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EDM Monday Briefing: Mystery Coronavirus Cases Rise, Spread to Other Cities, Countries

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coronavirus Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for Monday, January 20: Two police officers were shot and killed in Honolulu responding to a call; China reports 136 new cases of its mystery coronavirus; new technology helped to rapidly identify the new coronavirus in China; a suspect is on the loose after opening fire and killing two people during a concert in San Antonio; a state of emergency declaration in Richmond prompted heightened security ahead of Monday’s gun rally; a man is dead after shooting into a line of people waiting to enter a bar in Kansas City; and strong storms help tame wildfires in Australia but heavy rains and hail wreak havoc across several states in the nation.

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1) Two police officers are dead in Honolulu, Hawaii, after being shot by a man facing eviction from the home he was renting. Officers were responding to a call about a stabbing. Upon the officers’ arrival at the home, the man opened fire on them, fatally wounding two officers. The man then set fire to the home, and the blaze quickly spread, destroying seven houses and damaging several other homes. The suspect, identified as Jerry Hanel, 69, who allegedly had a history of erratic behavior, is believed to have perished in the fire that he set.

2) The mystery coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has now spread to Beijing, with three confirmed cases — one in Guangdong and the other in Shenzhen. The Chinese government has confirmed a total of 139 new cases of pneumonia, including a third death, caused by the new coronavirus strain. About 136 of those cases were in the city of Wuhan. The disease is believed to be in the same family as the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). A coronavirus pandemic swept through Asia in 2002-2003, infecting more than 8,000 and killing at least 774 people.

3) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring the outbreak of the new mystery coronavirus that originated in central China, in the city of Wuhan. The coronavirus — which has now spread to China’s Beijing and the nations of Japan, South Korea, and Thailand — was rapidly identified due to new and emerging technology that was not available during the SARS outbreak. According to reports, health officials also believe that the disease was an animal-to-human spread, as many of the patients had contact with a live animal market.

4) Two people were killed and five others were injured after a suspect opened fire inside a club during a concert in Texas. The shooting occurred at the Ventura club — a music venue along San Antonio’s famed River Walk — after an argument broke out between a group of individuals. Officers stated that one person, a male, was dead at the scene. Six others were transported to a local hospital, where another person died shortly after arrival.

5) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a total of 39 children have died from the flu since September 2019. Seven of those died just in the last week, and children and teens are particularly susceptible to influenza B, the most common type of the flu. According to reports, influenza B causes severe complications in some cases, which can lead to death, especially in children and teenagers.

6) A state of emergency was declared by Virginia’s governor days before a gun rally was to take place in Richmond, Virginia, prompting heightened security measures. The city is expecting thousands to demonstrate on Monday and demand Democrats drop their bid for comprehensive gun control in the commonwealth. The city has also closed roads and banned firearms at the Capitol and on the grounds surrounding the building. Outside the temporary security fencing, reports indicate that thousands of armed protesters are peacefully mingling, many touting signs and stickers that say, “Guns Save Lives.”

7) A shooting outside a bar in Kansas City, Missouri, claimed the lives of two people and injured more than a dozen on Sunday. After an unidentified suspect opened fire into a line of people waiting to enter the 9ine Ultra Lounge just before midnight, an armed security guard stopped the shooter. According to police, the security guard’s action likely prevented further deaths. Police are unsure of what caused the shooting incident, which injured at least 15 people, three of whom were listed in critical condition at nearby hospitals.

8) Strong storms pounded the Australian cities of Melbourne and Canberra as flash flooding inundated roadways and hail the size of golf balls wreaked havoc across the area. The large hail smashed office windows and car windshields. Heavy rainfall led to flooding in the states of Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), and Queensbury, bringing some relief to areas ravaged by recent wildfires. The storms also produced strong winds that, due to ongoing severe drought conditions in some locations, created dust clouds that darkened the sky in central-west NSW.

 

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