The Universal Studios theme park in Beijing is set to open to the public as scheduled in May 2021. The confirmation came from a Beijing municipal official.
The construction of the theme park is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the official said. Universal Studios in Beijing will be the world's fifth park of its kind. This could perhaps be the reason why construction is ongoing despite the COVID-19 outbreak at present.
As of February 17, China's Hubei reported 1,933 new cases of COVID-19 infections and 100 new deaths. The total number of cases in the province is now at 58,182. Nationwide, the death toll has now reached 1,765 and the number of infections has already reached 70,433.
The province continued with its ban on transportations unless there is a pressing reason to do so. Only police cars, ambulances, and similar vehicles are allowed to operate on public roads. Wuhan has been in lockdown since January to stop the spread of the virus.
Health experts from major institutions worldwide have convened in Beijing on February 16 to discuss more robust measures to contain the virus.
Meanwhile, amid reports calling out President Xi Jinping for his seemingly reluctant behavior toward the country's situation, the president clarified that he had instructions in place as early as January 7. The president ordered a lockdown of the whole Hubei province on January 22.
This information means that local officials have been in the frontline fighting the spread of the virus. Accordingly, the government only decided to be more open about its actions when studies confirmed human-to-human infections. Previously, the government was under the impression that the virus could only be transmitted to humans in cases where a person consumed meat of the infected animal.
As one of the country's measures to combat the spread of disease, local authorities have been raiding establishments that are breaching the temporary ban on wildlife trade. About 700 people from different houses, restaurants and small markets were arrested. During raids, police gathered nearly 40,000 wild animals, including more common species like donkey, dog, deer, crocodile.
Consumption of wild animals for traditional Chinese medicine is very much ingrained in the country's culture. Indeed, China is the largest market of global illegal wildlife trade which is currently worth $23 billion, according to the United Nations.
Elsewhere in the country, fast-food chains, including McDonalds and Starbucks, are implementing a "contactless" delivery system. Customers can place their orders online when at home or via a computer in stores. The crew will seal the meals in the bags and place them in the designated pick-up corners. For delivery, bags are disinfected first and drivers bring cards as proof that their temperatures have been scanned and have no fever.
COVID-19 Asia
Japan reported 70 more people tested positive for COVID-19 out of the passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in the country. All in all, there are now 355 infected cases out of the nearly 3,700 passengers and crew on the cruise ship. The patients are transferred to hospitals while other countries plan on how to evacuate their respective citizens out of Japan.
In Singapore, nine more people tested positive for the virus, bringing the country's total infections to 67. Of the nine new cases, six are being linked to infections that started at the Grace Assembly of God church; and one being tied to two cases traced back to DBS Asia Central at Marina Bay Financial Center. The eighth case, meanwhile, is a 61-year-old healthcare worker.
According to Singapore's Ministry of Health, these new cases are all Singaporeans with no recent travel history to China.
Japan and Singapore reported the largest cases of infection in Asia apart from China.
Malaysia, on Monday, stood by its diagnosis that an elderly US passenger from the Westerdam Cruise tested positive for the virus despite Cambodia clearing all passengers.
Westerdam was denied from docking by Japan, Guan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. Cambodia accepted the ship and then cleared all passengers from the virus.
Malaysia countered that the 83-year-old woman is positive and said it conducted tests twice.
Taiwan reported its first death from the virus. The patient was a taxi driver in his 60s and was hospitalized on February 3 due to pneumonia. The man had no travel history abroad but had Chinese passengers from China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
In Hong Kong, people are protesting measures to turn some buildings into quarantine centers. About 100 protestors are standing still against police in the New Territories district.
At the same time, the government will send aircraft to evacuate citizens from Diamond Princess when the ship's quarantine ends on February 19. The educated individuals will undergo a 14-day quarantine anew when they arrive in Hong Kong.
Thailand reported one new case of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total in the country to 34. On the other hand, 14 people have recovered from the virus and were sent home.
Indonesia, which remains to have no cases, has successfully evacuated 285 of its citizens back from Hubei. The people will be quarantined on the country's Natuna island for 14 days.
