Summary:
- 7,921 confirmed cases worldwide, 170 fatalities
- South Korea confirms first human-to-human transmission
- China reported largest one-day jump in fatalities on Wednesday with
- Hong Kong warns of surgical mask shortage
- Russia closes border
- 6,000 quarantined aboard Italian cruise ship
- Thailand leads with most cases outside China (14)
- Chinese national hospitalized and quarantined in York
Update (0816ET): Hubei has reported 317 new cases as of noon Thursday localtime, according to local Party Secretary Jiang Chaoliang. Hubei is the province at the epicenter of the outbreak: the virus orginated in the province’s capital, Wuhan. The most recent count put the number of confirmed cases at 7,921 and the death toll steady at 170.
Hong Kong is reportedly struggling with a shortage of face masks. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said the government had bought 13 million masks, but public hospitals have been using 5x to 6x as many as normal. Hong Kong is stepping up local production at correctional facilities to keep up with demand, and another 24 million should be available at retail outlets soon.
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