WHO scrambling to get details of new cases – as it happened

As we know, 83 Britons who were in quarantine in Wirral now have the all-clear. One of the group, Matt Raw, 38 from Knutsford, Cheshire, showed his elation as he left the Arrowe Park facility. “We’re free … and the sun’s shining … it’s absolutely lovely to be out and I’ll no doubt be going out for a pint a little bit later.” Read our full report.

As our story makes clear, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the huge jump in cases in Hubei – bringing the total to more than 60,000 worldwide – was caused by a change in the way Chinese authorities were counting them.

The WHO is now working hard to get further details on when the extra cases of “Covid-19” occurred to paint a true picture of the development of the epidemic in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei.

Reuters reports that Donald Trump has praised China over its handling of the outbreak, adding that the United States was working closely with Beijing.

“I think they’ve handled it professionally, and I think they’re extremely capable,” Trump, who has previously been at loggerheads with the Chinese authorities over trade issues, said in a podcast broadcast on iHeart Radio on Thursday.

In January, the US had angered China by banning foreign nationals who had recently visited the country.

A change in data collection methodology from the Chinese authorities has caused a huge jump in the number of registered cases of coronavirus. Here’s our report over the confusion about the full scale of the crisis, with more than 13,300 extra cases reported going back over an unknown number of days or weeks.

A nurse in Brighton who went into self-isolation as part of efforts to stop the coronavirus from spreading has criticised the way this method of prevention is being managed. The unnamed nurse, who was exhibiting some of the symptoms of the strain of coronavirus, says she was told to self-isolate by Public Health England (PHE) after coming into direct, sustained contact with a person who was being tested for the virus.

She said she was sent home in a taxi in which she was wearing a medical mask but the driver was not, and told the Brighton newspaper the Argus that self-isolation “is not being dealt with effectively”.

The nurse said she had been given little advice about how to try and stop the spread of the virus when she arrived home and had had to rely on grocery and takeaway deliveries which she picked up from her doorstep.

She told the newspaper: “Since I found out, I’ve had to get everyone out of my house to protect them. It’s scary, because I’ve got a compromised immune system. Some of these fears are over the top, but if I do get coronavirus, it could be fatal.”

She described how her family had “packed and gone” when she got home and that her children were “understandably upset” that they had been forced to leave.

The nurse said she had called NHS 111 but then had a 15-hour wait to get advice from PHE on how to get tested.

She added: “This is not being dealt with effectively. I thought there would be a plan in place for something like this, but in my case, I know there wasn’t one.”

PHE said it would not comment on individual cases.

Adding to the impact the virus is having on businesses, we have this story about possible disruption to a key motor show. The spread of the disease has already forced the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress, a tech trade fair in Barcelona that had been expected to host more than 100,000 delegates from about 200 countries.

Meanwhile, here is our full report on Japan’s first death from the crisis – a woman in her 80s – as well as more cases reported on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is docked in Yokohama.

Businesses worldwide are feeling the effects of the crisis. For instance, JCB, the British digger maker, has cut working hours and suspended overtime for 4,000 UK employees after the outbreak prompted a shortage in parts coming from China.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, oil demand is set to fall year on year in the first quarter for the first time since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, is down roughly 15% since the beginning of the year as the virus has spread.

Four liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers bound for North Asia have changed destination or diverted after the outbreak hit gas demand in China, Reuters reports.

Several analysts cut gas demand forecasts for China, expecting the outbreak to depress industrial, commercial and transportation appetite in the world’s top gas importer.

The early stages of the outbreak crisis led to a 70% fall in international air traffic in China while domestic air travel fell 50%, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies were in discussions to bring forward a policy meeting to this month from March, and to consider deepening oil supply curbs by an additional 500,000 barrels per day to 2.2m.

We reported earlier that the latest patient to be diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK took an Uber to hospital in south London after developing symptoms.

Commenting on the safety of the Uber driver who drove the woman, Dr Rachel Thorn Heathcock, consultant at Public Health England, said:

We are in contact with Uber to ensure the driver receives advice and information on what to do should they feel unwell in the coming days.

As the journey was less than 15 minutes, the driver did not have close sustained contact with the individual and are not considered high risk. We would like to thank Uber for their cooperation.

A Beijing florist is enclosing a special gift in her Valentine’s Day bouquets this year – a small bottle of hand sanitiser to ward off coronavirus.

It has been a tough month for Cai Xiaoman. Sales are down 90% in the midst of an outbreak that has infected more than 40,000 people in the country. People are staying at home, leaving shopping malls empty.

Wearing a face mask, Cai carefully sprays her hands with alcohol and puts on a pair of gloves before packaging her flowers and adding hand sanitiser to the bouquets.

She says she was inspired by a customer who asked her to sanitise a bouquet before she delivered it. Now she is now giving sanitiser to all her customers as a kind gesture.

“I think this is very heart-warming, and I want my customers to feel comfortable,” she says. “Because now the outbreak is severe, and everyone is scared. I hope this will end soon.”

The Catholic diocese in Hong Kong has announced that masses will be suspended for two weeks.

In a brief video announcement, Cardinal John Hon Tong wore a surgical mask as he urged the city’s 400,000-strong Catholic community not to panic.

He said masses would be halted from 15 to 28 February to avoid large gatherings, saying the next two weeks would be crucial for suppressing the epidemic.

He urged members to participate in online mass, share anti-epidemic materials and pray for each other.

Hong Kong, which has reported 51 cases including one death, has extended the closure of schools until 16 March.

A nurse in Brighton, where five people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, has spoken out against the way “self-isolation” is being managed.

The nurse has been told to self-isolate after coming into direct, sustained contact with a person being tested for the virus, and exhibiting some of the symptoms herself.

Public Health England has advised anyone who comes into contact with a coronavirus case to remain alone at home to stop the virus spreading.

The nurse, speaking anonymously to The Argus, said self-isolation “is not being dealt with effectively”.

She said she was sent home from her workplace wearing a medical mask, but was taken by a taxi driver who was not wearing one.

When I got home, my family had packed and gone. I’ve got kids, and they were understandably upset they had to leave. They didn’t understand.

I didn’t have any food in the house. I had to order a takeaway. It sounds ridiculous but I got fish and chips and asked the delivery person to leave it on the doorstep.

Now, I’m waiting for a Tesco delivery. I’m going to ask them to leave it outside. I don’t want to put signs outside my house saying I’m in isolation, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.

She also said she had to find a way of getting everyone out of her house without risking passing on the infection to them, and feels the advice she has been given was insufficient.

It’s scary, because I’ve got a compromised immune system. Some of these fears are over the top, but if I do get coronavirus, it could be fatal.

Earlier today, the NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said many more people may need to self-isolate over the coming weeks to stop the virus spreading.

China is dragging its heels in accepting help on the ground from international health specialists, diplomats and experts have said.

Four days after a World Health Organization (WHO) advance team arrived in Beijing, no details have been released on how and when the full mission will deploy.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, won a pledge from Chinese president Xi Jinping during his trip there two weeks ago that an international team would be able to help investigate the virus’ origin and spread.

An “advance team” of three experts, led by Dr Bruce Aylward, a WHO official and public health emergency expert from Canada, as well as WHO’s Dr Maria van Kerkhove, arrived in Beijing on Monday.

Tedros said the full mission would include 10-15 experts, but has given no details of who they would be or when they would go to China.

“It would obviously have been better if the (mission) team had arrived without delay,” a senior Western diplomat in Geneva told Reuters, though he added they could still do effective work with Chinese colleagues when they arrive. He added:

It’s just been very worrying and troubling and we are not seeing as much of a substantive and independent role that we would expect at this point.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it had not yet been invited to send experts to China to assist with the WHO investigation.

“Not only was China very late in inviting international partners to help with the response, but we still only have a skeletal advance team in Beijing, and not Hubei province,” Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health law at Georgetown Law, told Reuters.

“It appears that China has not accepted the US offer of on the ground CDC experts, which is unfortunate. CDC has among the most experienced first responders,” he added.

WHO officials have said that Chinese authorities have been open and cooperative, sharing data throughout the outbreak.

Stormzy has rescheduled the Asia leg of his Heavy Is The Head tour due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a post on Instagram, the British rapper wrote:

I was seriously looking forward to bringing the #HITH World tour to Asia and playing some epic sold-out shows but due to the ongoing health and travel concerns surrounding the Coronavirus, I’m regrettably having to reschedule this leg of the Tour.

Information regarding the rescheduled dates will follow in due course. Please contact your local ticket vendor for any further queries. I promise I’ll be back.

Dozen of Britons are celebrating the end of their two-week quarantine today, as they are finally allowed to leave the hospital facility in Wirral where they have been staying.

Matt Raw, 38, from Knutsford, Cheshire, shouted: “We’re free … and the sun’s shining”.

Some good fresh air and very, very, very happy that all 83 of us have tested negative for the virus and I guess now back to business as usual.

It is absolutely lovely to be out and I’ll no doubt be going out for a pint a little bit later.

He previously said of his time in the Arrowe Park facility in Wirral:

It has not been that bad because they have looked after us so excellently.

The wonderful, wonderful staff of the NHS, they have really done their very best to make us as comfortable as possible.

We’re not prisoners. They’re trying to make us feel like, if anything, we’re just on holiday for a couple of weeks, maybe without the swimming pool.

The first person to be diagnosed with coronavirus in London travelled to a nearby hospital in an Uber taxi after falling ill, the Guardian has been told.

Two staff from Lewisham hospital in south London are now in isolation at home after coming into contact with the woman, who turned up at the A&E department unannounced.

She did not arrive by ambulance or her own private vehicle and went straight to the A&E reception desk to report her symptoms – both clear breaches of guidance aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.

The woman, who has now been taken to St Thomas’ hospital for treatment, is a Chinese national who had recently arrived in the capital from China.

US stock index futures slipped on Thursday, Reuters reports, a day after Wall Street closed at record levels, as a spike in the number of deaths and new cases related to the coronavirus outbreak in China sent investors scurrying to safe-haven assets.

Gold and the Japanese yen were in demand as a change in a diagnostic method pushed the number of new infections in Hubei province of China to 14,840 on Thursday, up from 2,015 cases reported on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 1,367.

Fresh uncertainty about the scale of the epidemic looked set to derail a rally in stocks, a day after investors bought on signs that the virus spread was slowing.

Latest figures show new coronavirus cases in Asian countries, as Japan records its first coronavirus death.

In Vietnam, official media reported that a village of 10,000 north-west of the capital, Hanoi, had been put in lockdown because of a cluster of cases there.

The online newspaper VN Express cited a senior official of Vinh Phuc province as reporting an increase in cases in the Son Loi commune.

Vietnam has confirmed 16 cases, most of them in the province.

Meanwhile Malaysia recorded its 19th positive coronavirus case - a 39-year-old woman who is a friend of the 14th reported case, a 37-year-old tourist from Wuhan.

The coronavirus epidemic is set to cast a shadow over Valentine’s Day tomorrow, as restaurants in Shanghai report almost no reservations.

Reuters reports that Bill Hu, the owner of a French fine dining spot in a shopping mall, is preparing for an exceptionally quiet evening as most reservations have been cancelled.

The number of reservations this year is almost zero. This virus epidemic came all of a sudden. Many customers who had made reservations all called in to cancel.

Last year his restaurant served around 170 customers on Valentine’s Day.

Meanwhile Austin Hu, a chef at the high-end restaurant Heritage by Madison, said:

Valentine’s Day is kind of sad so far. We have one booking at the moment. It’s going to take a while for the confidence to come back. The real question is whether we can last long enough.

In another blow for the romantics, a virologist has advised physical contact such as hugging, kissing and handshaking could increase spread of the infection.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Prof John Oxford from Queen Mary University said:

I think we have to galvanise ourselves in our social actions – how we interact with people. And I think that is extremely important; more so than wearing a mask. I think that’s a total diversion.

What we need to do is less of the handshaking, hugging, kissing, that sort of thing, because this virus looks like it’s spread by ordinary tidal breathing, not necessarily colds and coughing.

A medical expert has said the latest coronavirus figures from China cannot be used to track the spread of the virus.

China reported nearly 15,000 new cases in Hubei province over a 24-hour period, as it started including “clinically diagnosed” cases in its figures – meaning cases diagnosed by a CT scan but not confirmed by a laboratory test.

Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the new figures do not point to a sharp increase in cases:

If the figure now included suspect cases, many of the suspect cases will ultimately be proven to be Covid-19 (a confirmed case), [while] others will actually be other illnesses altogether or remain lacking a laboratory diagnosis.

Of those suspect cases lacking a laboratory diagnosis, some but not all will be Covid-19.

He said the fact that the World Health Organization has not updated its dashboard with today’s Chinese figures suggests it has not yet decided how to deal with this.

In determining whether the epidemic is declining from day to day or not we have to be careful only to compare like with like.

Until we know more about the new method and how it compares to previous numbers we cannot use today’s figures of how the epidemic is progressing.

It almost certainly does not mean that there has been a resurgence of the epidemic overnight.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has thanked the 83 Britons leaving quarantine today for their “bravery and patience”.

This will not have been an easy time for them and I would like to express my gratitude for their bravery and patience.

Each individual has been given a clean bill of health, and the nation can be reassured that their departure presents no risk to the public.

I am incredibly proud of every dedicated healthcare professional who has looked after these individuals over the last 14 days – their tireless work in exceptional circumstances is a testament to our steadfast NHS.

Another update on the situation with the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan, after 44 new cases were confirmed onboard.

Japan’s health minister, Katsunobu Kato, said five of the patients sent to hospitals earlier have severe symptoms and are on artificial respirators or under intensive care.

The ship, which is still carrying about 3,500 passengers and crew members, now has 218 people infected with the virus out of 713 people tested, the largest cluster of infections outside China.

Kato also said the government has decided to allow passengers older than 80 to get off the ship after testing negative for the virus.

He said results of tests on about 200 eligible passengers are under way, and those with chronic health problems or in cabins without operable windows will be given priority.

Kato said the measure is to reduce health risks for passengers stuck in rooms under difficult conditions. Those who are released will be asked to stay at a designated facility through the end of the quarantine period.

“We are doing our utmost for the health of crew members and passengers who remain on the ship,” Kato told a news conference.

Some experts have questioned Japan’s strategy of isolating the passengers and crew in a potentially virus-affected environment on the ship while the disease is already slowly making its way into the country.

On the ship, infections are getting very dense, said Shigeru Omi, an infectious disease prevention expert and former regional director for the World Health Organization. He said:

It’s like we are seeing a very condensed version of what could happen in a local community.

Omi, who currently heads the Japan Community Health Care Organization, said those people who have tested positive for the virus are only a fraction of what could already be spreading outside of the ship. He added:

We should assume that the virus has already been spreading in Japan.

The NHS chief executive has thanked the Britons who have spent two weeks in quarantine and said many more people may need to self-isolate to stop the disease from spreading.

Sir Simon Stevens said:

As our first group of guests leaves Arrowe Park hospital, we want to thank them for the highly responsible, pragmatic and stoical way they have played their part in keeping both themselves and others safe.

They have set an important example, recognising that over the coming weeks many more of us may need to self-isolate at home for a period to reduce this virus’s spread.

He also thanked the NHS staff who helped make the stay “as safe and as comfortable as possible”.

With about 72 hours’ notice they, and subsequently their colleagues in Milton Keynes, have mobilised clinical teams, personal support and pastoral care to look after over 200 people returning to this country under extremely trying circumstances.

They have been hugely helped by the volunteers, residents, schools and those from local councils.

He added that while the NHS has played its part, everyone should take simple steps such as washing hands to prevent the spread of infection and calling NHS 111 first before going to the doctors or A&E if they have any concerns about or show symptoms of the virus.

A British honeymooner diagnosed with the new coronavirus has said a language barrier meant he mistakenly believed he had tested negative for the disease.

Alan Steele, who was taken to hospital from a quarantined cruise ship off the coast of Japan last week, said a second test came back negative and he will be released from quarantine if a third does the same.

“Seems that my 1st test was positive and I misunderstood due to language barrier,” Steele posted on Facebook.

“Anyway 2nd test showed negative so a third test is now been done. I need 2 negatives to be freed so all crossed on 3rd test.”

Steele had posted on Wednesday about the “great news” that he had received a negative result for the virus.

On Thursday, the Japanese health ministry said 44 more people onboard the Diamond Princess have been diagnosed with coronavirus, now known as Covid-19.

The ship is carrying more than 3,500 passengers, including Steele’s wife, Wendy Marshall Steele, and officials say a total of 218 people of the 713 tested have been infected.

The vessel has been quarantined at Yokohama port since 3 February.

Another British couple, David and Sally Abel, remain on the ship and said they have been given the option to leave and continue their quarantine on land if they test negative for the virus.

In a video posted on Facebook, Sally Abel said:

The Japanese health authorities have said if anyone tests negative, they will be given the option to either stay onboard and continue their quarantine onboard, or they could go to a Japanese housing unit or something and do it there.

But for us, if that was the case for us, we’re obviously going to be better off language-wise staying onboard than we are if we go into some sort of facility run by Japanese.

The couple, who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain they fear being separated if only one of them tests positive for the virus. Sally said:

My biggest fear is we are going to be tested in the next couple of days because of our age. They’ve done over-80s, now they’re going to do over-70s.

We have been together 50 years and, if one of us is infected and the other one isn’t, we will be separated. And that I don’t particularly relish.

Jessica Murray here taking over from Alexandra Topping on the latest coronavirus developments – feel free to get in touch via jessica.murray@theguardian.com or on Twitter (@journojess_) with your questions and comments.

After today’s news that the first London diagnosis has been confirmed it’s a good chance to take stock and consider how the outbreak might be affecting your mental health.

The Mental Health Foundation has issued some guidance on how to stay mentally healthy as you follow coverage of the outbreak.

Dr Antonis Kousoulis, director of the foundation, said:

Infectious disease outbreaks, like the current coronavirus, can be scary. While it is important to stay informed, there are many things we can do to manage our wellbeing.

The foundation suggests:

• Try to avoid speculation and look up reputable sources on the outbreak
  
  Rumour and speculation can fuel anxiety. Having access to good quality information about the virus can help you feel more in control.
  
  
• Try to stay connected and remain calm
  
  At times of stress, we work better in company and with support. Try and keep in touch with your friends and family or contact a helpline for emotional support.
  
  
• Try to anticipate distress
  
  It is normal to feel vulnerable and overwhelmed as we read news about the outbreak, especially if you have experienced trauma or a mental health problem in the past.
  
  It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and remind each other to look after our physical and mental health. We should also be aware of and avoid increasing habits that may not be helpful in the long term, like smoking and drinking.
  
  
• Try not to make assumptions
  
  Don’t judge people and avoid jumping to conclusions about who is responsible for the spread of the disease. The coronavirus can affect anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity or sex.
  
  A caring and supportive stance improves the chances of prevention and recovery. And remember that not every cold or cough is the coronavirus.
  
  
• Try to manage how you follow the outbreak in the media
  
  There is lots of news coverage about the outbreak. If you find that the news is stressing you out, it’s important to find a balance.
  
  It’s best that you don’t avoid all news and that you keep informing and educating yourself, but limit your news intake if it is bothering you.
  
  
• Talk to your children
  
  We need to ask children what they have heard about the outbreak and support them.
  
  Don’t avoid the “scary topic” but engage in a way that is understandable to them. The foundation has more advice on talking with your children about world news.

The South China Morning Post’s correspondent in Beijing, Jun Mai, says the changes to key leaders in personnel in Hubei don’t just bring in new leaders who are proteges of President Xi, but people with strong backgrounds in security.

Looks like I’m not the only person waiting for the Chinese government to update the latest national figures.

Scott Morrison acknowledges the impact on Australia from the curb on tourism from China because of the virus.

“In tourism (in Australia) it’s a double blow because of the bushfires,” Morrison says.

Brendan Murphy, Australia’s chief medical officer, says he wants to keep the travel ban for the moment because of the continued rise in cases inside and outside Hubei province.

He describes the jump in cases in Hubei today as “very significant”.

Australia’s health minister, Greg Hunt, is talking now. He confirms that there is no change to the 15 people confirmed as having the virus in Australia.

“That means the measures we have taken are protecting Australians,” he says.

Hunt also says there are no confirmed cases among the Australians evacuated from Wuhan.

Reuters has published a list of airlines that have cancelled all flights to China

• American Airlines – extends suspension of China and Hong Kong flights through 24 April, from 27 March earlier.
• Air France – said on 6 February it would suspend flights to and from mainland China for much of March.
• Air Seoul – the South Korean budget carrier suspended China flights from 28 January until further notice.
• Air Tanzania – Tanzania’s state-owned carrier, which had planned to begin charter flights to China in February, postponed its maiden flights.
• Austrian Airlines – until end of February.
• British Airways – 29 January-31 March.
• Delta Airlines – 2 February-2 April.
• Egyptair – 1 February until further notice.
• El Al Israel Airlines – said on 12 February it would suspend its Hong Kong flights until 20 March and reduce its daily flights to Bangkok. It suspended flights to Beijing from 30 January to 25 March following a health ministry directive.
• Finnair – suspended all flights to China between 6-29 February, to Guangzhou between 5 February-29 March.
• Iberia Airlines – the Spanish carrier extended its suspension of flights from Madrid to Shanghai, its only route, from 29 February until the end of April.
• JejuAir Co Ltd – Korean airline to suspend all China routes starting 1 March.
• Kenya Airways – 31 January until further notice.
• KLM - will extend its ban up to 15 March.
• Lion Air – all of February.
• Oman and Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s state airline, both suspended flights on 2 February until further notice.
• Qatar Airways – 1 February until further notice.
• Rwandair – 31 January until further notice.
• Nordic airline SAS – 4-29 February.
• Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier – 8 February until further notice.
• United Airlines – 4 February-23 April. Service to Hong Kong suspended 8 February-23 April.
• Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines – suspended flights to the mainland as well as Hong Kong and Macau 1 February-30 April, in line with its aviation authority’s directive.

And Reuters have also published this list of airlines that have cancelled some China flights/routes:

• Air Canada – cancelled direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai 30 January-29 February.
• Air China – said on 12 February it will cancel flights to Athens, Greece, from 17 February to 18 March.
• Air China – state carrier said on 9 February it will “adjust” flights between China and the United States.
• Air New Zealand – suspended Auckland-Shanghai service 9 February-29 March.
• ANA Holdings – suspended routes including Shanghai and Hong Kong from 10 February until further notice.
• Cathay Pacific Airways - plans to cut a third of its capacity over the next two months, including 90% of flights to mainland China. It has encouraged its 27,000 employees to take three weeks of unpaid leave in a bid to preserve cash.
• Emirates and Etihad – the United Arab Emirates, a major international transit hub, suspended flights to and from China, except for Beijing.
• Hainan Airlines – suspended flights between Budapest, Hungary, and Chongqing 7 February-27 March.
• Philippine Airlines – cut the number of flights between Manila and China by over half.
• Qantas Airways – suspended direct flights to China from 1 February. The Australian national carrier halted flights from Sydney to Beijing and Sydney to Shanghai between 9 February-29 March.
• Royal Air Maroc – the Moroccan airline suspended direct flights to China 31 January-29 February. On 16 January, it had launched a direct air route with three flights weekly between its Casablanca hub and Beijing.
• Russia – all Russian airlines, with the exception of national airline Aeroflot, stopped flying to China from 31 January. Small airline Ikar will also continue flights between Moscow and China. All planes arriving from China will be sent to a separate terminal in the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport.
• Singapore Airlines – suspended or cut capacity on flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing, some of which are flown by regional arm SilkAir.
• UPS – cancelled 22 flights to China because of the virus and normal manufacturing closures due to the lunar new year holiday.
• Virgin Atlantic – extended its suspension of daily operations to Shanghai until 28 March.
• Virgin Australia – said it will withdraw from the Sydney-Hong Kong route from 2 March because it was “no longer a viable commercial route” due to growing concerns over the virus and civil unrest in Hong Kong.

Vietnamese media is reporting that a community near Hanoi has been quarantined after an eighth virus case was confirmed there. I’ll bring you more on this when I have the details.

This was quite a jolt from the state-run Global Times, given today’s purge of senior Hubei officials and the steep rise in virus numbers.

You can read our latest wrap on developments today. including leadership changes in Hubei and a big spike in virus numbers, below.

Here’s some more confusing news on the numbers of infections.

This morning the Hubei Health Commission said as of midnight on 12 February, there were 14,840 new cases of coronavirus of Covid-19 (much higher than the previous day due to changes in how cases are counted).

I mentioned a couple of posts back that the National Health Commission is several hours late announcing the national figures today.

Now the state-run tabloid Global Times has tweeted that as of 5pm on 12 February, there were actually 16,568 confirmed coronavirus patients in Wuhan. This figure doesn’t seem to tally with anything else, which is very strange, considering it is state-run media.

On Thursday, Chinese state media announced several high profile firings, as the number of infections and deaths from the outbreak jumped.

• The party chief of Hubei province, Jiang Chaoliang was replaced by the former mayor of Shanghai, Ying Yong.
• Ma Guoqiang, the party chief of Wuhan, the city where the outbreak began, was also sacked and replaced by the former mayor of Jinan in Shandong province, Wang Zhonglin.
• Both Ying Yong and Wang Zhonglin are seen as close to Xi Jinping.
• The head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Zhang Xiaoming, will be replaced by Xia Baolong, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Zhang’s firing comes after more than seven months of anti-CCP and anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

What do the changes signal?

“I suspect Xi would have wanted the personnel change to project a sense that he is in control of the situation. The bad numbers undermine that message,” said Sam Crane who teaches Chinese politics and ancient philosophy at Williams College.

Earlier this week, senior officials from Hubei’s Health Commission – Zhang Jin, party secretary, and Liu Yingzi, the director, were also fired and replaced by an official from China’s National Health Commission.

Are the big changes in officials today related to the big jump in confirmed cases of Covid-19? The New York Times’ Asia tech columnist, Li Yuan, certainly seems to think so.

The Australian stock market has closed flat on Thursday afternoon. The ASX200 opened strongly in the morning but animal spirits were curbed by the terrible virus infection figures out of China.

They weren’t considered bad enough to send the index into the red for the day and it closed again just shy of the record high 7,090 points.

In Tokyo the Nikkei is also flat as is the Kospi in Seoul. The Hang Seng is down 0.23% in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Composite is off 0.7%.

Brent crude was up 15c to $55.94 a barrel and gold was also up.

We are still waiting for China’s National Health Commission to give its daily update of figures across the country. By my calculations, it has been delayed by several hours, compared with when it has been published for the past 10 days.

Samoa’s decision to refuse entry into the country of eight of its citizens over coronavirus fears has been criticised as a violation of international law by a legal expert.

Eight people were denied entry into Samoa over the weekend as they returned home from India, travelling through Singapore. The day before their flight, Singapore was added to a list of countries from which the Samoan government said it would not accept travellers until they had been quarantined for 14 days.

The group included five patients who had been in India for medical treatment. They were returned to Nadi, Fiji, their last port of departure, along with 11 others and are now being quarantined at the Grand Melanesian hotel in Nadi.

“It is a violation of human rights international law for a country to deny the right of return of their own national. There is a human right to return to your home country and countries cannot deprive you of this right in a way that is arbitrary,” said Jorge Contesse, the director of the Center for Transnational Law in the US.

The decision has also been criticised in Fiji, where 19 people from the flight are now in quarantine. In an editorial on Wednesday, the Fiji Sun newspaper condemned the decision, saying it was “morally wrong for Samoa to refuse entry to eight of its citizens”, calling it “unacceptable and tantamount to dereliction of duty by a sovereign state”.

Members of China’s Uighur minority living in exile are sounding the alarm over the risk of the coronavirus spreading in camps inside the country, where it is believed up to 1 million people are being detained.

You can read our full story on it below:

The Singapore Sevens rugby tournament is expected to be postponed until October due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Reuters reports, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The tournament is due to take place in the city-state on 11 and 12 April. Singapore has reported 50 cases of the virus.

Several international sports events in Asia have been cancelled, postponed or moved because of the virus, including the Chinese Formula One grand prix scheduled for Shanghai in April and the indoor world athletics championships in Nanjing from 13-15 March.

A team of officials will board the MV Westerdam to conduct health checks as the cruise ship remains anchored 1km (0.6 miles) off the coast of Sihanoukville port in Cambodia, the regional governor, Kouch Chamrouen has told Associated Press.

The ship, which has 1,455 passengers and 802 crew onboard, arrived at the port early on Thursday. The passengers, who are mostly American, Canadian, British and Dutch, will not be allowed off until the checks are done.

The US ambassador to Cambodia, W Patrick Murphy, said he sent an embassy team to work with the ship’s representatives and Cambodian officials to help Americans disembark and transfer to their onward destinations.

The ship’s operator, Holland America Line, said no cases of the Covid-19 illness have been confirmed among the people onboard.

A state-run tabloid, the Global Times, is reporting that Hubei has now adopted a stricter standard than other parts of the country in terms of recording cases, by adding the “clinically diagnosed” cases to those who have tested positive.

This seems to be the opposite of what Hubei’s Health Commission said – that it was changing its classifications “in order to be consistent with the classification of case diagnosis used by other provinces across the country”. Only one of them can be right.

A Chinese state media outlet, the People’s Daily, is reporting the “great work from home experiment in China” as a result of the virus. I assume it is not being ironic.

AFP has more on officials in Hubei saying they were broadening their definition for Covid-19 cases by including people “clinically diagnosed” with the virus in the daily tally.

This means officials can use lung imaging on suspected cases to diagnose the virus, rather than the standard nucleic acid tests.

China has placed some 56 million in virtual quarantine in Hubei and its capital, Wuhan, since late last month and restricted movements of millions more in cities far from the centre of the outbreak in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus.

Hong Kong police have arrested a man for stealing eight boxes of face masks from a car.

Earlier, the chief of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Cambodia for allowing the Westerdam to dock.

“This is an example of international solidarity we have been consistently calling for,” Tedros said before the ship’s arrival. “Outbreaks can bring out the best and the worst in people.”

Share prices across Asia Pacific are showing little sign of stress today despite the alarming jump in new Covid-19 cases in China.

Australia’s ASX200 has soared to a record high this morning, climbing by 0.2% to 7,100 points, although it has come down a bit from earlier highs. In Tokyo, the Nikkei is flat and the Kospi index is up 0.37% in Seoul.

However, safe havens such as the Japanese yen and gold rose in response to the news from China. The yen last traded at 109.91 per dollar while gold rose 0.3% to $1,570.30 per ounce. The Australian dollar, a proxy for the Chinese economy, fell 0.2% to US$0.6725c.

I mentioned earlier that Hubei authorities had begun including cases diagnosed through new clinical methods from Thursday in its daily figures.

Reuters is reporting that Chinese state media said last week that Hubei would start recognising computerised tomography (CT) scan results as confirmation of infections, allowing hospitals to isolate patients more quickly.

The total number of confirmed patients in China is just under 60,000.

We have confirmation now that the latest person to be diagnosed with the virus in the US (bringing the US total to 14), was an evacuee from Wuhan.

The patient was among 232 individuals who had been placed under quarantine at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar after being airlifted from Wuhan.

A previous case of coronavirus was documented a few days earlier among the same group of evacuees.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said it appeared that the two San Diego patients were separately exposed to the virus in China before arriving in the United States. The two arrived on different planes and were housed in separate facilities.

The big rises in figures today cast a shadow on Beijing’s touted “positive results” from efforts to contain the virus.

President Xi Jinping had chaired a meeting of the ruling Politburo Standing Committee after figures showed that the number of new cases dropped on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Xi said there were “positive results” but warned that the country “must not relax” its epidemic control efforts, according to state media.

Welcome to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. These are the top developments today:

• The number of deaths in China has increased sharply by at least 242 as of midnight on Wednesday, according to health officials in Hubei.
• New cases in Hubei have also leaped by 14,887, a sevenfold increase on the day before. The national total is now nearly 60,000 cases.
  
• The WHO chief has said the outbreak could still go in “any direction”.
• UK health chiefs are preparing for more cases after confirmation of the first case in London – a woman who flew into the UK from China at the weekend.
• A second patient has been diagnosed with Covid-19 in California.
• A cruise ship refused by four countries, the MV Westerdam, will be allowed to dock in Cambodia.
  
• The annual gathering of the tech industry in Barcelona – the Mobile World Congress – has been cancelled over fears of contagion at the huge event.

You can get in touch with me on alison.rourke@theguardian.com