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The U.S. embassy said Thursday that a U.S. citizen diagnosed with the new coronavirus passed away in Wuhan, China.
Officials said, “We can confirm that a 60-year-old U.S. citizen detected with coronavirus died at Wuhan’s Jinyintian Hospital on February 6.
We deliver our warm condolences to the family on their loss. Out of regard for the family’s privacy, we’ve no further comment.”
It’s the first reported American causality in an epidemic of the new coronavirus. Wuhan remains the epicentre of the epidemic, where most deaths and infected cases have been spotted.
“The new virus has killed over 700 people and infected more than 34,000,” the Health Commission of China said early Saturday, adding that “Of those, nearly 699 deaths and 25,000 confirmed cases happened in Hubei, according to the province’s figures.”
Authorities in Hubei reported that around 545 patients of coronavirus have ended in the outbreak as of the end of Friday.
The World Health Organization declared the fast-spreading virus a global health emergency in January. The announcement enables the international health agency to mobilize financial and political backup to contain the epidemic promptly.
In the meantime, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released obligatory quarantine orders for the people it exiled from Wuhan. It was the very first time the institute had issued an order of such rank in 50 years.
Washington, for its part, continued evacuating U.S. citizens from the city of Wuhan and detaining them at military bases across the United States. The prominent bases where the Americans are carried include Camp Ashland in Nebraska, March Air Reserve Base of Riverside County, San Diego’s Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Travis Air Force Base in California, and the Lackland Air Base in Texas.
Officials of the U.S. government have stated that they will commit $100 million in existing funds to support WHO activities in China and other affected countries around the world.
The WHO is reaching out to member countries and asking for donations to help with response efforts. Earlier this week, the organization tapped approximately $9 million from its contingency fund for emergencies.
When asked about contributing more funds, HSS Secretary Alex Azar replied that it was “premature” to answer that.
The United Arab Emirates confirms two new cases
The health ministry of the UAE confirmed two fresh cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to seven. The ministry’s officials said that new patients involve people of Filipino and Chinese nationalities.