Passengers and crew leave coronavirus-hit ship as quarantine ends
Hundreds of people who have been stuck on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship for two weeks are being allowed to disembark. The controversial quarantine on the Diamond Princess has now ended - and over the past fortnight, more than 540 passengers and crew have fallen ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.About 500 people are going to be allowed to leave the ship on Wednesday, and about 2,000 others will be gradually evacuated between now and Friday.
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China has been battling an outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan. The virus has claimed over 2,000 lives in mainland China – surpassing the death toll during the SARS outbreak in 2003 – and infected more than 75,000 people around the world. Outside mainland China, Philippines reported its first fatality on Feb. 2, Hong Kong on Feb. 4, Japan on Feb. 14, and France and Taiwan on Feb. 15. A second person died in Hong Kong on Feb. 19. The other countries and regions infected by the novel coronavirus are Egypt, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the U.K., the U.S. and Vietnam. On Feb. 11, World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new name for the virus – COVID-19, which stands for Corona Virus Disease 19. The WHO, on Feb. 17, said that the data provided by China indicates a drop in the number of new cases but cautioned that “every scenario is on the table.”
South Korea reports first virus death as 2.5m urged to stay home in city
The mayor of Daegu asked all citizens to stay indoors and pleaded for help from the central government. (Lee Moo-ryul/Newsis via AP) South Korea has reported its first death from coronavirus, as officials in one major city urged its 2.5 million residents to avoid going outside as cases spiked.The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately provide details of the death, but authorities earlier said the country had confirmed a total of 82 cases of the Covid-19 virus.
(Pictured) A man wearing a face mask rides an escalator at the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in China, on Feb. 18.
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Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was in quarantine due to fears of the new COVID-19, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 19. Several hundred passengers who endured the horrid 14-day quarantine started de-boarding the ship, if tested negative, on the day. Seven new infected cases were reported in Japan raising the total to 68 outside the ship.
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People wearing face masks pass by an electric screen about precautions against COVID-19 in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 18. The country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 15 new cases on Feb. 19.
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A tourist, wearing a protective face mask amid COVID-19 fears, takes photographs at Marina Bay in Singapore on Feb. 18. The country has more than 80 infected cases so far and has unveiled $4.6 billion in financial packages to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has battered the city-state’s economy and sparked fears of a recession.
‘We’re in a Petri Dish’: How a Coronavirus Ravaged a Cruise Ship
YOKOHAMA, Japan — The captain came over the intercom early in the evening: A passenger who had left the ship nine days earlier had tested positive for the new coronavirus sweeping through China. While the guests on board were unnerved, it was the final night of their two-week luxury cruise aboard the Diamond Princess. The revelry continued as the ship headed toward the port in Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city. Passengers dined on filetWhile the guests on board were unnerved, it was the final night of their two-week luxury cruise aboard the Diamond Princess. The revelry continued as the ship headed toward the port in Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city.
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A security guard wearing a protective face mask checks the temperature of a woman before she enters a hospital in Shanghai on Feb. 18.
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Ambassador of China to South Africa, Lin Songtian, briefs the media on the update of COVID-19 epidemic at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 18.
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A passenger wearing a protective mask carries her luggage outside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 18.
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A resident wearing a protective face mask walks on a street in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Feb. 18.
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Waiters wearing protective face masks wait for customers outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 17.
South Korea on highest alert as virus cases rise
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday that the country would be put on its highest alert level as coronavirus infections there topped 600. "We shouldn't be bound by regulations and hesitate to take unprecedented, powerful measures," Moon said, according to The Associated Press, adding that the outbreak "has reached a crucial watershed." © Getty Images South Korea on highest alert as virus cases rise South Korea reported 169 new cases of the deadly virus, the AP noted.Authorities can now reportedly close schools and restrict public transportation and international flights.
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A woman wears a protective face mask as she sits on a bus in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 17.
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Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.
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Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.
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People stand near the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 18. The liner was docked five days ago after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.
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People wear face masks and plastic raincoats as protection at the Shanghai railway station in China, on Feb. 17.
As pandemic looms, world’s top disease fighter engages Xi
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is racing against time to stop the new coronavirus from becoming a global crisis.Yet containing and unlocking the secrets of a novel virus that emerged in Wuhan, once a flourishing mega-city of 11 million, is only part of the challenge. Tedros is also engaged in a delicate diplomatic dance with a Chinese government that’s sensitive to perceived slights and a big financial supporter of countries across Africa, including Ethiopia, where he also served as foreign minister and a high-ranking member of its former ruling coalition.
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A press conference on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak is held by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council in Beijing, China, on Feb. 17.
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Doctor Hangzhou Lu, co-director of Shanghai Public Clinical Center Shanghai, shows a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at the finished but still unused building A2, in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
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A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.
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Liang Yu, ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Peru, gives a press conference about the coronavirus outbreak and economy to foreign correspondents in Lima, Peru, on Feb. 17.
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French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Véran addresses the media at Bichat hospital in Paris, France, on Feb. 17, on the COVID-19 outbreak.
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A couple wearing masks kiss at a shopping area in downtown Shanghai on Feb. 16.
Ireland's first coronavirus patient is 'being treated in a Dublin hospital'
Department of Health officials confirmed last night that the man was in the east of the country , but it has now emerged that he is in a hospital in the capital, according to RTE News.A spokesperson from the HSE has been contacted for comment.It comes after the Department said it has begun tracing people who may have come into contact with a the man who contracted the killer virus.People who have been in close contact with the man have yet to all be identified.But the Department of Health said the tracing process has begun.The male travelled back to Ireland in the past 14 days from an infected area in Italy.
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A volunteer cuts a man's hair in Chongqing, China, on Feb. 16. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, most barbershops have been closed. A community in the Beibei district of Chongqing organized a team of volunteer barbers to provide free haircuts for its residents.
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Staff of a catering company prepare meals for frontline medical workers in Shijiazhuang, China, on Feb. 16.
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A worker wearing a protective face mask removes stickers from the window of a shop in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
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Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.
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Jewish worshipers take part in a prayer for those affected by the coronavirus, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 16. The placard in Hebrew and Chinese reads "The Jewish people pray for China."
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A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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An aviation security officer wearing a protective mask stands guard at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 15.
Irish developed test for coronavirus to be used in Chinese hospitals
The comprehensive test is being shipped this week to hospitals in Wuhan and Guangzhou , has been developed by Randox Laboratories, on a unique technology platform known as a Biochip.Video: Virus hospital closes as new cases drop in Wuhan (Reuters) Your browser does not support this video require(["binding"], function (binding) {
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}); This allows for each patient to be simultaneously tested for a range of respiratory infections inclusive of all known coronaviruses.
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Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.
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A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.
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The big screen displays a message of support in relation to the ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Premier League football match between Southampton and Burnley FC in Southampton, England, on Feb. 15.
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A traffic police official checks a car in Xiaogan, China, amid snowfall on Feb. 15.
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People wearing face masks do physical exercises at a park in Beijing on Feb. 15.
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Two buses leave the port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, on Feb. 15.
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A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.
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A passenger reacts as he disembarks from the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, on Feb. 14, where the liner docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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People wearing facemasks look on during a rehearsal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay in Japan on Feb. 15.
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Students hold flags and posters during an activity showing support for China's fight against the COVID-19 at a school in Ayutthaya province, Thailand, on Feb. 14.
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A sand sculpture is seen at a beach in eastern coast, created by Indian sand artist Manas Sahoo, for visitors awareness about the new coronavirus in Puri, India, on Feb. 14.
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A worker wears a protective mask suit as he checks the temperature of customers in a shopping area in Beijing on Feb. 14.
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A woman wears a mask while traveling in a bus in downtown Shanghai, China, on Feb. 13.
Calls for Ireland to follow Italian measures to contain coronavirus
Concerned parents have called on the Irish Government to follow the example of Italy and shut schools to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The Italian government has confirmed that all schools and universities will close for two weeks to contain Covid-19 in the worst affected country in Europe.
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Passengers and children stand on the deck of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as the vessel's passengers continue to be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 13. Aboard this quarantined ship, 219 people have tested positive with the virus.
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Pedestrians wearing face masks walk through an underground passage in Tokyo on Feb. 13. The Japanese government will approve 15.3 billion yen ($140 million) to fight the virus, the prime ministers's office said on Feb. 14.
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Family members of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 13., for the evacuation of their children from the Chinese city.
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The Norwegian Jewel cruise ship is in lock down while health authorities test passengers for COVID-19 in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 14.
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Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) speaks to passengers on board the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville on Feb. 14, where the liner on Feb. 13 was docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the virus.
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Jay Butler, deputy director for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), speaks to the media inside the Emergency Operations Center in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., on Feb. 13.
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A woman poses for a picture in Chinatown in New York City, New York, U.S., on Feb. 13. Originally from Kazakhstan, she said she's lived in New York for two years.
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A florist, in a face mask, puts on gloves while she works at a flowers shop in a shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 13.
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The Westerdam cruise ship is seen past fishing boats as it approaches the port in Sihanoukville on Feb. 13, where the liner had received permission to dock after been refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the virus.
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A staff member scans the temperature of visitors at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 13.
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An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.
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Visitors wear protective masks as they walk through a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 12.
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Customers have lunch with a transparent plastic panel set up on the table to isolate each other and prevent the spread of the virus, in Hong Kong on Feb. 12.
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A nearly empty subway train is seen in Beijing on Feb. 12.
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Members of Japan Self-Defense Force attach a military vehicle to a gate of the Diamond Princess on Feb. 12.
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A security guard wears a face mask in a subway in Beijing on Feb. 12.
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Workers wear masks as they walk outside their dormitory in an electronics manufacturing factory in Shanghai on Feb. 12.
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An officer checks the temperature of passengers as a precautionary measure at a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon in Jdaidit Yabws on Feb. 12.
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A man wears protective mask at the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 12.
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A laboratory technician helps a colleague remove the protective suit after leaving a laboratory in Shenyang, China, on Feb. 12.
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A woman fixes her mask as she waits for tourists at her shop at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya, Thailand, on Feb. 12.
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A worker checks the temperature of a customer at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb 11.
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Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a news conference on the novel coronavirus in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 11.
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People wave at family on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Daikoku Pier, Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 11.
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Health workers in protective gears evacuate residents from a public housing building in Hong Kong on Feb 11.
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Tourists wear protective face masks during their visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 11.
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A Chinese couple wears plastic coats and protective masks as they shop for groceries at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb. 11.
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Spectators walk past a thermal camera ahead of the AFC Champions League Group F match between Ulsan Hyundai and FC Tokyo at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea, on Feb. 11.
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Medical workers wear protective masks at the El Alto Airtport on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, on Feb. 11.
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Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.
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People wear masks as a precautionary measure at the Seoul railway station in South Korea on Feb. 10.
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A resident wearing a protective face mask looks on at Patan Durbar Square in Patan, Nepal, on Feb. 10.
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A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.
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Tourists wearing face masks visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 10.
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People wear protective masks as they wait to cross the street in Hong Kong on Feb. 10.
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A worker wearing a protective suit carries a fogging machine as others prepare to disinfect a business establishment in Shanghai on Feb. 9.
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A plane carrying 150 Britons, who were trapped in Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak, lands at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, near London, England, on Feb. 9.
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Local health government and medical chief members speak to media at the Son Espases hospital, where a case of coronavirus has been detected, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Feb. 9.
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A group of 20 Germans evacuated from Wuhan leave Tegel Airport in a convoy, after their arrival in an air force plane in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 9.
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Brazilian citizens from Wuhan arrive at the Air Force base of Anapolis, in Brazil on Feb. 9.
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A passenger wearing a mask walks outside the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 8.
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Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
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Family members of passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal, wave on shore in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. The cruise ship with approximately 1,800 passengers remained quarantined in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Feb. 8. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home.
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A Hindu devotee wears a mask as she carries a milk pot on her head at a shrine in Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 8.
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French Health and Solidarity Minister Agnès Buzyn leaves after attending a meeting about the situation of the n-CoV 2019 coronavirus, in Paris, France, on Feb. 8. The minister said that five British nationals including a child have tested positive for the new coronavirus in France.
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Tourists wearing face masks line up near a departure gate at the airport in Bali, Indonesia, on Feb. 8. Thousands of Chinese tourists are reportedly stranded in Bali following suspension of all flights to and from China.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.
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South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.
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People wearing masks walk in a subway station in Hong Kong on Feb. 7.
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People look on from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 7. About 64 passengers from the ship have tested positive for the virus. Another ship, the World Dream, has been docked and quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. It has 3,600 passengers and crew on board.
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Flight attendants wearing protective clothing and masks serve snacks to Canadians, who had been evacuated from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus on an American charter plane, on another aircraft taking them to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Canada, on Feb. 7.
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A disinfection worker in protective gear sterilizes a restaurant in Tong-in Market in Seoul on Feb. 7.
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People stock up on food supplies at a supermarket in Singapore on Feb. 7, after the country raised coronavirus outbreak alert to orange.
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Members of U.S. President Donald Trump's Coronavirus task force – (L-R) Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun – attend a news conference about the virus at the Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C, U.S., on Feb. 7.
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Passengers wearing masks arrive at the Tom Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 7.
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People spray chemical to sterilize vehicles against the virus in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, on Feb. 7.
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A woman hangs a Japanese flag that reads "shortage of medicine" onboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is anchored at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 7.
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Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks about the coronavirus situation during a news conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Taipei, Taiwan, on Feb. 7.
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Spectators wear masks while attending the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul on Feb. 6.
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Members of an emergency team participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on Feb. 6.
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Airport security staff checks passengers using a thermal sensor screen at the Hong Kong International Airport on Feb. 6.
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A tourist receives a free protective face mask from Buddhist volunteers in Hanoi on Feb. 6.
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Nurses check the temperature of visitors at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 5.
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Joe Parisi, Dane County executive, discusses the first confirmed case of coronavirus in a Wisconsin resident as Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway looks on during a news conference in Madison, Wisconsin, on Feb. 5.
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Passengers watch as ambulances transfer passengers, who tested positive for coronavirus, from the cruise ship Diamond Princess to a hospital, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, on Feb. 6.
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A group of medical personnel meet evacuees, carried by a Russian military plane at an airport outside Tyumen, Russia, on Feb. 5. Russia evacuated 144 people, Russians and nationals of Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia, from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, on the day. All evacuees will be quarantined for two weeks in a sanatorium in the Tyumen region in western Siberia, government officials said.
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Workers in protective gear are seen on Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama, on Feb. 5, bringing patients from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant on a street at Namdaemun Market in Seoul on Feb. 5.
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A public health ministry nurse measures the temperature of a passenger arriving from France, at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Feb. 4.
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Employees wearing face masks are seen at a hotel near Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 4, where people who were evacuated from Wuhan.
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Sylvie Briand, director of infectious hazard management department at the World Health Organization (WHO), attends a press conference on the coronavirus in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 4.
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Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4.
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This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4.
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People wear face masks as they go about their daily lives in Singapore on Feb. 4.
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Medical workers hold a strike outside the office of Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, as they demand the closure of borders with China, on Feb. 4.
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A nurse checks the temperature of a visitor as part of the coronavirus screening procedure at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 3.
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Young men wear masks for protection against the new coronavirus as they take part in a conscription examination for the national service in Seoul on Feb. 3.
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Medical workers hold a strike near Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong to demand the government to shut the territory's border with mainland China in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, on Feb. 3.
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Health services staff members wearing protective gear interact with passengers at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 2.
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Police walk past signage before the arrival of Myanmar students, who were evacuated on a chartered flight from Wuhan, at the international airport in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Feb. 2.
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Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.
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A staff member sanitizes the road at an entrance of a residential complex in Beijing on Feb. 1.
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German Minister for Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (R) and German Minister for Health Jens Spahn give a joint statement in Bonn, Germany, on Feb. 1, on the evacuation of more than 100 German citizens from Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.
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Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca speaks to the press after a Turkish cargo plane carrying 42 passengers from Wuhan landed at Etimesgut Military Airport in Ankara, Turkey, on Feb. 1.
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Customers wear protective masks as they shop at a store in Alhambra, California, U.S., on Jan. 31.
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Arnaud Fontanet, director of global health department at Institut Pasteur, speaks during a news conference over the latest findings on coronavirus in Paris on Jan. 31.
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People wear face masks while shopping at a supermarket in Beijing, on Jan. 31.
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Masks are seen at a pharmacy in Seoul on Jan. 31.
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Students pray for the victims of coronavirus at a school in Chandigarh, India, on Jan. 31.
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Police wear protective masks as they stand guard in Beijing, on Jan. 31.
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Medical staff of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health prepares to screen passengers at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport of Ethiopia, on Jan. 31.
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Employees of the airport's epidemiological surveillance at a medical aid station at Terminal F of Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki, Russia, on Jan. 31.
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Officials make preparations in Turkish Air Forces' A400M cargo plane at Etimesgut Military Airbase in Ankara, which is to depart to China to fly Turkish citizens out of Wuhan, on Jan. 31.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, and Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the opening of the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV in Geneva on Jan. 30.
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A technician shows the sample analysis work in preparation for the study of possible cases of coronavirus at the Public Health Institute of Chile (ISP) in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 30.
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China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun stated in his press briefing that over 130 patients have been cured of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus in New York City on Jan. 31.
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Passengers are seen onboard the Costa Smeralda cruise ship as it sits docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia on Jan. 30. The ship was quarantined over fears of coronavirus but the passengers were allowed to disembark later.
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Medical staff with protective clothing are seen inside a ward specialized in treating people who may have been infected with the virus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai, India, on Jan. 29.
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Travelers are seen wearing a protective mask during check-in at the Changi Airport in Singapore on Jan. 30.
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An official of Pakistan-based Chinese company (R) uses a thermo gun to check the temperature of the company's drivers in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 30, after instructions from authorities to take preventive measures against the virus.
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Elderly men are seen wearing masks as a precaution at a park in Hong Kong on Jan. 30.
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A worker uses a thermometer to check the temperature of a customer as she enters a Starbucks shop in Beijing, on Jan. 30.
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Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak in Taipei on Jan. 30.
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Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (C) speaks to journalists during a visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport to inspect measures in place to monitor passengers as they arrive in Bangkok on Jan. 29.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during a meeting on preventing the spread of the virus in Moscow on Jan. 29.
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Children are seen wearing facial masks as a precaution after Nepal confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, at Matribhumi School in Madhyapur Thimi, Nepal, on Jan. 29.
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Passengers from China are checked by Saudi Health Ministry employees upon their arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 29.
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Passengers arriving on flights wear protective masks at the international airport in Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 29.
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An ambulance carrying a Japanese citizen repatriated from Wuhan, who showed flu-like symptoms during in-flight screening for coronavirus, leaves Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Jan. 29.
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Students disinfect their hands before entering class at a school in Phnom Penh, on Jan. 28. Cambodia's health ministry reported the country's first case of coronavirus on Jan. 27.
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A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Lungshan Temple on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, in Taipei on Jan. 28.
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Paramilitary officers wearing face masks stand guard at the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, on Jan. 27.
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Dr. David Williams, the chief medical officer of Ontario (C), speaks as Dr. Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health for the city of Toronto (L) and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, during a press briefing on coronavirus at Queens Park in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 27. The Ontario health officials announced the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in Toronto, along with a presumptive second case of the virus in the city.
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Images captured by a thermographic imaging device to check the temperatures of arriving passengers at a quarantine station are seen on a monitor at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Jan. 26.
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A security force member stands in front of the pandemic center where a suspected case of coronavirus is under observation at Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Jan. 26.
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A banner placed by Indian health workers is seen during a coronavirus information camp for travelers at an India-Nepal border crossing, near Siliguri, India, on Jan. 26.
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(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.
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A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing, on Jan. 25.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam addresses a press conference in Hong Kong on Jan. 25. Announcing a citywide virus emergency, Lam ordered the cancellation of all official trips to mainland China and school shutdown till Feb. 17.
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Security personnel wearing hazardous material suits measure body temperatures of passenger at the entrance of a subway station in Beijing on Jan. 25.
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A disinfection worker wearing protective gear sprays anti-septic solution in a train at SRT train station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
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Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, speaks to reporters about a patient who has been diagnosed with coronavirus, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Jan. 24.
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A Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being) official uses a thermal imaging device to conduct a temperature check of passengers arriving at Krasnoyarsk International Airport on a plane from Cam Rahn, Vietnam, in Russia on Jan. 23.
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Francisco Alvarez, the regional public health officer, speaks to dockworkers about the new coronavirus, in the port of Valparaiso, Chile, on Jan. 23.
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Sanitation workers spray a disinfectant at Suseo Station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
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A passenger holds up an Australian Government document pertaining to the coronavirus as passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport in Australia on Jan. 23.
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Locals wear face masks while browsing in a store ahead of the Lunar New Year, in Taipei, on Jan. 23, 2020. A day earlier, Taiwan stopped sending tour groups to, or receiving tour groups from Wuhan, China, due to concerns over the cornonavirus outbreak.
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Airport personnel look at thermal scanners as they check on arriving passengers at the Manila International Airport in Philippines on Jan. 23.
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Passengers arriving from China are screened at Kolkata International Airport, India, on Jan. 22. Screening centers have been set up in the Indian cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to screen for the coronavirus.
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Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, takes part in a news conference after a meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee to discuss about the outbreak of Pneumonia in China and other countries due to the 2019-nCoV, in Geneva, on Jan. 22.
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A worker disinfects a railway station in Wuhan on Jan. 22.
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Passengers wear masks at a subway station in Hong Kong on Jan. 22.
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Deputy Australian Prime Minister Michael McCormack (L) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) are updated by Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy on the steps being taken to control the virus, at the National Incident Room of the Department of Health in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 22.
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Li Bin (C), vice minister of China's National Health Commission, answers questions during a press conference on Jan. 22.
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Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travelers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the coronavirus at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan Jan. 21.
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People walk next to signage detailing hygienic practices to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, on Jan. 21.
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Health officials watch travelers on a thermographic monitor at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Jan. 21.
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The Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where a number of people related to the market fell ill with the virus, sits closed in Wuhan on Jan. 21.
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Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital where patients infected with the coronavirus are being treated, in Wuhan on Jan. 20.
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A stock investor checks prices at a brokerage house in Fuyang, China, on Jan. 21. China's market went down by 1.4 percent after the news of the coronavirus.
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A passenger walks past a notice for passengers from Wuhan, displayed near a quarantine station at Narita International Airport in Japan on Jan. 17.
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Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.
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The head of Iran's counter-coronavirus task force has tested positive for the virus himself, authorities announced Tuesday, showing the challenges facing the Islamic Republic amid concerns the outbreak may be far wider than officially acknowledged.
The announcement regarding Iraj Harirchi came after he gave a news conference with journalists in Tehran about the virus just one day prior, seeking to minimize the danger posed by the outbreak.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday meanwhile banned all flights to and from Iran over the outbreak of the new coronavirus, just a day after its spread from the Islamic Republic was announced across multiple Mideast nations. Iran earlier raised the official death toll from the virus to 15 killed amid 95 confirmed infections.
Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour confirmed Harirchi had the virus. Harirchi himself posted an online video saying he had the virus and that he had quarantined himself at his home. He promised that authorities would bring the virus under control.
© Provided by Associated Press A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern, Iran, in early morning of Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Iran's government said Tuesday that more than a dozen people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. (Alireza Mohammadi/ISNA via AP) However, having the top official in charge of stopping the virus become sick with it is just the latest woe to befall Iran as the UAE cut off Iranian flights from the country.
The UAE, home to long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, remains a key international transit route for Iran's 80 million people. The flight ban, which will last at least a week, shows the growing concern over the spread of the virus in Iran amid worries the outbreak may be larger than what authorities there now acknowledge.
The Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority made the announcement via the country's state-run WAM news agency, just hours after Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, said there would be restrictions on flights there.
© Provided by Associated Press In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, photo, a man disinfects the shrine of Saint Masoumeh against coronavirus in the city of Qom 78 miles (125 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran. Iran's government said Monday that 12 people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. (Ahmad Zohrabi/ISNA via AP) “All passenger and cargo aircraft traveling to and from Iran will be suspended for a period of one week, and could be up for extension,” the authority said. “The decision is a precautionary measure undertaken by the UAE to ensure strict monitoring and prevention of the spread of the new coronavirus.”
Emirates, the government-owned carrier based in Dubai, flies daily to Tehran. Its low-cost sister airline, FlyDubai, flies to multiple Iranian cities, as does the Sharjah-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia.
© Provided by Associated Press A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern, Iran, in early morning of Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Iran's government said Tuesday that more than a dozen people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. (Alireza Mohammadi/ISNA via AP) The announcement came after Bahrain said it would suspend all flights from Dubai and Sharjah, a neighboring UAE emirate that is home to Air Arabia, for 48 hours.
Bahrain's Health Ministry on Tuesday raised the number of infected cases from the new virus to eight, saying that all had traveled from Iran via Dubai. Four of them have been identified as Saudi nationals. The cases were confirmed upon arrival to Bahrain during screenings at the airport, and prior to the suspension on flights to Dubai and Sharjah, according to Bahrain's official news agency.
Dubai has been screening passengers on incoming flights from China, where the outbreak began in December. Long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad are among the few international airlines still flying to Beijing. However, the outbreak in Iran only became public in recent days.
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people globally, causing around 2,700 deaths, mainly in China. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it.
Iran's government said Tuesday that 15 people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. The conflicting reports raised questions about the Iranian government’s transparency concerning the scale of the outbreak.
© Provided by Associated Press In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, center, speaks while visiting a new highway that connects Tehran to the north of the country, Iran, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Rouhani sought to reassure the nation in a speech on Tuesday, calling the new coronavirus an "uninvited and inauspicious passenger." "We will get through corona," Rouhani said. "We will get through the virus." (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) The new death toll came from Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour during an interview with Iranian state television. He said there were 95 confirmed cases of the virus in Iran, with many linked to Qom, a major Shiite religious center where other cases have emerged.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sought to reassure the nation in a speech on Tuesday, calling the new coronavirus an "uninvited and inauspicious passenger.”
“We will get through corona," Rouhani said. "We will get through the virus.”
Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Oman also announced their first cases of the virus on Monday and connected them to travel with Iran.
The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, has reported 13 cases of the new virus. Most of those were connected to Chinese travel.
Also Tuesday, Kuwait raised the number of its infected cases to eight, according to the state-run KUNA news agency, after earlier raising the number to five. It said the three latest cases involved Kuwaiti citizens just back from Iran, without giving more details. The five previously reported cases were passengers returning on a flight from the Iranian city of Mashhad, where Iran’s government has not yet announced a single case of the virus.
© Provided by Associated Press In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a ceremony inaugurating a new highway that connects Tehran to the north of the country, Iran, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Rouhani sought to reassure the nation in a speech on Tuesday, calling the new coronavirus an "uninvited and inauspicious passenger." "We will get through corona," Rouhani said. "We will get through the virus." (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) Kuwait had halted transport links with Iran over the weekend and said it was evacuating its citizens from Iran.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s Health Ministry said four new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in the northern province of Kirkuk. It said the afflicted were members of an Iraqi family who had returned from a recent trip to Iran. Iraq announced the discovery of the first coronavirus case in the country on Monday in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Najaf.
Iraq had earlier closed its border with Iran to Iranian nationals but apparently Iraqis can still cross the boundary.
Also Tuesday, a Turkish Airlines flight from Tehran to Istanbul landed in Ankara with 17 passengers suspected of having coronavirus, including some who had been to the Iranian city of Qom, Turkey's CNN-Turk broadcaster reported. The passengers were to be quarantined at an Ankara hospital that had previously quarantined Turks returning from China's Hubei province. Turkish Airlines has temporarily suspended most flights with Iran, apart from those with Tehran.
Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the Turks on board were being repatriated due to the outbreak in Iran. All 132 passengers and crew on board would be quarantined for 14 days at the same hospital where Turkish citizens returning from China had been quarantined. "We are engaged in the maximum effort possible to protect our country from this ilness," Koca said.
Photos: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak (Photo Services)
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China has been battling an outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan. The virus has claimed nearly 2,700 lives across the world and infected nearly 80,000 people around the world. Outside mainland China, fatalities have been reported in countries such as the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Taiwan, South Korea and Italy. The other nations and regions infected by the novel coronavirus are Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the U.K., the U.S. and Vietnam. On Feb. 11, World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new name for the virus – COVID-19, which stands for Corona Virus Disease 19.
(Pictured) A newly wed couple wear protective masks as they take photos with family in Hong Kong on Feb. 24.
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A woman wearing face mask passes by posters about precautions against coronavirus at a bus station in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 25.
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Two men ride a bike as they wear protective masks in Najaf, Iraq, on Feb. 24.
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Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a news conference on the WHO-China Joint Mission on coronavirus in Beijing, China, on Feb. 24.
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Members of the Guardia di Finanza wearing face masks stop a car, amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, in Casalpusterlengo, Italy, on Feb. 24.
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U.N. Secretary General António Guterres speaks during an update on the situation at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 24.
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People wear masks as they take selfie at a shopping district in Seoul on Feb. 24.
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Security personnel wear face masks as they stand outside Duomo di Milano in Italy on Feb. 24.
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A street vendor sells face masks outside a railway station in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 24.
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Commuters wear masks on the metro in Beijing, China, on Feb. 24.
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Figures depicting coronavirus and "carnevals-virus" are seen at the Shrove Monday celebrations in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 24.
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People wearing protective masks are seen at the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 24.
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A reveler wears protective face mask at the Venice Carnival, the last days of which were called off after third death was reported in the country, in Italy on Feb. 23.
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A disinfection professional sprays antiseptic solution at a traditional market in Seoul on Feb. 24.
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A couple wears masks during the Aalst Carnival parade in Belgium on Feb. 23.
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People wear masks in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 23. Iran's health ministry confirmed the death toll to eight in the country as of Feb. 23.
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People in traditional Korean hanbok dresses wear face masks as they visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on Feb. 23.
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Tourists from Korea wear masks at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Feb. 23.
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A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in Casalpusterlengo, northern Italy, on Feb. 22.
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Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 22.
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Members of Red Cross board a Colombian Air Force plane that will evacuate the citizens from coronavirus-hit China, at the CATAM military base in Bogota, Colombia, on Feb. 22.
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Passengers wearing protective masks walk at the arrival hall of Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on Feb. 22. Israel refused to allow about 200 non-Israelis to disembark from a plane, which arrived from South Korea, as part of measures against the new virus, the health ministry said.
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Lebanon's Minister of Health Hamad Hasan and Iman Shantiki, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon, attend a news conference after the country's first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 21.
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A health worker in a protective gear stands outside a Lego store at a main shopping area in Shanghai, China, on Feb. 21.
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Passengers look on from a bus as they leave the coronavirus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 21.
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French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire speaks next to the Junior Minister for Economy and Finance Agnès Pannier-Runacher during a press conference after a meeting on the coronavirus' economic consequences, at the Economy Ministry in Paris, France, on Feb. 21.
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Disinfection workers wearing protective gears spray anti-septic solution at the subway station in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 21.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' meeting on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Vientiane, Laos, on Feb. 20.
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Medical staff checks passengers' temperature upon their arrival at Al Najaf International Airport, Iraq, on Feb. 20.
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Workers in protective gear escort disembarking passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port, Japan, on Feb. 20.
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A medical worker checks the temperature of a man wearing a protective mask at a quarantine checkpoint in the Son Loi commune in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, on Feb. 20.
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A Chinese tourist, who was tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and isolated for treatment, gestures while accompanied by medical staff after she was discharged from the hospital following her recovery, near Colombo in Sri Lanka, on Feb. 19.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to a tent during his visit to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in Ramat Gan, Israel, for discussion on the coronavirus, on Feb. 19.
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A woman wearing a mask in precaution of the virus outbreak prays at the Kwan Im Hood Cho Temple in Singapore on Feb. 19.
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Passengers wearing protective facemasks amid concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak wait to board their plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on Feb. 19.
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Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 19.
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People wearing face masks pass by an electric screen about precautions against COVID-19 in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 18. The country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 15 new cases on Feb. 19.
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A tourist, wearing a protective face mask amid COVID-19 fears, takes photographs at Marina Bay in Singapore on Feb. 18. The country has more than 80 infected cases so far and has unveiled $4.6 billion in financial packages to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has battered the city-state’s economy and sparked fears of a recession.
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A security guard wearing a protective face mask checks the temperature of a woman before she enters a hospital in Shanghai on Feb. 18.
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Ambassador of China to South Africa, Lin Songtian, briefs the media on the update of COVID-19 epidemic at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 18.
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Waiters wearing protective face masks wait for customers outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 17.
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Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.
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Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.
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People stand near the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 18. The liner was docked five days ago after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.
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People wear face masks and plastic raincoats as protection at the Shanghai railway station in China, on Feb. 17.
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Doctor Hangzhou Lu, co-director of Shanghai Public Clinical Center Shanghai, shows a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at the finished but still unused building A2, in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
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A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.
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French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Véran addresses the media at Bichat hospital in Paris, France, on Feb. 17, on the COVID-19 outbreak.
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A volunteer cuts a man's hair in Chongqing, China, on Feb. 16. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, most barbershops have been closed. A community in the Beibei district of Chongqing organized a team of volunteer barbers to provide free haircuts for its residents.
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Staff of a catering company prepare meals for frontline medical workers in Shijiazhuang, China, on Feb. 16.
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Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.
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Jewish worshipers take part in a prayer for those affected by the coronavirus, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 16. The placard in Hebrew and Chinese reads "The Jewish people pray for China."
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A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.
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A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.
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The big screen displays a message of support in relation to the ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Premier League football match between Southampton and Burnley FC in Southampton, England, on Feb. 15.
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Two buses leave the port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, on Feb. 15.
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A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.
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A passenger reacts as he disembarks from the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, on Feb. 14, where the liner docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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People wearing facemasks look on during a rehearsal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay in Japan on Feb. 15.
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A worker wears a protective mask suit as he checks the temperature of customers in a shopping area in Beijing on Feb. 14.
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Passengers and children stand on the deck of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as the vessel's passengers continue to be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 13. Aboard this quarantined ship, 219 people have tested positive with the virus.
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Family members of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 13., for the evacuation of their children from the Chinese city.
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The Norwegian Jewel cruise ship is in lock down while health authorities test passengers for COVID-19 in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 14.
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Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) speaks to passengers on board the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville on Feb. 14, where the liner on Feb. 13 was docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the virus.
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Jay Butler, deputy director for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), speaks to the media inside the Emergency Operations Center in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., on Feb. 13.
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An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.
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Visitors wear protective masks as they walk through a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 12.
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Members of Japan Self-Defense Force attach a military vehicle to a gate of the Diamond Princess on Feb. 12.
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A laboratory technician helps a colleague remove the protective suit after leaving a laboratory in Shenyang, China, on Feb. 12.
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A woman fixes her mask as she waits for tourists at her shop at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya, Thailand, on Feb. 12.
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People wave at family on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Daikoku Pier, Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 11.
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Health workers in protective gears evacuate residents from a public housing building in Hong Kong on Feb 11.
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A Chinese couple wears plastic coats and protective masks as they shop for groceries at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb. 11.
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Spectators walk past a thermal camera ahead of the AFC Champions League Group F match between Ulsan Hyundai and FC Tokyo at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea, on Feb. 11.
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Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.
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A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.
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A worker wearing a protective suit carries a fogging machine as others prepare to disinfect a business establishment in Shanghai on Feb. 9.
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A plane carrying 150 Britons, who were trapped in Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak, lands at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, near London, England, on Feb. 9.
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Local health government and medical chief members speak to media at the Son Espases hospital, where a case of coronavirus has been detected, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Feb. 9.
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A group of 20 Germans evacuated from Wuhan leave Tegel Airport in a convoy, after their arrival in an air force plane in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 9.
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Brazilian citizens from Wuhan arrive at the Air Force base of Anapolis, in Brazil on Feb. 9.
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A passenger wearing a mask walks outside the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 8.
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Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
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Family members of passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal, wave on shore in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. The cruise ship with approximately 1,800 passengers remained quarantined in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Feb. 8. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home.
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A Hindu devotee wears a mask as she carries a milk pot on her head at a shrine in Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 8.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.
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South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.
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People look on from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 7. About 64 passengers from the ship have tested positive for the virus. Another ship, the World Dream, has been docked and quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. It has 3,600 passengers and crew on board.
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Flight attendants wearing protective clothing and masks serve snacks to Canadians, who had been evacuated from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus on an American charter plane, on another aircraft taking them to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Canada, on Feb. 7.
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Members of U.S. President Donald Trump's Coronavirus task force – (L-R) Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun – attend a news conference about the virus at the Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C, U.S., on Feb. 7.
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People spray chemical to sterilize vehicles against the virus in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, on Feb. 7.
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A woman hangs a Japanese flag that reads "shortage of medicine" onboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is anchored at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 7.
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Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks about the coronavirus situation during a news conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Taipei, Taiwan, on Feb. 7.
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Spectators wear masks while attending the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul on Feb. 6.
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Members of an emergency team participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on Feb. 6.
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Airport security staff checks passengers using a thermal sensor screen at the Hong Kong International Airport on Feb. 6.
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A tourist receives a free protective face mask from Buddhist volunteers in Hanoi on Feb. 6.
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A group of medical personnel meet evacuees, carried by a Russian military plane at an airport outside Tyumen, Russia, on Feb. 5. Russia evacuated 144 people, Russians and nationals of Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia, from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, on the day. All evacuees will be quarantined for two weeks in a sanatorium in the Tyumen region in western Siberia, government officials said.
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Workers in protective gear are seen on Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama, on Feb. 5, bringing patients from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4.
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This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4.
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People wear face masks as they go about their daily lives in Singapore on Feb. 4.
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Medical workers hold a strike outside the office of Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, as they demand the closure of borders with China, on Feb. 4.
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Health services staff members wearing protective gear interact with passengers at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 2.
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Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.
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German Minister for Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (R) and German Minister for Health Jens Spahn give a joint statement in Bonn, Germany, on Feb. 1, on the evacuation of more than 100 German citizens from Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.
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Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca speaks to the press after a Turkish cargo plane carrying 42 passengers from Wuhan landed at Etimesgut Military Airport in Ankara, Turkey, on Feb. 1.
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Medical staff of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health prepares to screen passengers at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport of Ethiopia, on Jan. 31.
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Officials make preparations in Turkish Air Forces' A400M cargo plane at Etimesgut Military Airbase in Ankara, which is to depart to China to fly Turkish citizens out of Wuhan, on Jan. 31.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, and Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the opening of the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV in Geneva on Jan. 30.
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China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun stated in his press briefing that over 130 patients have been cured of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus in New York City on Jan. 31.
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Medical staff with protective clothing are seen inside a ward specialized in treating people who may have been infected with the virus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai, India, on Jan. 29.
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An official of Pakistan-based Chinese company (R) uses a thermo gun to check the temperature of the company's drivers in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 30, after instructions from authorities to take preventive measures against the virus.
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Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (C) speaks to journalists during a visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport to inspect measures in place to monitor passengers as they arrive in Bangkok on Jan. 29.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during a meeting on preventing the spread of the virus in Moscow on Jan. 29.
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Children are seen wearing facial masks as a precaution after Nepal confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, at Matribhumi School in Madhyapur Thimi, Nepal, on Jan. 29.
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Passengers from China are checked by Saudi Health Ministry employees upon their arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 29.
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Images captured by a thermographic imaging device to check the temperatures of arriving passengers at a quarantine station are seen on a monitor at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Jan. 26.
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A banner placed by Indian health workers is seen during a coronavirus information camp for travelers at an India-Nepal border crossing, near Siliguri, India, on Jan. 26.
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(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.
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A Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being) official uses a thermal imaging device to conduct a temperature check of passengers arriving at Krasnoyarsk International Airport on a plane from Cam Rahn, Vietnam, in Russia on Jan. 23.
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Sanitation workers spray a disinfectant at Suseo Station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
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A passenger holds up an Australian Government document pertaining to the coronavirus as passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport in Australia on Jan. 23.
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Passengers arriving from China are screened at Kolkata International Airport, India, on Jan. 22. Screening centers have been set up in the Indian cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to screen for the coronavirus.
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Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, takes part in a news conference after a meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee to discuss about the outbreak of Pneumonia in China and other countries due to the 2019-nCoV, in Geneva, on Jan. 22.
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Deputy Australian Prime Minister Michael McCormack (L) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) are updated by Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy on the steps being taken to control the virus, at the National Incident Room of the Department of Health in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 22.
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Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travelers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the coronavirus at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan Jan. 21.
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Health officials watch travelers on a thermographic monitor at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Jan. 21.
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Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital where patients infected with the coronavirus are being treated, in Wuhan on Jan. 20.
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A stock investor checks prices at a brokerage house in Fuyang, China, on Jan. 21. China's market went down by 1.4 percent after the news of the coronavirus.
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Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.
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In Pakistan, about 100 pilgrims, mostly minority Pakistani Shiites, have been quarantined at a government building after returning from Iran, officials said Tuesday. The pilgrims had returned before Pakistan on Saturday closed its border with Iran at the crossing in the town of Taftan in southwestern Baluchistan province.
More than 7,000 Pakistani pilgrims remain still in Iran where health authorities will have to declare them free of the coronavirus before they can go home. Pakistan last week suspended flight operations with China, where thousands of Pakistanis have been stranded since the infectious spread there. Islamabad has no immediate plans to evacuate Pakistani citizens from China.
Calls for Ireland to follow Italian measures to contain coronavirus .
Concerned parents have called on the Irish Government to follow the example of Italy and shut schools to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The Italian government has confirmed that all schools and universities will close for two weeks to contain Covid-19 in the worst affected country in Europe.