China reports a heavy toll from the coronavirus: 132 deaths and more than 6,000 confirmed infections. France confirms its fourth case.
Official figures show China's coronavirus infections have surpassed the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, with 6,057 confirmed cases and 132 fatalities. For comparison, SARS infected 5,327 people in China but caused 349 deaths, according to health authorities.
This virus spreads faster than SARS, though it appears less lethal so far. Experts caution that its up-to-two-week incubation period allows transmission before symptoms, unlike SARS, as noted by Ma Xiaowei, head of China's National Health Commission.
Papua New Guinea has banned all foreign travelers from Asia, with returning citizens facing 14-day quarantine.
Mozambique suspended visa issuance for Chinese nationals.
Canada, like France, Japan, and the US, is repatriating citizens from affected Chinese regions amid three confirmed cases.
France's fourth case involves an 80-year-old tourist from Hubei province in critical condition in intensive care, per Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon.
Germany reports three new cases in Bavaria, totaling four. These patients work at the same company as the first case in Starnberg district. Authorities identified 40 close contacts for testing on Wednesday.
Australia's Doherty Institute in Melbourne has successfully replicated the virus in lab conditions—a key step toward potential treatments.
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