Chinese doctor reprimanded for warning of a “SARS-like” coronavirus before it was officially recognised died of the illness on Friday, triggering anger at the government.

The death of Li Wenliang, 34, came as President Xi Jinping reassured the United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) of transparency and maximum effort to combat the virus.

Beijing’s communist leadership has sealed off cities, cancelled flights and closed factories to limit an epidemic roiling the world’s second biggest economy to the alarm of global markets and businesses dependent on Chinese supply lines.

The epicentre region of Hubei is in lockdown and the capital Beijing resembles a ghost town.

Deaths in mainland China reached 637 on Friday, with a total of 31,211 cases, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva, warning of a worldwide shortage of gowns, masks and other protective equipment.

“For the last two days there had been fewer reported infections in China, which is good news, but we caution against reading too much into that,” he told the WHO Executive Board.

“The numbers could go up again.”
Virus concerns swiped world markets on Friday, but failed to stand in the way of the best week for stocks since June and the strongest for the dollar since August.

Source:- Reuters