Coronavirus: China reports drop in new cases for third straight day

The figures emerged after an elderly tourist in France became the first person to die from the virus in Europe.

China has reported a drop in new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row, as it became clear the country's leadership was aware of the outbreak's potential before the dangers were made public.

There were 2,009 new cases in mainland China on Saturday, bringing its total to 68,500, according to the country's National Health Commission.
The figures have emerged after a 80-year-old Chinese tourist in Paris became the first person to die from the virus in Europe.

The number of dead in mainland China from COVID-19, the medical name for the acute respiratory disease caused by the virus, stands at 1,665.

China's fall in new cases follows a spike of more than 15,000 on Thursday, when the central province of Hubei adopted a new diagnostic method that includes clinical diagnoses in its official account.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had played a muted role in the early days of the epidemic, which has been one of the biggest political challenges of his tenure.
But state media published a speech on Saturday which Mr Xi delivered on 3 February, during which the Chinese president said he gave instructions on the fighting the virus as early as 7 January.

The disclosure indicates top leaders knew about the outbreak's potential severity weeks before such dangers were made known to the public.

It was not until late January that officials said the virus can spread between humans and public alarm began to rise.

In his speech, the Chinese president also revealed that he ordered a lockdown of the virus epicentre of Wuhan in the Hubei province: "On January 22, in light of the epidemic's rapid spread and the challenges of prevention and control, I made a clear request that Hubei province implement comprehensive and stringent controls over the outflow of people."

French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn confirmed the confirmed the first fatality from the infection in Europe on Saturday.

The man, who was from the Chinese province of Hubei, had been receiving treatment in a French hospital since 25 January.

He had been kept in isolation while receiving treatment, but his condition is said to have deteriorated rapidly.

He had arrived in France on 16 January.

His daughter was also treated for coronavirus in the same hospital, but has now recovered according to authorities.