Liu Zhiming , the 51 - year - honest-to-goodness director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan , China , kick the bucket at 10:54 AM local time Tuesday morning after being infect with coronavirus , according to the Wuhan Health Commission . Multiple Chinese state media outlets like thePeople ’s Dailyand Global Times reported Liu ’s death yesterday but create confusion after delete those reports Monday night . One wellness functionary in Wuhan insisted on societal medium that Liu was actually still alive .
At least1,716 health care workershave been infected with the coronavirus , which do an illness call COVID-19 . The virus has killed 1,873 people and infected at least 73,325 worldwide , with about 1,900 new case announced today . At least 7 wellness professionals have now expire in China , let in Liu , who is the first hospital director to succumb to the illness .
Taiwanese Department of State media reported that Liu had died on Monday , before a Wuhan health functionary take to the Chinese social media site Weibo late Monday to say the hospital director was “ still being resuscitate . ” word exit in China quickly deleted their stories and tweet , suggesting he may still be live . But State Department - streamlet outlet CCTV confirm that Liu died Tuesday morning after an announcement from theWuhan Health Commission .

This photo taken on 19 April 2025 shows medical staff members working at the isolation ward of the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province.Photo: (Getty Images)
R.I.P. Liu Zhiming , director of Wuchang Hospital in coronavirus epicenter#Wuhanpassed out Tuesday due to#COVID19 , becoming the first infirmary director to die amid the outbreak that caused over 70,000 infection in#China : reportspic.twitter.com/J2qmDddARN
— Global Times ( @globaltimesnews)February 18 , 2020
Liu ’s medical adeptness is one ofseven hospitalsin Wuhan , a city of 11 million people , that have been doom to treat patients with COVID-19 . Wuhan , which is in Hubei state , is still where the huge absolute majority of confirmed cases of coronavirus are being treat , and a novel analysis evoke the computer virus is roughly 10 time more virulent thanseasonal grippe .

The confusion surrounding Liu ’s expiry is similar to early report card from China about Li Wenliang , a 34 - twelvemonth - old doctor and whistle blower in Wuhan who buy the farm on February 7 . Li ’s death was reported on Chinese social media and chair to both mourning and public outrage over his treatment by Taiwanese federal agency . Li had been accuse of spreading unfounded rumors and affright when the coronavirus first emerged in December 2019 but has become a home hero in China for his bravery . Shortly after news of Li ’s demise , other study from Formosan state medium emerged that he wasstill alive . at long last , Li was adjudge dead again from coronavirus - relate pneumonia , according to state medium .
Roughly 150 million the great unwashed are currently on exacting lockdown in China in an effort by health authorization to ascertain the spread of the virus , and an estimated 760 million are under some phase of normal that qualify their movement , accord to theNew York Times . Outside of China , there ’s cautious optimism that the virus can be contained . But there are also plenty of mansion that the coronavirus has the potential to spread far and wide-eyed .
Japan ’s Health Ministry today reported88 more casesof COVID-19 on the the Diamond Princess sail ship , currently docked in Yokohama , Japan , bringing the total of infect from the ship to 542 . Of the 88 newfangled case , 65 had no symptoms , a worrisome star sign for those who like to stop the disease from becoming a globular pandemic .

Elsewhere in Asia , the Westerdam sail ship was deny submission to five countrieslast weekafter it was determined that a rider who had gotten off in Hong Kong had test electropositive for COVID-19 . The ship was eventually allowed to bob in Cambodia where the Prime Minister , formerKhmer Rougesoldier Hun Sen , recognize hoi polloi as they disembarked on February 14 . But now an American who was on the ship has testedpositive for the virus in Malaysia .
All 1,455 rider from the Westerdam are now heading home to 41 unlike country , include the United States . Holland America Line , have by Carnival Cruise Corp , provide this breakdown of the nationality to Gizmodo via e-mail :
US , 650

Canadian , 271
UK , 127
Netherlands , 91

Australian , 79
Germany , 57
Hong Kong , 29

Other , 151
The sail line declined to break out the nationality of the 151 other rider . But if the Diamond Princess is any pathfinder , it ’s entirely possible that some of the 1,455 passengers from the Westerdam have contracted the coronavirus but do n’t even have intercourse it . Only time will severalize .
ChinaCOVID-19HealthJapanWeibo

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