February 29 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, Steve George and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 0204 GMT (1004 HKT) March 1, 2020
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9:01 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak has moved here.

8:46 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Mexico reports fourth coronavirus case

From CNN’s Leyla Santiago and Fidel Gutierrez

A 20-year-old who recently traveled to Italy has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Mexico -- bringing the national total to four cases, said Coahuila Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme on Saturday. 

The Mexican foreign ministry added that it had not received official word from Washington regarding possible transit restrictions over the US-Mexico border.

“The Secretary of Health implements mitigation measures, in accordance with those recommended by WHO and similar to those of countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, staying alert at points of entry into the country, in order to inform and assist people who manifest symptoms related to COVID-19 and come from countries with local community transmission of this new disease," the ministry said.
8:34 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Hong Kong confirms 95th coronavirus case

From Anna Kam in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has confirmed one more case of the novel coronavirus, bringing the city-wide total to 95, according to a government statement. 

The case is associated with the Fook Wai Ching Buddhist temple cluster, the statement said. Numerous cases in the city have been linked to the temple.

The latest case is a 46-year-old woman, who is being treated in hospital. She is related to the 92nd confirmed case, and her family members are under quarantine. 

Among the 95 total confirmed cases, 60 remain in hospital. Another 33 have been discharged, and two patients have died. 

8:05 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Northern California county reports fourth case of coronavirus

From CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht

A fourth case of novel coronavirus was reported in Santa Clara County, California, according to the county's Public Health Department.

The case involves an adult woman who was in contact with another coronavirus patient in the county, the department said in statement on Saturday. She is not ill or hospitalized and is isolated at home, the statement said.

More on this: This means there are 70 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus in the United States. A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health lab and is pending confirmation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These include 44 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and three people repatriated from China, according to the CDC.

With the new Santa Clara County case, there are 23 US cases in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington state and Wisconsin. Thirteen of these cases are travel-related and 10 are linked to person-to-person spread. Cases are cumulative from January 21.

6:29 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Brazil announces second case of coronavirus

From CNN’s Taylor Barnes

Brazil’s health ministry announced the country’s second confirmed case of the novel coronavirus on Saturday.

The patient had been in Italy and traveled from Milan to Sao Paulo on Feb. 27, according to the ministry, which added that “there are no elements that indicate that the virus has circulated in the country.”

6:07 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

Ireland reports first case of coronavirus

From CNN’s Taylor Barnes

A man in the eastern part of Ireland has contracted coronavirus, according to a statement from Ireland's National Public Health Emergency Team, Saturday.

The case is associated with travel from an affected area in Northern Italy.

5:46 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

There are 69 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of coronavirus in the US, CDC says

From CNN’s Michael Nedelman

There are now 69 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, according to an update Saturday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These include 44 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, three people repatriated from China and 22 US cases, according to CDC.

A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health lab and is pending confirmation from CDC.

The 22 US cases are in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. Thirteen of these cases are travel-related and nine are linked to person-to-person spread, according to the CDC. Cases are cumulative from January 21 through Saturday.

5:13 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

You're unlikely to get coronavirus twice, US health officials say

From CNN’s Michael Nedelman

US health officials told reporters Saturday that reinfection with the novel coronavirus is unlikely.

"We have not seen any sign yet of the phenomenon" of reinfection, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Messonnier suggested any reports suggesting otherwise may be indicative of doctors and scientists jumping the gun, skirting around proper scientific review.

"It is really important for the global community to get access to scientific information as quickly as possible and in real time," she said. " But in the rush to push out information quickly, there have been some instances already where there hasn't been appropriate scientific review of some of the data that's coming out. And that is an essential part of any investigation."

She said the CDC has been following US cases closely, including "whether or not they continue to harbor the virus in their nose and throat." Thus far, reinfection is "not something that we're seeing here, and it has not changed our clinical practice," she said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made similar comments earlier Saturday at a White House briefing.

"There's no indication that that's going on at all. If this virus acts like other viruses — which I have no reason to believe it won't — once you've gotten infected and recovered, you're not going to get infected with the same virus," Fauci said.

5:07 p.m. ET, February 29, 2020

CDC director tweets that agency "erroneously identified" Washington coronavirus patient who died

From CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tweeted that the agency gave incorrect information about the Washington coronavirus patient who died to President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday.

“CDC erroneously identified the patient as a female in a briefing earlier today with the President and Vice President,” Redfield tweeted from the verified Twitter account @CDCDirector.

The patient who died was a man in his 50s in Washington state. This was the first death from the novel coronavirus in the United States.

Trump and other officials, including Redfield, identified the patient as a woman in her 50s during a press briefing on Saturday. A Seattle and King County health official later said the patient was a man.