New Coronavirus Cases Decline as WHO Praises China’s Response

China reported a decrease in new coronavirus cases on Saturday, along with 143 additional deaths, as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) commended the country’s containment efforts, stating they had “bought the world time” and urging other nations to use this opportunity to prepare.

France confirmed Europe’s first death linked to the virus: an 80-year-old Chinese tourist from Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December. Meanwhile, the United States arranged to repatriate American citizens quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan.

Chinese authorities noted 2,641 new confirmed cases in the 24 hours leading up to midnight Friday, raising the national total to 66,492. The death toll on the Chinese mainland reached 1,523. The drop in new infections—from 5,090 recorded the previous day—followed adjustments in how cases are classified, causing fluctuations that have sparked both cautious optimism and concern.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Germany, emphasized the need for global readiness, noting that widespread transmission outside China has not yet been observed. “The steps China has taken to contain the outbreak at its source appear to have bought the world time,” he said, while warning that the duration of this opportunity is uncertain.

He expressed concerns about rising cases in China, infections among healthcare workers, and insufficient international funding to combat the outbreak. “We must use the window of opportunity we have to intensify our preparedness,” he stressed.

China imposed unprecedented lockdown measures beginning January 23, when Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, was sealed off. Restrictions later expanded to encompass roughly 60 million people. Nationwide, businesses were shut down during an extended Lunar New Year holiday, but pressure is mounting to restart economic activity.

As millions of workers return to major cities, authorities have implemented stricter controls. Beijing, for instance, now requires all returnees to undergo 14 days of self-isolation, with legal repercussions for noncompliance.

COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, has spread to more than two dozen countries.

In France, Health Minister Agnès Buzyn confirmed the death of the hospitalized Chinese tourist, whose daughter is also infected but expected to recover.

In Japan, U.S. officials announced plans to evacuate American citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama. Passengers have been quarantined since February 5 and will face another two-week isolation period upon arriving in the United States. Hong Kong also plans to repatriate its residents, who will undergo similar quarantine measures.

To date, 285 individuals on the ship have tested positive. Japanese authorities allowed a limited number of passengers to disembark, prioritizing those over 80, those with health conditions, or those in windowless cabins.

A surge of over 15,000 new infections in Hubei on Thursday stemmed from a revised diagnostic approach allowing clinical assessments and lung imaging in addition to lab tests, aimed at enabling earlier treatment.

Temporary hospitals have been rapidly set up across Hubei, with over 6,900 beds now available. More than 5,600 patients with mild symptoms are being treated in these facilities.

China’s Communist Party is seeking to regain public trust following accusations that local authorities in Wuhan initially downplayed the crisis. President Xi Jinping acknowledged weaknesses exposed by the outbreak and called for improvements.

Travel has fallen sharply, with the number of daily passengers down 80 percent compared to last year, according to Deputy Transport Minister Liu Xiaoming. Economic losses have prompted analysts to downgrade growth forecasts. State-owned banks have issued more than 537 billion yuan (approximately $119 billion) in loans to struggling sectors such as retail, tourism, and catering.

A WHO expert team began its mission in China over the weekend. Dr. Michael Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies program, praised China’s public health capabilities and urged a more constructive global approach, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to halt the spread of the virus.