WHO Notes COVID-19 Pandemic Potential as 5 More Mideast Nations Affected

and 1,053 fewer serious cases, putting those respective totals at 2,592 and 9,915.

In other developments, China’s government yesterday announced an immediate and comprehensive ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals, which is suspected as the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday, citing a state TV report.

More Cases in Japan, Singapore, Canada
Japan’s health ministry yesterday reported 12 more cases, raising its total to 139, though it notes an overall total of 156 that includes 16 asymptomatic carriers and 1 positive confirmed case. The newest cases were reported from Ishikawa prefecture, Sapporo, North Kaido, Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Sagamihara.

In separate reports, the health ministry also reported two Diamond Princess cruise ship related cases in outbreak responders, one of them a quarantine officer and the other a health ministry employee.

Singapore’s health ministry yesterday reported one more case, raising the country’s total to 90. The latest case is linked to a church cluster. So far, only 9 local cases don’t have known links.

Elsewhere, Canada reported one more presumed positive case, which would raise its total to 10. Ontario health officials said the woman arrived from China on Feb 21 and was seen at North York General Hospital for an intermittent cough that was improving. Given that her illness was mild, she was discharged for self-isolation at home.

The WHO said in its daily situation update yesterday that over the past 24 hours it has received reports of 300 new cases outside of China, 6 of them fatal, raising the total to 2,069 cases and 23 deaths from 29 countries. Of those cases, 695 are linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

Cases in U.S. Diamond Princess Evacuees, 2 More Travel Notices
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday reported 18 more cases in repatriated Americans, all apparently from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. So far, 53 cases have been reported, which includes 12 previously reported travel-linked cases and 2 in their contacts.

Also, the CDC yesterday posted two new travel notices, one for Iran and the other for Italy, both due to the spread of COVID-19 to the countries. Both are classified as “watch” level, the lowest of the CDC’s three levels, which urges travelers to practice usual precautions.

In its latest risk assessment yesterday, the CDC said the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a rapidly evolving situation and that as community spread is detected in more and more countries, the world is moving closer to meeting pandemic criteria.

“The potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 is high, both globally and to the United States,” the CDC said, adding that the immediate risk to the American general public is low, but is higher for healthcare workers and close contacts of confirmed patients. It warned that current trends suggests the virus will likely cause a pandemic, which would change its risk assessment.