Coronavirus death toll equals Sars as fatalities hit 813
- Chinese government is to increase procurement of medical equipment and drugs following acute shortages
- Taiwan reports its 18th infection, while major cruise lines ban travellers with Chinese, Hong Kong and Macau passports
The newly reported fatalities brought mainland China’s total death toll to 811, and the global figure to 813, matching the number attributed to the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic of 2002-03 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Newly confirmed coronavirus cases in the mainland rose by 2,656 on Saturday, down from 3,385 new cases on Friday, according to China’s National Health Commission. Accumulated cases in the mainland stood at 37,198.
Most of the deaths and newly confirmed cases were in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, which reported 81 new deaths from the disease and 2,147 newly confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the provincial health authority. That took the province’s total fatalities from the outbreak to 780 and total cases to 27,100 as of Saturday.
Shortage of medical supplies addressed
Government procurement of the medical equipment and drugs of which there have been acute shortages is to be increased, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, a macroeconomic planning agency under the State Council, the country’s cabinet.
Makers of health screening equipment, and drugs and vaccines, were being pushed to produce more of them as soon as possible, the NDRC said on Sunday. The government would help companies to secure funding, licences, facilities and raw materials if needed, and would buy any unsold products, it said.
The list of supplies covered by the move would include medical overalls, masks, eye shields, testing kits, infrared thermometers and related drugs, it said.
Hubei deputy governor Cao Guangjing said on Saturday night that, as of Friday, protection gear for medics in the province remained nearly 20 per cent short of what was needed.
Chen Da, NDRC deputy director general, said production lines accounting for about 73 per cent of the country’s medical mask manufacturing capacity had resumed production as of Friday.