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Monday, February 17, 2020, 23:37
'99 more infected' on cruise ship in Japan, Thailand sees new case
By Reuters
Monday, February 17, 2020, 23:37 By Reuters

A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks past a stock indicator displaying share prices of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Feb 3, 2020. (BEHROUZ MHRI / AFP)

TOKYO/BANGKOK - An additional 99 people on a quarantined cruise ship off Yokohama have been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, Japanese media reported on Monday.

Japan canceled the emperor’s birthday celebrations next week as it moved on Monday to limit crowds, and said it will close the Tokyo Marathon to all but elite professional runners

Facing a possible epidemic fallout, Japan canceled the emperor’s birthday celebrations next week as it moved on Monday to limit crowds, and said it will close the Tokyo Marathon to all but elite professional runners.

Citing “circumstances”, the Imperial Household Agency said it would cancel Emperor Naruhito’s public birthday address on Feb. 23, his first since his coronation last year. The event regularly attracts tens of thousands of people to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace in the heart of Tokyo.

Organizers of the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world’s biggest such races, said the 38,000 general participants who signed up for the March 1 race will not be allowed to compete.

Instead, the event will be limited to top-level competitors. A total of 176 elite runners and 30 elite wheelchair athletes are registered for the race.

The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 postponed a qualifying basketball game between Japan and China, originally scheduled to be held near Tokyo this week.

Shares of some of the marathon's sponsors fell. Seiko Holdings, the maker of watches and clocks, slid 3.5%, as did shoe and sportswear maker ASICS Corp. The broader Tokyo market was little changed.

The novel coronavirus outbreak, which began in China in December, is damaging output and tourism in Japan, which is preparing to host the Olympic Games from late July.

A woman wearing a face mask walks in front of an advertisement board featuring attractions in Thailand, in Bangkok, Feb 17, 2020. (MLADEN ANTONOV / AFP)

After reported its first fatality from the disease, a further spread out of the virus could undermine growth and potentially push the country into recession, analysts say.

The new case in Thailand, a 60-year-old Chinese woman whose family members earlier contracted the virus, takes the total number of cases in Thailand to 35 since January, a health official said

New case in Thailand

In Thailand, the new case involves a 60-year-old Chinese woman whose family members earlier contracted the virus. 

The new case takes the total number of cases in Thailand to 35 since January, Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the health ministry’s permanent secretary said at a news conference.

ALSO READ: Thailand confirms 6 new virus cases, including 4 Thais

“This is the from an old case of a Chinese family of nine, all of them have now been infected,” he said.

Fifteen of the infected people in Thailand have recovered and returned home, while 20 are still being treated in hospital.

READ MORE: Thailand refuses entry to cruise ship with no coronavirus cases

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland reached 70,548 by the end of Sunday, and 1,770 people had died of the disease.

Japan and Singapore have two of the highest numbers of reported cases outside China.

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