Coronavirus Live Updates (Sunday): More Countries Tighten Travel Restrictions; Beijing International Flights to Stop at Other Airports First

Global countries tighten up travel restrictions

More countries have stepped up domestic and travel restrictions as coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the world. As of Sunday afternoon, around 170 countries and regions outside China have reported a total of around 230,000 cases, according to data compiled by a research collective at Johns Hopkins University showed.

Singapore said Sunday it will temporarily bar short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the country from 11:59 p.m. on Monday. Vietnam on Saturday started to suspend entry to all foreigners even if they have already obtained travel visas to the country, except for those visiting the country for diplomat or official purposes. Australia said Sunday that it will temporarily shut down all non-essential services in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, multiple media outlets reported. India said Sunday that it has decided to suspend passenger train services across the country until March 31.

Europe struggles to fight against virus

Situation is getting worse in Europe, where it is seen by many as the new epicenter of the shifting global pandemic. Both Italy and Spain recorded their highest new daily number of deaths on Saturday. In the Madrid region, which has had around 60% of Spain’s infections, hospitals are overflowing with some Intensive Care Units admitting patients at double (link in Chinese) their official capacity. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned at a news briefing on Sunday that the situation in the country is yet to peak and worse is still to come.

U.S. and Australia to deploy more economic stimulus

In the U.S., a new stimulus package under discussion in the Senate is close to an agreement and will likely approve $2 trillion to boost the economy amid the outbreak, multiple media outlets reported Sunday. Australia on Sunday unveiled an additional A$66 billion ($38.2 billion) in stimulus, bringing the government’s total value of supportive measures to A$189 billion.

China orders international passengers to Beijing to stop elsewhere first

International flights bound for Beijing will be diverted to 12 other designated Chinese city airports as their first port of entry, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country’s aviation regulator, said (link in Chinese) in a statement on Sunday.

Passengers are required to go through quarantine inspections, customs clearance and baggage claim at the designated airport. Those cleared to fly onward will be allowed to continue to fly to Beijing on their original flight, the regulator said. The 12 entry cities include Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Hohhot, Shanghai, Jinan, Qingdao, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Zhengzhou and Xi’an.

In other related coronavirus news

• A deputy governor of China’s central bank said it was too early to say the world has entered a global financial crisis despite market fluctuations in recent days.

Chen Yulu, a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, said (link in Chinese) at a press conference on Sunday that one of the usual signs of a financial crisis is the collapse of massive financial institutions – a situation that had not happened. Chen also said China’s financial markets remained stable following global market fluctuations.

• Many regions across China have announced schedules for students to go back to school after they have been closed since January, an indication that the epidemic has effectively been brought under control.

Southeast China’s Jiangsu province on Sunday said (link in Chinese) students at grade nine and grade 12 will go back to school on March 30. Students in other grades, including children at kindergartens, will go back to school on April 7, and universities will reopen on April 13. Provinces include Yunnan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Guangxi and Hainan and other regions have also arranged for schools to reopen.

Compiled by Tang Ziyi

Sunday, March 22, 10 a.m.

Global outbreak continues to grow

• Over 300,000 people in over 170 countries and regions worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus as of Sunday morning, including a total of more than 13,000 deaths, according to data compiled by a research collective at Johns Hopkins University. The total number of infections outside China amounts to approximately 226,000.

• Italy suffered its worst day to date with a record 793 new deaths in a single day, bringing its total number of deaths to 4,825 (link in Italian) as of Saturday afternoon. Italy is the hardest hit country in Europe, and is now considered by many as the epicenter of the shifting global pandemic.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced (link in Italian) that the country will temporarily shut down all non-essential business activities to help contain the rapid spread of the virus, although pharmacies, supermarkets, post offices and banks would remain open.

• The death toll in the U.K. and France jumped on Saturday. The U.K. reported an additional 56 deaths on Saturday, bringing its total to 233. The virus death toll in France rose to 562 on Saturday with the country reporting 112 new fatalities in a single day. The French government on Saturday said at a press conference that it has ordered more than 250 million masks to ease a severe shortage nationwide, multiple media outlets reported.

• The U.S. has reported at least 26,574 confirmed cases as of Sunday morning, including a total of 340 deaths. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and the second lady, Karen Pence, have both tested negative for the coronavirus, a spokesman for Pence wrote in a tweet on Saturday.

China’s imported cases soar

• On Saturday, China reported 82 new confirmed cases, bringing its total to 81,498, according to the latest data (link in Chinese) from the country’s top health body.

The new infections included 46 on the Chinese mainland, 18 in Taiwan, 17 in Hong Kong and one in Macao.

The 46 new mainland infections included 45 imported cases and only one local case which was related to exposure to the imported cases. Central China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, reported zero new cases, marking the fourth day in a row that has happened.

• On Saturday, China reported an additional six deaths, five of which were in Hubei province. The country’s death toll stands at 3,267 as of Saturday.

Compiled by Tang Ziyi

Read more: Coronavirus Live Updates (Saturday): Global Rise in New Cases Breaks Another Record; Australia’s Caseload Reaches Grim Milestone