First Coronavirus Death Reported Outside of China, US Declares Public Health Emergency

A Chinese man from Wuhan died in a Manila hospital Sunday, the first case of a fatality from the coronavirus outside of China.  Philippines officials say the 44-year-old man and a companion arrived on January 21 from Wuhan. Both were hospitalized four days later. The victim’s companion remains under quartine

Chinese officials reported Sunday that at least 304 people have died from the virus in China and over 14,500 have been infected. Lockdowns in China now affect some 60 million people as the county tries to contain the virus that has spread to 24 countries.

On the heels of the World Health Organization declaring Thursday the virus a global emergency, the Trump administration announced Friday that it was categorizing the coronavirus as a U.S. public health emergency. Officials say citizens who have been in China’s Hubei province over the last two weeks will be placed under mandatory quarantine and monitoring for up to 14 days upon returning to the United States.

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