coronavirus).

"Tomorrow the big tests commence. chest x-rays, ECG, chest scan, urine + more.

"We are both in the best place! They do know what they are doing and our two nurses are gorgeous. Sally likes the Dr too."

(Sally Abel receives treatment from her hospital bed)

[20 February 2020 10:40 · Samuel Lovett]

Foreign Office to help Britons fly home from Cambodia

Britons in Cambodia who left the Westerdam cruise ship and have been cleared for travel are being assisted by the Foreign Office to make their way home, according to the PA news agency.

The group, who have all tested negative for coronavirus in Cambodia, are receiving health advice and being helped with commercial flight bookings.

The number of Britons in the group has not been disclosed. It is unclear whether some have already come back to the UK.

Public Health England said airport health teams will meet the flights and speak to Westerdam passengers about any symptoms.

If they do not have symptoms, the group will be given health advice and told to self-isolate at home for 14 days, PHE said. If they have symptoms, they will be taken to hospital for testing.

[20 February 2020 10:50 · Samuel Lovett]

Coronavirus round-up - what we know:

- As of Thursday morning, the worldwide death toll for the virus had risen by 114 to 2,118

- In China, more than 74,000 people have been infected

- Hundreds of passengers disembarked a cruise ship in Japan on Wednesday after being held on board in quarantine for more than two weeks

- Japanese authorities said 79 new cases have been discovered aboard, bringing the total to at least 620, well over half of the known cases outside mainland China

- Two elderly passengers from the quarantined Diamond Princess ship have died of the disease, officials said

- South Korea has reported the first death in the country of a person infected with coronavirus and 22 new cases bringing the total to 104

- At least 15 people who attended religious services in the county's fourth-largest city of Daegu have tested positive for the virus as the city's mayor told residents to stay indoors on Thursday

- The epidemic that has already disrupted economic growth in China and spread to other countries, could derail a "highly fragile" projected global recovery in 2020, the International Monetary Fund warned.

[20 February 2020 11:00 · Samuel Lovett]

Melbourne in show of solidarity with Chinese locals

A number of landmarks in Melbourne have been lit up with the colours of the Chinese flag in a display of solidarity with China, according to the Guardian.

The buildings include the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall and the city's Arts Centre.

This comes as Daniel Andrews, the premier of Victoria, urged people to show their support for local Chinese businesses and communities.

“Go and visit a Chinese restaurant, go to a precinct which is dominated by Asian businesses, go and show your support for them, because a lot of them are having it very, very tough at the moment as people stay away,” he said.

[20 February 2020 11:09 · Samuel Lovett]

WHO in 'close communication' with South Korea following 'super-spreading event'

The World Health Organization (WHO) is in close touch with South Korea regarding a "cluster" of coronavirus cases within the central city of Daegu, a WHO spokesman said on Thursday, after authorities there described it as a "super-spreading event".

"WHO is in close communication with the Government of the Republic of Korea responding to a cluster of COVID-19 cases that have been confirmed in the area of Daegu," the organisation said.

At least 15 people who attended a church service in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city, have tested positive for the virus as major Kwon Young-jin told residents to stay indoors.

The city has subsequently gone into shutdown following the outbreak, with shops and streets deserted amid rising fears over the outbreak.

"It's like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the city. It looks like a zombie apocalypse," Kim Geun-woo, a 28-year-old resident told Reuters.

"Even Dongseong-ro Street [the most crowded centre of the city] is empty," he said, adding that he had tried to buy surgical masks but shops were sold out.

South Korea reported on Wednesday the country's first death alongside 22 new cases, bringing the total to 104.

[20 February 2020 11:29 · Samuel Lovett]

BA cancels more flights to China

British Airways has announced it is cancelling all flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai until April 17 2020.

A spokesman for the airline said: "In line with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's continued advice against all but essential travel to mainland China, we are cancelling flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai until April 17 2020.

"We will be contacting customers on cancelled flights so we can discuss their travel options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel. Customers can also find the latest information and options on BA.com.

"Safety is at the heart of everything we do and we will keep the situation under review."

BA added that it would be continuing to fly to Hong Kong.