Putin offers assistance to China in fight against Coronavirus

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia stands ready to provide China with assistance in the fight against the outbreak.

“China and all of us are confronted with the peril of the spreading of the coronavirus infection,” Putin said.

“The Chinese authorities are taking decisive and vigorous measures in order to stop the epidemic,” Putin said.

Chinese Authorities said late on Wednesday night that at least  563 people have died and a total of 28,018 cases have been confirmed of coronavirus in the country.

The WHO has called for $675 million (€613 million) in donations from UN countries to fight the outbreak.

Passengers aboard two cruise ships are stranded off the coasts of Japan and Hong Kong after passengers tested positive for coronavirus.

The aviation industry has been taking a hit, with Cathay Pacific announcing a three-week unpaid leave for 27,000 workers and Airbus halting production in Tianjin.

At least 5,000 Chinese tourists stranded on the island of Bali after Indonesian government halted all trips to China, the local Chinese consulate said.

Evacuation flights are continuing from Wuhan on Wednesday. A flight carrying New Zealanders from Wuhan will land in Auckland on Wednesday evening.

The passengers include 98 people from New Zealand, 35 from Australia, and others from Pacific nations including Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Samoa.