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China logs more coronavirus cases imported from abroad
BEIJING, March 16, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – China reported 12 more imported cases
of the novel coronavirus on Monday as the capital tightened quarantine
measures for international arrivals to prevent a new wave of infections.
After declaring they had “basically” curbed the spread of the disease
within China, where the virus first emerged, authorities are now worried
about an influx of infections arriving from other countries.
Beijing’s city government has ordered international arrivals from Monday
onwards to go into quarantine facilities for 14 days.
Travellers had previously been allowed to undergo the mandatory isolation
at home, but now only those with “special circumstances” will be exempted
from the new rules, and those sent to the facilities must pay for their stay.
Authorities have not given further detail on which travellers will be
exempted from the new quarantine.
A total of 123 cases from abroad have now been reported, with four of the
12 latest detected in Beijing.
Imported cases have now outnumbered domestic infections for three straight
days.
There were only four new local cases in the country, and all were in
Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus was first detected in December,
according to the National Health Commission.
China has touted the effectiveness of quarantining Wuhan and surrounding
Hubei province since late January, along with measures to prevent large
gatherings and limit travel across the country.
The death toll now stands at 3,213 after 14 more fatalities were reported
on Monday.
China has logged more than 80,800 cases, but most patients have recovered
and there are now fewer than 10,000 infected people, according to the
National Health Commission.
The country’s progress contrasts with the growing crisis abroad, with the
worldwide death toll surpassing 6,000 as Italy recorded its biggest one-day
rise in fatalities.
With 368 deaths, Italy’s grim figure was higher than any single-day toll
reported in China.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0824 hrs