A shutdown of public gatherings and a quarantine of the hardest-hit central region has steadied China’s caseload as the virus spreads rapidly elsewhere. There are signs that the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea is slowing down, but officials are still scrambling to prevent infections from exploding again. South Korea today reported 74 more cases over the past 24 hours, a day after it announced 76 new cases. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Se Kyun said the country’s decline in virus cases was a “hopeful sign” but urged caution over widening outbreaks across Europe and the United States. Chung said South Korea should “never loosen its guard.”-AP

Source: The Standard March 16, 2020 05:53 UTC