Health News Roundup: Venezuela confirms coronavirus cases; China's imported coronavirus cases rise and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China's imported coronavirus cases rise as local infections drop again

The number of new coronavirus cases imported into mainland China from overseas surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the first time on Friday, according to data released by the National Health Commission. Mainland China had 11 new confirmed cases on Friday, up from eight cases a day earlier, but only four of those - all in the virus epicenter of Hubei province - were locally transmitted, according to the data released on Saturday.

UK to ban mass gatherings from next week to curb coronavirus

The British government will ban mass gatherings from next week in an attempt to curb the coronavirus outbreak, an escalation of its crisis plan that critics had said was too relaxed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has so far resisted pressure to take some of the stringent measures adopted by other European countries to slow the spread of the virus.

Philippine capital plans curfew as coronavirus deaths, infection tally spike

Manila announced nighttime curfews on Saturday and urged shopping malls to close for one month, in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, as the Philippines reported its eighth death and the largest single-day increase in confirmed cases. The Philippines' health department on Saturday confirmed three new fatalities, including a patient in the southern Philippines, bringing the total number of deaths to eight. It also reported 34 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 98.

Venezuela confirms coronavirus cases amid public health concerns

Venezuela on Friday confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus amid concerns that the economically struggling South American nation is unprepared to confront a pandemic that is spreading rapidly around the globe. "We are declaring a state of alarm," President Nicolas Maduro said in a televised appearance Friday night, urging Venezuelans to take precautionary measures and asking those over 65 to stay inside.

Like the flu? Trump's coronavirus messaging confuses public, pandemic researchers say

The coronavirus is not as bad as the seasonal flu. President Donald Trump is not worried about having had direct exposure to the virus. The United States is in far better shape than other countries. Those are some of the messages from Trump to the American public in recent days Indonesia capital shuts schools as coronavirus cases spread

Indonesia's capital city will close all schools and order remote teaching for at least two weeks to curb the spread of coronavirus, Jakarta's governor said on Saturday, as the first cases were also reported in other parts of the archipelago. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, reported 27 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total confirmed infections to 96, Achmad Yurianto, a health ministry official said.

World closes borders, restricts travel to contain coronavirus spread

Countries around the world on Saturday continued to close borders, impose strict entry and quarantine requirements and restrict large gatherings in efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Apple Inc said it will close all its retail stores worldwide, outside Greater China, until March 27. Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday as the spread of the virus on mainland China slowed dramatically.

As coronavirus chaos spreads globally, Trump declares U.S. emergency

President Donald Trump declared a U.S. national emergency over the quickly spreading coronavirus on Friday, opening the door to more government aid to combat a pathogen that has infected more than 138,000 people worldwide and left over 5,000 dead. The impact of the coronavirus on everyday life deepened around the world. It was detected for the first time in several countries, with the World Health Organization (WHO) calling Europe the pandemic's current epicenter. More schools and businesses closed, the global sporting calendar was left in tatters, and people faced greater restrictions on where they could go.

Malaysia reports 41 new cases of coronavirus, most linked to religious event

Malaysia reported 41 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, most linked to a religious event on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur that was attended by about 10,000 people from several countries. The new cases bring the total number of infected people in the Southeast Asian country to 238, the health ministry said in a statement.

Congo health authorities stumble with first coronavirus case confusion

When Congo announced its first coronavirus case, all the details from the health ministry about the patient were wrong, drawing a rebuke from the president and highlighting the challenges the huge African country will face if the virus spreads. Concerns about Africa's ability to cope with an outbreak which has spread across on the continent are magnified in a country like Democratic Republic of Congo, where a creaking health system, a deficit of trust in public institutions, decades of poor governance, corruption and conflict can offer fertile ground for rumor and speculation.