Coronavirus cases rise again in China as recession looms for Japan, Singapore

Across mainland China, officials said the total number of cases rose by 2,048 to 70,548, with 1,770 deaths.

Chinese health officials on Sunday said two days of falls in the number of new confirmed cases showed their efforts to halt the spread of the virus were bearing fruit, although international experts say it is too early to say the epidemic has peaked. Of the 70,000-plus cases in mainland China, 10,844 people have been treated and released from hospital.

Outside China, more than 500 cases have been confirmed, mostly of people who traveled from Chinese cities, with five deaths.

Restrictions were tightened further in Hubei on Sunday with vehicles, apart from essential services, banned from the roads and companies told to stay shut until further notice.

Across China many factories remain closed following the extended Lunar New Year holiday, disrupting supply chains around the world.

Ratings agency Moody’s revised downward GDP growth forecasts for China to 5.2% in 2020. That compares with the 5.7% growth China would need this year to meet its long-term goal of doubling GDP over the decade to 2020, according to a government economist.