As the death toll due to COVID-19 reached 1,775 and the positive cases climbed to 71,811 on February 16, 2020, China has decided to disinfect and destroy currency as a precautionary measure.
China's Central Bank has devised a new strategy of deep cleaning and destroying potentially infected cash as the WHO has said that the virus can survive on surfaces for several hours. The banks will disinfect the money with Ulraviolet light and high temperatures, later storing it for 7 to 14 days. Cash that comes from high-risk infection areas, like hospitals and wet markets, will be "specially treated" and sent back to the central bank instead of being recirculated. These high-risk banknotes may be destroyed instead of merely disinfected in the Guangzhou branch.
The bank will circulate new cash to balance the ones being destroyed. In January, Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, received 4 billion yuan ($573 million) in new banknotes.
Here are the latest updates with regards to the virus:
Global Developments
Vital Stats
The virus has so far claimed 1775 lives, 1770 from mainland China, and one each from France, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, and Taiwan. The death in France is the first one outside Asia.
The total number of confirmed cases for the Coronavirus have risen to more than 71,800 spread across 28 countries. Egypt reported its first case on Friday, February 14, making it the first African nation to report a case of Coronavirus.
Over 11,331 people have recovered, according to a real time data monitor by John Hopkins University. The recovered cases have been kept under observation and are treated with a variety of medicines by various doctors.
Developments in China
Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is sending equipment and medicines to Wuhan and China.
Beijing has issued a mandatory 14 day quarantine to every traveller flying into the capital.
China is using ancient traditional medicine for tackling COVID-19 according to Strait Times
Other developments
After disembarking from the Westerdam cruise in Cambodia, a US national flew to Malaysia and tested positive for COVID-19.
The toll of confirmed cases on board The Diamond Princess, a cruise liner is now 454. Along with this, the US and the Australian governmens have evacuated 300 and 200 nationals from the cruise and is going to quarantine them after they reach the countries.
The testing kits that the US Centre for Diseases and Control developed were found to be faulty.
The rising fear of Coronavirus has led to the depletion of resources. In Hong Kong, an armed gang stole wads of toilet paper from a store.
Coronavirus in India
The Diamond Princess in Tokyo reported two more people of Indian origin tested positive for the COVID-19, taking the toll to five positive cases.
India is sending relief material to China and has asked Indian residents to contact them and board this special plane if they would wish to return to the country.
Read our previous monitor here.
Misinformation around Coronavirus
The misinformation surrounding Coronavirus is increasing daily.
Also Read: Was A Case Of Novel Coronavirus Identified In Bihar?
BOOM has been actively debunking misinformation surrounding the virus.