The government in China said international tour groups would be suspended and inter-province shuttle buses halted from Sunday in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Speaking at a Communist Party leadership meeting, President Xi Jinping said his country was "faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus," but that the country would "definitely be able to win the battle," according to state media.
"Life is of paramount importance," Xi said.
Read more: Chinese New Year: Entering the Year of the Rat amid the coronavirus crisis
As of Sunday, some 1,975 people are believed to have been infected, with at least 56 deaths reported. Chinese state news reported some 324 people to be in critical condition.
The outbreak is believed to have originated in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhan and has spread to several other countries, including the US, France, Japan and Australia. Malaysia and Canada confirmed their first cases of the virus on Saturday.
On Saturday, Hong Kong's most senior official, Carrie Lam, declared a virus emergency in the city, shutting down transport links, schools and universities.
Hong Kong has confirmed five people were infected, but the number of suspected cases is much higher
Five cases of the virus have been reported in Hong Kong, while a further 122 people are suspected of having the virus. The shutdown comes as many Hong Kongers celebrate the Lunar New Year amid ongoing tensions after seven months of anti-government protests.
Flights and high-speed rail trips between Hong Kong and Wuhan have been halted, while schools and universities will remain shut until February 17.
Lam said it would be impractical to shut down all contact with mainland China but scrapped all upcoming official visits.
"I hereby urge all citizens stay united to fight against the epidemic to protect all Hong Kong people's health and safety," she said.
Wuhan gets new hospitals
In Wuhan, where most of the nearly 2,000 infection cases and deaths have been reported, car use has been banned and most outgoing transport restricted as China aims to quarantine the virus.
Chinese officials on Saturday announced that Wuhan was also building a second 1,000-bed makeshift hospital to deal with the crisis, to be completed February 3. It will be modeled on a SARS hospital built within six days in Beijing in 2003 during the deadly SARS outbreak.
A lockdown is in place in 18 cities, affecting millions of people.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the new coronavirus
US to evacuate citizens
The US also announced on Saturday it had chartered a plane to carry US citizens from Wuhan back to the US. The flight will carry around 230 people, including diplomats, their families, and private citizens.
The State Department said a flight will evacuate American citizens on January 28 from Wuhan to San Francisco, warning that there would be "limited capacity" for private citizens.
"This capacity is extremely limited and if there is insufficient ability to transport everyone who expresses interest, priority will be given to individuals at greater risk from coronavirus," the department said on Sunday.
France is also planning to evacuate French nationals from Wuhan, authorities said on Saturday.
Virus spreads around the world
The news comes a day after the coronavirus reached Europe, with France reporting its first cases on Friday.
Nepal and Australia also confirmed their first cases of the virus on Friday, joining the US, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore — as well as the Chinese semi-autonomous city of Macau.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declined to designate the virus as a global health emergency.
Read more: What constitutes an international public health emergency?
It is still unclear how lethal the new coronavirus is, or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu, which kills tens of thousands of people every year. Researchers around the world, including in Germany, are working to find answers.
The virus was first reported in Wuhan in December.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan
On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
First death in China
On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Virus reaches neighboring countries
In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Millions under lockdown
China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
A global health emergency?
More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Coronavirus reaches Europe
On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
First cases confirmed in Germany
On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
WHO declares global health emergency
On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
First death outside China
The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Bad ending to a cruise
Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Italy under quarantine
Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Economic woes
European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
WHO declares outbreak as pandemic
As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Public life on hold in Europe
On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
International travel severely restricted
As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Germany imposes partial lockdown
In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Virus strikes at top as UK locks down
On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Grim milestone for the US
On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Spain's surging death toll
Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
More than a million
On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.
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Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized
The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27.
Author: Richard Connor
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shs,cmb,dj,ed/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)
