Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, has denied alleged suspension of its visa section.
The denial by the embassy followed media reports that the section was suspended as a result of the outbreak of the virus.
In a daily update on the 2019 novel Coronavirus contained in the ‘Newsletter on Fighting 2019-nCoV’ made available to Daily Sun in Abuja, the Embassy said: “On the issuance of visa, the ambassador said that the embassy was in full operation and very effective.”
In the update, the Embassy disclosed that the National Health Commission of China reported that 414 out of 425 deaths recorded so far happened in the epicentre of the Coronavirus.
While confirming that the cases of novel coronavirus rose to 20,438 in Chinese mainland as of February 3, 2020, the Embassy added that 632 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital.
The Embassy further disclosed that a total number of 171,329 people that had close contact with infected patients are still under medical observation, while 12,755 of such people were released from observation on Feb 3.
“As of 12 o’clock midnight on Feb 3, the National Health Commission had received confirmed cases of novel coronavirus that rose to 20,438 in Chinese mainland, including 425 deaths. And in all, 632 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. Hubei reported 13,522 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of Feb 3, including 414 deaths.
“A total of 171,329 people that have had close contact with infected patients are still under medical observation, while 12,755 such people were released from observation on Feb 3.
“The number of confirmed infections in the China’s Hong Kong (15) and Macao (8) special administrative regions and Taiwan province (10) had risen to 33 in total, according to the commission,” the Chinese Embassy said.
The Chinese Government further disclosed that the death rate of the cases in the Chinese mainland was about 2.1 percent, which it also said, “was far lower than that of the H1N1 flu that broke out in the United States in 2009, MERS and Ebola.”
“As a result of China’s relentless efforts, the death rate of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus in China is under 2.1 percent, much lower than other epidemics, including the 17.4 percent-death rate of the H1N1 outbreak in the United States in 2009,” the Chinese Government added.