Workers wearing face masks pack vegetables at Baishazhou market in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Hubei province, China February 19, 2020. — China Daily pic via Reuters
BEIJING, Feb 20 — China reported a dramatic drop in new cases in the province at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak, while Japan grappled with criticism over its failure to prevent the spread of the disease on a cruise ship filled with quarantined passengers.
China's central Hubei province had 349 new confirmed cases yesterday, down from 1,693 a day earlier and lowest since January 25. The death toll rose by 108, down from 132 the previous day, bringing to total in China to over 2,100 deaths and 74,000 cases.
Hundreds of passengers trundled off a cruise ship in Japan yesterday after being held on board in quarantine for more than two weeks, as criticism mounted of Japan's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Even as passengers rolled their luggage off the Diamond Princess cruise liner, Japanese authorities announced 79 new cases had been discovered on board, bringing the total to at least 620, well over half of the known cases outside mainland China.
Optimism that China had contained or at least controlled the outbreak helped Asian and US stocks rise.
China is struggling to get its economy back on track after imposing severe travel restrictions to contain a virus that emerged in the central province of Hubei late last year.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a blog post that China's economy would bounce back quickly if the disruptions end soon.
Beyond mainland China, six people have died from the disease, and governments around the world are trying to prevent it from spreading into a global epidemic.
The Diamond Princess has been quarantined near Tokyo since February 3, initially with about 3,700 people aboard. The rapid spread of the disease on board led to criticism of the Japanese authorities just months before Japan is due to host the Olympics.
From yesterday, passengers who tested negative and showed no symptoms were free to leave. Around 500 were expected to disembark yesterday, with the rest of those eligible leaving over the next two days. Confirmed cases were to be sent to hospital, while those who shared cabins with infected passengers may still be kept on board.
'Completely inadequate'
Infectious disease specialist Kentaro Iwata of Japan's Kobe University Hospital, who volunteered to help aboard the ship, described the infection control effort as "completely inadequate" and said basic protocols had not been followed.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato defended Japan's efforts.
“Unfortunately, cases of infection have emerged, but we have to the extent possible taken appropriate steps to prevent serious cases,” Kato said in a report by state broadcaster NHK.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Japan's efforts “may not have been sufficient to prevent transmission among individuals on the ship.”
On top of tough steps taken to isolate Hubei, state media reported the province would track down anyone who visited doctors with fever since Jan. 20 or bought over-the-counter cough and fever medication.
Chinese officials have said the apparent slowdown in infection rates is evidence that the strict measures are working.
Epidemiologists outside China have said in recent days that reports from there are encouraging, but it is still too early to predict whether the epidemic will be contained. — Reuters
