Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing states that a total of 717 Sri Lankan students have so far departed to the island as the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to affect more countries across the world.
Chargé D’Affaires of the Embassy, Mr. K.K. Yoganathan mentioned that 10 more Sri Lankan students are expected to arrive in the country tonight (04).
In the meantime, the 33 local students who were repatriated from Wuhan, China on Saturday celebrated the 72nd Independence Day today at the quarantine facility set up at the Diyatalawa Army Base Hospital premises.
The death toll rose to 425, with more than 20,000 confirmed cases.
Foreign media reported that Hong Kong has confirmed its first death from the coronavirus. According to reports, this 39-year-old man, who suffered from an underlying illness, had travelled to Wuhan on 21 January while returning from the mainland to Hong Kong. This is the second coronavirus death reported outside of mainland China as the Philippines recently confirmed the first coronavirus fatality a few days ago.
The total death toll has now hiked to 425, with more than 20,000 confirmed cases.
It is reported that China’s top leadership has admitted “shortcomings and deficiencies” in the country’s response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
-with inputs from agencies
