January 27 coronavirus news

By Helen Regan, Steve George, Sheena McKenzie and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 9:48 PM ET, Mon January 27, 2020

What we're covering here

Rising toll: 82 people are dead and more than 2,700 cases have been confirmed in mainland China, as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world.
China on lockdown: Nearly 60 million people have been affected by partial or full lockdowns in Chinese cities as the country's government steps up its response.
Global spread: There are more than 50 confirmed cases in 13 places outside of mainland China, including at least five in the United States.
Contagious before symptoms: People can spread the virus before symptoms show, China's health minister said Sunday, complicating efforts to contain the outbreak.

9:27 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Our live coverage of Sunday's coronavirus outbreak has ended, but you can read more about the ongoing crisis here.

8:33 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Facebook restricts employee travel to China

From CNN's Donie O’Sullivan

Facebook has restricted non-essential employee travel to China and has asked its China-based employees to work from home, a Facebook source confirmed to CNN Monday.

The move comes amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, the source added.

The California-based company is also asking employees who have recently returned from China to work from home, according to the source.

9:19 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

China says it is 'sparing no effort' to curb the virus

From CNN's Richard Roth

Medical workers in protective gear talk with a woman suspected of being ill at a community health station in Wuhan, China, on Monday, January 27. Chinatopix/AP

China praised its own efforts to control the Wuhan coronavirus in a meeting with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday, saying the country has “full capability and confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic.”

“Putting the interests of the people first, China has taken rapid and strong measures, putting in place a nation-wide prevention and control mechanism,” said Zhang Jun, Chinese Ambassador to the UN.

“China has been working with the international community in the spirit of openness, transparency and scientific coordination. With a great sense of responsibility, China is sparing no effort in curbing the spread of disease and saving lives. Now is a crucial moment, and China has full capability and confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic.”

8:26 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Delta Airlines waives change fees for China flights through February amid coronavirus outbreak

From CNN’s Dave Alsup

Delta airlines has extended its travel waiver until Feb. 29 in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China, according to a travel advisory posted on Delta.com.

The waiver allows travelers to make "a one-time change to their itinerary without incurring a change fee."

The airline had previously issued the waiver for flyers through January 31st.

8:04 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Hong Kong closes public sports centers, libraries and museums due to coronavirus

From CNN’s Pauline Lockwood

The Hong Kong government announced Tuesday morning that all public cultural and leisure facilities will be closed "until further notice" in a bid to control the spread of Wuhan coronavirus.

Some of the facilities affected include sports centers, swimming pools, beaches, museums, performance venues and public libraries.

Earlier, the government announced that all classes in primary and secondary schools will be suspended until February 17 as a precautionary measure.

7:57 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Germany confirms first Wuhan coronavirus case

From CNN’s Alla Eshchenko and Leona Siaw

Germany has reported its first case of Wuhan coronavirus, according to a statement released by the Bavarian Ministry of Health in Munich late Monday.

A man from the district of Starnberg contracted the virus, the statement read.

The patient is being monitored medically and has been isolated, according to the State Office for Health and Food Safety. The patient is also "clinically in good condition."

The Bavarian Ministry of Health considers the risk of infection for the people of Bavaria currently as low.

7:49 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

Chinese city of Tangshan suspends public transportation

From CNN’s Pauline Lockwood, Eric Cheung in Hong Kong and Steven Jiang in Beijing

The northern Chinese city of Tangshan announced Tuesday morning that it will suspend all local public transportation services, to curb the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

The government statement said the decision was made to "avoid cross-infections caused by the gathering of crowds."

Tangshan, in Hebei province, has a population of over 7.5 million people, according to the municipal government. Hebei has reported 18 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including one death, but none in Tangshan so far.

7:47 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

FDA working with government agencies to speed up development to fight coronavirus

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

The US Food and Drug Administration is working with other government agencies to encourage the development of medical products that may diagnose, treat or fight the virus.

There is no vaccine, treatment or commercially available product to even test for the virus.

The FDA created a page on its website to keep the public up-to-date about any products in development in relation to the Wuhan coronavirus. It also put a call out to diagnostic test sponsors that may want to use the Emergency Use Authorization to get a product that could test for the virus into the market. The FDA is also working with public health agencies to share the reference materials that companies may need to create a test.

We are actively leveraging the vast breadth of the FDA's expertise and have begun employing the full range of our public health authorities to facilitate the development and availability of investigational medical products to help address this urgent public health situation," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn.

6:56 p.m. ET, January 27, 2020

CDC raises China travel precautions to highest level

From CNN’s Ben Tinker

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its travel precautions for China on Monday to its highest of three levels: "Warning."

This means travelers are advised to “avoid nonessential travel” to the country.

Previously, only Hubei province carried the Level 3 warning. The rest of China had been listed as Level 2 as of Sunday, and was at Level 1 prior to that.

The CDC’s new travel precautions shortly followed the US State Department raising its own travel advisory for most of China to "Level 3: Reconsider Travel,” with Hubei Province rated “Level 4: Do not travel."

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