Coronavirus death toll rises to 636 in China; confirmed cases crosses 30,000

Coronavirus has claimed at least 636 lives in China, as per the latest government reports. The government reported more deaths on Friday morning, leading to the crisis worsening. The Chinese government also reported that the number of people infected has crossed 30,000 across the country.

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Virus continues to spread

The outbreak took place in Wuhan in January and multiple countries have started evacuating their citizens from the country, and have decided to restrict the entry of foreigners returning from China. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Coronavirus as a 'global public health emergency'. 

In order to tackle the spreading virus, the WHO stated that the international community has launched a USD 675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020.

"The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources; and address crucial unknowns," a statement read.

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Amidst the growing crisis, WHO has repeatedly stated that it stands by China for its efforts to tackle the crisis. Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently stated, "Let me be clear: this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak..To the people of China & to all of those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak, we want you to know that the stands with you."

READ: Over 2,800 Under Observation In Kerala For Coronavirus

Three people have been confirmed with Coronavirus in India, all three of them are from Kerala and are being kept in isolation for now. The Kerala state government on Sunday declared the virus as a 'state calamity' so that the authorities can take all the necessary steps to tackle the situation.

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(Photo: AP)