People wearing protective face masks pose for photos next to the cherry blossoms at The Summer Palace, in Beijing, China, 22 March 2020. While the new cases of Covid-19 in China has plummeted, the disease now is spreading dramatically around the world. It has so far killed more than 13,000 people worldwide. EPA-EFE/ROMAN PILIPEY
Outside China — where the virus was first detected in December and infected more than 80,000 people — South Korea is the hardest-hit country in Asia with more than 8,500 cases. Three doctors treating virus patients in Indonesia died, taking the country’s death toll to 48 with 514 confirmed infections.After shutting its borders to foreigners and non-residents, Australia told citizens to also cancel domestic travel plans, with the number of cases topping 1,300.
Officials said every private sector worker in New Delhi must work from home this week unless they are providing an essential service. Most public transport will also be halted. People took to their balconies in major cities after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to thank medical workers and emergency personnel by clapping or banging pots and pans for five minutes at 5:00 pm Sunday.
In Hong Kong, where the worst had appeared to be over, the number of cases nearly doubled in the past week as more people fly back to the financial hub.