(TibetanReview.net, Feb23’20) – As China reported continued improvement in Covid-19 infections amid changing reporting methods, President Xi Jinping has on Feb 23 warned that the epidemic situation was “still grim and complex” while infections and deaths in other countries appear to be increasing rapidly.
China’s latest figures reported by the official media Feb 24 show that there were 409 new confirmed infections and 150 deaths across the mainland on Feb 23, taking their respective totals to 77,150 and 2,592.
Those newly confirmed to be infected or who died on Feb 23 included 398 and 149 respectively in Hubei Province, the infection’s epicenter.
A total of 3,434 people were still suspected to be infected with the virus while the total of those discharged from hospital after recovering was put at 24,734, including 1,846 on Feb 23.
Besides, 97,481 others were reported to be still under medical observation.
The daily number of newly cured and discharged patients had surpassed that of new confirmed infections for the sixth consecutive day, reported Xinhua Feb 24, citing China’s National Health Commission.
No new confirmed cases were reported Feb 23 in 24 provincial-level regions of the PRC, reported Xinhua Feb 24, citing local health authorities. They included Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hunan, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet (Autonomous Region), Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang (including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps), Shaanxi, Gansu and Inner Mongolia.
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Outside China, however, the situation appeared to be worsening. South Korea confirmed 161 more cases on Feb 24, raising the total number of infections to 763, while the death toll rose to seven. Most of the cases were in in Daegu, about 300 km southeast of the capital Seoul, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang province, accounting for 636 of the total, reported Xinhua Feb 24.
In Italy, a total of 152 people had tested positive, including three deaths and one recovery, reported Xinhua Feb 24, citing Angelo Borrelli, head of the country’s civil protection department. They were stated to include 110 cases in the northern region of Lombardy, 21 in the northeastern region of Veneto, and nine in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna. Eleven towns, 10 in Lombardy and one in Veneto, were stated to be under lockdown. The Lombardy region had closed schools, and canceled trade fairs, opera performances, soccer matches and its famed Venice carnival, report nytrimes.com Feb 24.
In Japan, the third death linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, long quarantined in the country, was reported, as the number of confirmed cases reached 634, said the nytrimes.com report.
The report said that several countries had closed their borders with Iran, which had reported the highest number of deaths outside China — eight people. Several public events, like concerts, were reported to have been canceled.
