China discharged 2,422 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday. These patients were treated with the disease, making the number of recovered patients more than the reported new cases in the country. Overall, as many as 29,745 patients have recovered in the country.
There are only 406 new cases and 52 deaths in China as reported by health officials on Tuesday. The number has been the lowest again for three weeks now. Nationwide, there are now 78,064 cases of infections since the outbreak was monitored in December.
There are however 555 confirmed cases in Chinese prisons and it remained unclear if these cases are already accounted for. No deaths have been confirmed so far inside the prison system.
As of Tuesday, officials are encouraging regions with lower infection rates to resume work, school, transportation, and business operations.
Flights outside of Hubei are now allowed to resume, according to China's Civil Aviation Administration of China. The agency said it will also inform other airlines to consider resuming international flights to the country.
The Chinese government assured citizens that it will remain its fight against the disease even if the situation is showing gradual improvement. In fact, in Beijing, officials are working closely with South Korea and Japan to strengthen their respective measures to combat the outbreak.
South Korea has the most number of cases outside China and in the Asian region. On Tuesday, the republic confirmed 60 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 977. Japan, meanwhile, reported four deaths and 850 new cases inside the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Elsewhere in Asia, Malaysia reported 22 cases as of Tuesday, Vietnam 16 cases, the Philippines had three, and Cambodia one. Thailand so far had 37 cases, India three, Nepal one, and Sri Lanka one. Hong Kong meanwhile reported one new case, bringing its total number of infections to 85.
Vietnam said all 16 coronavirus patient has already recovered and no new cases were reported as of February 16.
In Japan, public elementary and junior high schools in Hokkaido were suspended following 35 confirmed cases.
Japan also has one case where a person tested positive for the virus after visiting Bali, Indonesia. The man who is originally from Tokyo visited Bali before testing positive for the virus.
Indonesia, however, has not reported any cases of infection. Local health officials said the man might have contracted it from elsewhere. Nevertheless, the officials are now conducting health check-ups among crew and staff of the hotel where the man from Tokyo stayed when in the country. So far, no one has tested positive for the disease.
