Get caught up: Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak

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A pedestrian wears a surgical mask as he checks his phone while walking along London's Regent Street in central London on Jan. 25. European airports from London to Moscow stepped up checks Wednesday on flights from the Chinese city at the heart of the coronavirus that has killed 41 people and spread to the United States.
A pedestrian wears a surgical mask as he checks his phone while walking along London’s Regent Street in central London on Jan. 25. European airports from London to Moscow stepped up checks Wednesday on flights from the Chinese city at the heart of the coronavirus that has killed 41 people and spread to the United States. NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP via Getty Images

The Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread around the world having already killed dozens of people and infecting hundreds in China.

In the US, the first cases of coronavirus were confirmed this week; a man in his 30s who is under observation in Washington state and a Chicago woman in her 60s.

Get caught up on the latest developments below:

  • Outbreak is accelerating in China: Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting with top officials of the ruling Communist Party on the prevention and control of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, China’s state media reported Saturday. During the meeting, Xi pointed out that in facing the grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic of the deadly new coronavirus, it is necessary to strengthen the centralized leadership of the Party Central Committee.
  • Number of confirmed cases rise: Confirmed cases of coronavirus in China and around the world now stand at more than 1,400 globally. China has already restricted travel for more than 30 million people, a move considered unprecedented. Medical facilities are struggling in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, as authorities race to build a new hospital dedicated to treat those affected.
  • CDC gets involved: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is involved in a coordinated US government effort to help US citizens leave Wuhan. “Department of State has the lead for the safe and expedient ordered departure of all US citizens from Wuhan, China. CDC is aware and coordinating in the planning,” CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund told CNN.
  • Trump thanks Xi: President Trump tweeted his thanks to Xi and China’s efforts to contain the Wuhan coronavirus. A second case of Wuhan coronavirus in the United States was identified in Chicago, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday in a news briefing.
  • Events cancelled: A marathon that was due to take place in Hong Kong in a couple of weeks has been canceled by its organizers amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers’ said. The event’s 70,000 participants will get refunds. This comes as Hong Kong raised its response level to the virus to “emergency,” and the city’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said all large-scale events, including the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, will be canceled.

CNN’s Holly Yan contributed to this report.

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