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As the day unfolded: NZ confirms first COVID-19 case as WHO says world has reached 'decisive point'
Summary
- The World Health Organisation's director general Tedros Ghebreyesus said the world has reached a "decisive point", with the number of new cases outside China exceeding new cases within China over the past two days.
- The global count of cases is now more than 83,000, with about 2800 deaths from the virus.
- New Zealand and Nigeria are among several countries that confirmed their first cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
- The US has confirmed its first case of "community spread" in California as the state monitors 8400 people for the virus.
- Markets fell sharply on Thursday, extending losses in one of the worst weeks since the global financial crisis.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus grow to 83,000 and deaths hit 2800
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There are now more than 83,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2800 deaths globally, with several countries, including New Zealand, confirming their first cases on Friday.
The latest figures reported by each government's health authority are:
- Mainland China: 2,788 deaths among 78,824 cases, mostly in the central province of Hubei
- Hong Kong: 92 cases, 2 deaths
- Macao: 10 cases
Ten Australian cyclists being tested for coronavirus
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Ten Australian cyclists, including Caleb Ewan, are being tested for coronavirus after participating in the United Arab Emirates tour.
The cycling stage race was cancelled on Friday after two Italian staff members on a participating team tested positive for COVID-19.
The UAE tour began last Sunday and was scheduled to finish a week later, but cancelled its remaining stages early.
Ewan and Adam Hansen are among the participating Australians who are being tested for the virus.
Australia's 2017 road race champion Miles Scotson, who withdrew from the event after stage one, citing illness, is among those being tested.
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Mongolia's president enters 14-day quarantine after China visit
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Mongolia's President Battulga Khaltmaa and other government officials have submitted to a 14-day quarantine after returning home from their visit to China, the state news agency Montsame has reported.
The country's president is the first head of state to visit China since the implementation of special measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak began in January.
He arrived in Beijing with Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin and other senior government officials on Thursday, and held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
They were taken into quarantine as soon as they arrived in Mongolia as a precautionary measure, Montsame said.
Reuters
Businesses ban international travel to curb coronavirus impact
By Rachel Clun, Charlotte Grieve and Nick Toscano
Australian banks and mining companies have restricted staff travel overseas in a bid to avoid spreading COVID-19 within their organisations.
The virus has now spread to 49 countries, and health authorities in Australia have activated pandemic plans in preparation for more local cases of COVID-19.
Plans to reduce the spread of COVID-19 varied between the big four banks, but all have banned non-essential international business travel.
Searches for 'coronavirus Italy' outpace 'coronavirus China'
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Interest in coronavirus cases outside China has spiked in the past seven days, with Google searches for 'coronavirus Italy' becoming the first similar phrase to overtake 'coronavirus China' in popularity since the outbreak began.
Worldwide searches for 'coronavirus Italy' overtook those for the virus and 'China' on February 23, after the Italian government quarantined 11 towns in the Lombardy region, at the heart of the country's latest outbreak.
The term peaked in popularity on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the popularity of searches for 'coronavirus China' rose again on Friday.
The number of confirmed cases in Italy surged to 650 on Friday, up from three cases a week ago.
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New Zealand confirms first case of coronavirus
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New Zealand has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus in someone who returned from Iran, but said the chances of a community outbreak remain low.
The patient, in their 60s, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.
They are being treated in Auckland City Hospital and their condition is improving, a Health Ministry statement said.
"Although we have our first case of COVID-19, the chances of community outbreak remain low," the ministry said.
Public health officials have begun tracing the patient's contact history and will test the individual's family members for the virus.
Firm closes Sydney office after links to suspected coronavirus case
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At least two media agencies have told their Sydney employees to work from home, following concerns that staff at one may have come in contact with an international colleague who has shown "flu-like symptoms".
OMD temporarily closed its Pyrmont office on Friday after reports that an OMD London employee began showing possible coronavirus symptoms after visiting Sydney and Singapore.
"While this is not a confirmed case of coronavirus, we have taken this precautionary measure as the health and safety of our employees is our top priority," chief executive of Omnicom Australia and New Zealand Peter Horgan said.
"OMD will continue business as usual, with staff working remotely to minimise impact on our clients.
"We plan to be back to normal business operations on Monday."
Health chief warns against face mask rush
By Benjamin Preiss and Rachel Clun
Australia's Chief Medical Officer has warned against a rush on face masks while state governments call on local mask manufacturers to make more masks as coronavirus fears increase.
Health ministers from across Australia met in Melbourne on Friday where they discussed the growing likelihood there would be more coronavirus cases.
At the health council meeting, the state and territory health ministers were also expected to demand extra federal funding to help public hospitals activate their pandemic plans.
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the risk to children appeared to be low but she would not rule out measures such as closing schools if necessary.
She said the state and federal governments had discussed the possibility of asking Victorian businesses to step up production of masks.
“We might be able to look at a local company here that might be able to scale up production of face masks,” she said.
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Tokyo Disneyland will be temporarily closed
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Tokyo Disneyland will be closed from Saturday to March 15 amid an outbreak of coronavirus infections in Japan, the theme park's operator Oriental Land Co Ltd said.
Both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will be closed temporarily.
The move comes after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for all schools to close to stop the coronavirus spreading. The government has also urged that big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks.
There are at least 186 confirmed cases of the virus in Japan, with an additional 705 cases on the Diamond Princess, which spent two weeks docked in Yokohama with passengers in quarantine.
Reuters
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