As of the 24th, 830 confirmed cases... Chinese government announcement
259 new cases and 8 deaths reported on the 23rd alone
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection is rapidly increasing in China, the Chinese government is making every effort to block the virus by expanding the lockdown area beyond Wuhan. The Korean government is reviewing various methods such as charter flights and charter buses to minimize the damage to Korean residents trapped in the lockdown areas.
◆What is the situation of our Korean residents trapped in Wuhan?=On the 24th, the Korean Consulate General in Wuhan announced that it is conducting a demand survey to promote the repatriation of about 500 Korean residents and international students remaining in Wuhan using charter flights.
The consulate stated through its WeChat account in China, "We are conducting a demand survey to promote repatriation by charter flights," and asked those who wish to return to express their intention. However, it added that this is not yet a confirmed matter and is only at the approximate demand survey stage. A representative of the Korean Consulate General in Wuhan said, "For the safety of Korean residents, we are promoting leaving Wuhan by mobilizing all possible means, including not only charter flights but also charter buses," and added, "We will first conduct a demand survey and then seek cooperation from the Chinese side."
Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Wuhan area is currently under a complete lockdown.
Since the previous day, all flights and trains departing from Wuhan have been suspended, and public transportation within Wuhan city has also been halted. Highways and regular roads leading out of Wuhan have all been blocked. From 12 noon on this day, not only public transportation but also vehicle-hailing services have been suspended, and taxis are operating on an odd-even license plate basis. Railways and buses departing from not only Wuhan city but also Ezhou and Huanggang cities have all ceased operations. Similar lockdown measures are expanding in other cities within Hubei Province, where all public transportation means connecting to the outside and within the cities have been suspended.
On this day, the National Health Commission of China announced that 259 new patients were confirmed in mainland China in one day, and 8 additional deaths were reported. The current total number of deaths is 25. As of midnight on this day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases was 830. Among them, 177 are in serious condition. Of the 25 deaths, 24 occurred in Hubei Province, where Wuhan city is located, but the first death was also reported in Hebei Province.
Interior view of the hospital where confirmed patients infected with the novel coronavirus in Beijing are quarantined and receiving treatment.
◆"The number of infected medical staff with Wuhan pneumonia may be higher than the official announcement"=As medical staff treating confirmed patients have also been found to be infected, concerns are spreading that the actual number of infected medical personnel may be higher than the statistics announced by the Chinese government.
On this day, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing multiple medical sources familiar with the situation, that the number of infected medical staff may be higher than the 15 officially announced. Since the outbreak of Wuhan pneumonia was publicly disclosed on the 31st of last month, it is known that for a considerable period, hospitals in Wuhan treated patients without excluding the possibility of human-to-human transmission among medical staff.
A doctor in the Wuhan area told SCMP in an interview, "It is certain that the number of infected medical staff exceeds 15," adding, "Many medical staff did not hear about the possibility of human-to-human transmission in the early stages, and even now, protective equipment and diagnostic kits are insufficient." Another medical staff member explained, "'Wuhan pneumonia' patients are scattered across many hospitals and are not isolated," and "That is why cases of medical staff infection are emerging."
Some voices criticize that confirmed patients of the novel coronavirus were mixed with other patients admitted to general wards for different illnesses until they were diagnosed at hospitals.
The Wuhan area is facing a severe shortage of medical staff and protective equipment to care for confirmed patients. Medical personnel numbering 130 from nearby Sichuan Province have been dispatched to Wuhan, and the local government of Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located, has requested urgent support from the central government for 40 million medical masks, 5 million protective suits, and 5,000 infrared thermometers.
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