Coronavirus: WHO worried about cases with no link to China – latest updates
The World Health Organization has raised concerns about cases where there has been no contact with someone known to be infected nor travel to China
A repatriation flight carrying 32 British and European evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship has landed in the UK, PA Media reports.
The plane, which also carried British government and medical staff, touched down at Ministry of Defence base Boscombe Down in Wiltshire shortly after 11.30am.
We have brought 32 British and European citizens safely home from Japan. The FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] worked hard to get them back to the UK securely. Our number one priority has consistently been the health and safety of UK nationals.
Young-mi Lee (not her real name) is a member of the church at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. More than half of cases in the country are linked to a 61-year-old woman known as “patient 31” who attended religious services of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an abbreviation of “New Heaven and New Earth”, a fast-growing secretive fringe sect that mainstream Christian groups describe as a cult. Young-mi said:
I didn’t attend the Daegu service this time but I have attended mass services before in Daegu. It is near Cheongdo, the birthplace of the founder of our religion so we often hold mass services in Daegu. When I attend a service in Daegu, there are several hundred in attendance. It is very busy. I haven’t been tested yet and I don’t know who has been tested but we’re all very worried about the virus and about the negative impact this situation is having on our religion.
I heard that the church headquarters gave the list of attendees to the authorities. I’m taking all the precautions that other Koreans are taking, such as wearing a mask and washing hands. The church leaders have told us that this is a test by the devil as he is jealous of the expansion of our church and I believe that is the case. I hope that this situation will make our church stronger. We get persecuted by other people as it, is so this situation is even tougher for us. I don’t know anyone who is ill and I believe those who are ill will become well very soon.
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