Wuhan travel ban ends, virus deaths jump in US, UK
Wuhan began allowing people to leave on Wednesday for the first time since the central Chinese city was sealed off 76 days ago to contain the coronavirus that first emerged there late last year.
Roughly 65,000 had left within hours of the restrictions being lifted.But as China’s outbreak eases, the pandemic is deepening in other parts of the world.
In the United States, the number of confirmed cases is now nearing 400,000, with the country recording its biggest daily jump in deaths since the outbreak began.
The United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in intensive care with the disease, also reported its biggest daily rise in deaths.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has threatened to put a “hold” on funds for the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the organisation of bias towards China and performing badly in the coronavirus pandemic.
The US is the WHO’s biggest source of funds.
Globally, the number of people diagnosed with the virus now exceeds 1.4 million. More than 82,000 people have died while more than 300,000 have recovered according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
AL JAZEERA
