Coronavirus Surges Again in China

Number of new infections had briefly dipped
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 10, 2020 5:33 AM CST
Coronavirus Surges Again in China
Tourists wear masks at the Peak, a popular tourist spot in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020.   (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

On Sunday, a drop in the number of new cases of coronavirus reported in China was cited as ground for cautious optimism. On Monday, that optimism disappeared as the number of new cases surged by another 3,062, along with 97 deaths, the highest single-day total in the outbreak so far, reports the AP. China has now reported more than 40,000 coronavirus cases. Some 60 new cases were reported on a cruise ship in quarantine off Yokohama, Japan, bringing the total number of cases on the Diamond Princess to around 130, reports RTHK.

Millions of people in China returned to work Monday after an extended Lunar New Year holiday, but workplaces are taking precautions including staggered working hours, the BBC reports. Dr. Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity, told reporters Sunday that "dramatic reductions" in new cases are possible later this month if China's attempts to contain the outbreak are successful—but if there is a spike in new cases after people return to work, "we’ll know we’re in trouble." Most coronavirus cases have been in China, but World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Monday that the number of cases reported in other countries so far could be the "tip of the iceberg," reports the Guardian.

(More coronavirus stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X