February 24 coronavirus news

Fashion giant Armani held its hotly anticipated Milan Fashion Week show behind closed doors Sunday, as cases of the novel coronavirus climbed in Italy.

Describing the decision as a “preventative measure … to support national efforts in safeguarding public health,” the Italian label sent models down a runway to an empty theater, as the number of confirmed cases in the country jumped from three to over 150 between Friday and Sunday.

The event was live-streamed and founder Giorgio Armani emerged after the 16-minute show to take a bow for his online audience. Italian brand Laura Biagiotti also held its Milan showcase behind closed doors.

China's absence in fashion world: Earlier this month, organizers of Shanghai Fashion Week announced that it was postponing its March event. Seoul and Tokyo fashion weeks are scheduled to begin on March 16.

The absence of Chinese attendees is being felt across the fashion week calendar, with buyers, designers and labels notably absent from events in New York and London earlier this month.

A train from Italy that was stopped at the Austrian border on Sunday was given the green light, after two passengers suspected to have coronavirus were given a clean bill of health. 

The all-clear came after the two German women tested negative, Austrian authorities said. 

According to public broadcaster ORF, the train left Venice on Sunday afternoon and was heading to Munich. Once on board, however, the two German women reported fever symptoms and a severe cough.

"The two women were screened for the coronavirus in a Verona hospital, but the test result was negative," ORF said. 

The test results weren't immediately shared with Austrian authorities, which might have caused the delay, according to ORF.

Spike in Italy: Italy is now fighting a rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases. Three people have died and 152 others are infected in the country.

The northern region of Lombardy has 110 cases - the highest number in the country.

Fears in Europe: With rising cases in Italy, nearby European countries are getting nervous. Austrian authorities said they will meet today to study the situation and analyze if border controls with Italy are necessary. 

Australia has raised its travel advisory for Japan and South Korea to Level Two, meaning travelers should “exercise a high degree of caution.” The move came after both countries reported a spike in novel coronavirus cases this weekend.

The advisory, which was updated on Sunday, advises travelers to monitor their health closely and follow the advice of local authorities.

Taiwan has also raised its travel advisory for both countries to Level Two and urged its citizens to take personal infection prevention measures when traveling to either place. 

Meanwhile, Singapore has advised against non-essential travel to the South Korean regions of Daegu and Cheongdo -- where spikes have been reported -- and asked the public to exercise caution when visiting other parts of South Korea.

Another 150 people have died of the coronavirus in mainland China, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,582, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).

All but one of those deaths were in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The global death toll is now at 2,619, with 27 deaths reported outside mainland China:

Infection toll rises: Confirmed cases in mainland China increased by 409 on Sunday, with 398 of those in Hubei province. Mainland China now has 77,150 confirmed cases, bringing the global total of known infections to 79,356.

According to the NHC, 24,734 patients in mainland China have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

South Korea’s military suspended examinations for potential conscripts in Daegu and North Gyeonsang Province for two weeks, after the country raised the highest possible national alert level on Sunday.

The examinations, which determine whether conscripts are fit for mandatory military service, will be suspended until March 6.

Soldiers infected: 11 members of the South Korean military are confirmed to have the coronavirus.

South Korea's Kospi fell 2.9% in early trading Monday as novel coronavirus cases in the country surged past 600.

Dow futures, meanwhile, were down more than 300 points, or 1.1%. S&P 500 futures were down 1.2%, and Nasdaq futures were down 1.6%. The Dow closed 228 points lower on Friday, and all three indexes recorded a weekly loss.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.3%, while China's Shanghai Composite lost 0.5%. Japan markets were closed Monday for a holiday.

Oil takes a dip: Oil futures tumbled, too. US futures fell 2.7% to trade at $51.92 per barrel. Brent crude, a global oil benchmark, lost 3% and was last trading at $56.75 per barrel.

New Zealand will extend its border restrictions for eight more days amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The restrictions include a ban on all foreigners who visited or transited through mainland China in the past 14 days, the country’s immigration agency said. New Zealand citizens and residents will still be allowed to enter, but they will be required to self-isolate for two weeks on their return.

“Today I can confirm that temporary travel restrictions on travel from mainland China will remain in place for a further eight days to protect against the spread of the coronavirus,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday.

This means the restrictions will be in place until at least March 3.

The travel ban will not be applied to Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan. 

New Zealand has not confirmed any cases of the novel coronavirus as of 10pET Sunday.

Two Chinese doctors died in China yesterday after contracting the coronavirus.

Huang Wenjun, from the Central Hospital of Xiaogan, in Hubei province, died yesterday evening of the virus, the hospital said in an obituary notice. Huang was with the Department of Respiratory Medicine and contracted the virus while working on the front lines against the disease. He was 42 years old. 

The second doctor, Du Xiansheng, was from Hainan province, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua. He developed symptoms including fever on January 18 while at work and was later confirmed to be infected. He died yesterday at the age of 55.

At least ten medical workers have died in mainland China during the coronavirus epidemic, according to a CNN tally.  

South Korea has confirmed another 161 people with the coronavirus, and one more patient who has died, according to the country's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) earlier today.

That brings the coronavirus death toll in Korea to seven, and the number of cases nationwide to 763.

The KCDC said in a statement said the seventh death occurred yesterday, and there is an investigation into the relationship between the death and the disease. The patient was a 62-year-old man, and linked to the Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo.

Of the total 763 cases, 11 are military service members, the Ministry of Defense confirmed today -- eight are in the army, and one each in the navy, air force and the marine corps.

Religious group association: So far, about half the cases in South Korea are linked to the Shincheonji religious group in the city of Daegu. Of the 161 new cases announced today, 131 are from Daegu, and 129 are related to the religious group.

Out of the 763 nationwide cases, 455 are now linked to the group.