Global COVID-19 cases surpass those inside China: WHO

Geneva/Beijing: More than 83,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported outside China as of Monday, exceeding the cumulative number of infections in the Asian giant, where the virus originated last December, a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson said.
The spokesperson told Xinhua news agency that the pandemic has spread to 146 countries and regions worldwide so far.
According to China’s National Health Commission, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country as of Monday was 80,860, while the death toll stood at 3,213.
Outside China, Italy has reported the maximum number of cases and deaths at 24,747 and 1,809, respectively. It has been deemed as the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe.
The global death toll including China’s figure was 6,506 on Monday.
China reports 14 new coronavirus deaths
The coronavirus death toll in China rose to 3,213 with 14 new fatalities, while the imported cases climbed to 123 after 12 new infections were reported, prompting Beijing to make 14-day quarantine in special facilities compulsory for foreigners returning to the country.
As of Sunday, 14 new deaths were reported, taking the death toll due to the deadly virus to 3,213, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday.
Sixteen new infections of the novel coronavirus on the Chinese mainland were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 80,860, the health officials said. Of those new infections, four were in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei province and 12 were imported cases.
With a dozen fresh infections, the total number of imported cases has increased to 123. Of the 12 imported cases, four were reported in Beijing, four in Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai and one each in Yunnan and Gansu provinces respectively, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
Beijing’s local government has announced to send all international arrivals into the city to designated quarantine facilities from Monday as part of stepped-up measures against COVID-19 cases from abroad.
People arriving from abroad were previously allowed to undergo the mandatory two-week quarantine at home, but now only those in “special circumstances” will be exempted from being sent to facilities where they must pay for their stay, it said. (Agencies)