Mainland China reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for the first time since the the pandemic began. The country recorded 34 new cases of coronavirus yesterday – all imported from overseas.
Wuhan restrictions: The Chinese city at ground zero of the pandemic will need to see 14 consecutive days of no new cases before travel restrictions can be lifted, a top Chinese health expert said.
Hubei lockdown eases: Months of lockdowns and travel restrictions affecting hundreds of millions of citizens are slowly easing. Inter-provincial travel, which had previously been shut down entirely, is gradually resuming. People from other provinces are now allowed into Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital.
South Korea measures: The country with the biggest outbreak outside of China in Asia reported seven more deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total there to 91. South Korea has at least 8,565 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and additional sources. The government is supplying 50 trillion won ($38.8 billion) in emergency funding to support small business.
South and Southeast Asia: Countries in South and Southeast Asia must “urgently scale-up aggressive measures” and widespread testing to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further, said WHO officials. Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus death on Wednesday — it has 14 cases in total. Thailand is now demanding health certificates from all travelers. The Philippines has been placed under a state of calamity for six months and at least half of the country is on lockdown, while Malaysia is under a nationwide movement restriction order.
Second surge: Places like mainland China and Hong Kong are bracing for a potential second wave of infections, as people return from overseas, bringing the virus with them.
Asia markets fall: Asian stocks and US futures sank Thursday despite a slew of steps unveiled to cushion the economic blow caused by the coronavirus. The Korean Exchange briefly suspended trading in Seoul after markets there plummeted. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was last down 4%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 4.5%, while China’s Shanghai Composite was last down 2.3%.
@ CNN