China admits: The slow and poor response to the corona virus has contributed to its spread

At the state leadership meeting led by the leader Shai, it was said that the system for managing "national emergencies" needs to be improved. This is after defects discovered in the treatment of the virus outbreak, which took the lives of 426 people. Hong Kong recorded the first case of death from the virus and the number of infected people crossed the 20,000

China admits: The slow and poor response to the corona virus has contributed to its spread

Corona Virus Outbreak - Latest Updates:

• China admits: There were "deficiencies and difficulties" in dealing with the outbreak of the virus
• The first death case was recorded in Hong Kong, the second outside China
• Chinese Foreign Ministry: Hope the United States will keep its promise to provide assistance
• Following the eruption - sparse traffic on China's roads, companies remained closed
• Macau has announced the suspension of casinos for two weeks

China's leadership yesterday admitted "deficiencies and difficulties" in its response to the Corona virus outbreak, of which more than 426 people have already died. According to the official News Agency, the Politburo Standing Committee called for improvements to the "National Emergency Management System", stressing that "it is imperative to strengthen market surveillance and to prohibit and operate harshly against all illegal animal markets and trade." At the meeting, chaired by President Xi Jinping, it was said that one must learn from the "big test" the country's governing system is undergoing.

At the same time, the first death case from the virus was recorded in Hong Kong, and is the second death event outside China's borders. According to local authorities, the victim is 39. Hong Kong has so far recorded 15 cases of virus infection. The total number of victims infected with Viruis crossed that of the SARS in 2002, when more than 20,000 people were infected with the virus, which has not yet been vaccinated. However, the proportion of those infected with the SARS virus, a member of the same lung disease family, was much higher. The current mortality rate is 2.1%, compared to 9.6% of SARS.

Macau, the world's largest gambling hub, has said it has asked all casinos to suspend their activities for two weeks to help curb the expansion. Macau leader Hu Lat Seng's announcement comes after the former Portuguese colony confirmed ten cases of virus infection, and announced strict restrictions on traffic in the peninsula, an administrative area under China's control. Residents were instructed to wear masks on their faces as they traveled around the city and were asked to stay in their homes as much as possible. The leader added that he would talk to casinos about their temporary closure.

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The number of victims jumped to 425. Security people in Beijing streets, today (Photo: Reuters)

Security personnel wear masks on Beijing streets. February 4, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry said it hoped the United States would keep its promise to provide aid and supplies, after Beijing said it "urgently needed" protective equipment. Washington also said that Washington should avoid overreacting to the virus, and instead work with China to fight the pandemic.

Since it was first identified at the end of the past year in the Wuhan Food and Seafood Market, the Viras have spread to more than 20 countries, despite unprecedented international restrictions on Chinese nationals' entry. The World Health Organization declared an emergency, and a first out-of-state death was recorded in the Philippines, on Sunday.

In addition, the government said it "urgently needed" medical equipment. The fear of the virus has spurred citizens in a country where 1.4 billion people live to wear disposable surgical masks, while medical officials at the forefront of the fight against the virus say they are suffering from equipment shortages.

Insufficient 20 million masks a day: China is desperate for virus protection equipment

Hong Kong medical workers strike demand for closure of border with China today (Photo: Reuters)

Medical workers strike demand from Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the spread of corona virus, February 4, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

"What China urgently needs now is medical masks." Women with masks in South Korea, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)

Women with masks to protect the Corona virus at Incheon airport, South Korea, January 3, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

"What China urgently needs now is medical masks, protective suits and goggles," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a briefing to reporters. To their fullest capacity, factories in China manage to produce only about 20 million masks a day, according to the Ministry of Industry. The Beijing Foreign Ministry said that various countries, including South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and Hungary, contributed medical equipment.

In addition to Hubei Province, the site of the eruption in which more than 50 million people live, several provinces and other cities across China have ordered residents to wear masks in public. These include Guangdong - China's most populous province - plus Sichuan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, and Nanjing, whose total population is more than 300 million people.

The virus has hit a hard economic hit on China, and the Shanghai stock index plunged nearly 8% with the end of trading on Monday, the first to open the message since the end of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Empty roads, work from home

Hundreds of millions of people traveled around the country during the holiday season to reunite with their families, and the vacation was extended for three days to allow authorities to deal with the crisis. However, some large cities, including Shanghai, have extended it again, and many schools and universities have postponed the opening of the new semesters.

Traffic is sparse. Empty roads in Wuhan city of China, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)

Empty shamans in Wuhan city of China following the corona virus that invaded the region on March 3, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

According to the Ministry of Transport, the traffic on the roads on Sunday, where hundreds of millions of people were expected to return to work, was sparse at 80%. Train travel has dropped by 74 percent, and those on flights in a fifth of last year's volume. Many companies have offered their employees work from home, or just remain closed.

Many countries have evacuated hundreds of their citizens from China, with some even instructing them to remain in isolation upon their return, and airlines from all over the world have suspended their flights to the country. Beijing has blamed the United States for "panic" as it was the first to evacuate its nationals without offering "significant help" to China.

Hong Kong medical workers strike demand for closure of border with China today (Photo: Reuters)

Medical workers strike demand from Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the spread of corona virus, February 4, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

Russia, Mongolia and Nepal closed their border crossings with China, with Hong Kong announcing the closure of ten of its 13 border crossings. In addition, the International Pleasure Cruise Association, which includes some of the world's largest companies, announced that travelers and crew members who recently visited China would not be allowed to board the vessel.

(First update: 1:12)