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Coronavirus live updates: China reports 109 more deaths as total cases cross 76,000

A local resident and member of the neighborhood committee stands at the gate to control entry and exit from a residential area on February 21, 2020 in Beijing, China.

Kevin Frayer | Getty Images

This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.

All times below are in Beijing time.

1:57 pm: Australia says high school students can apply for exemptions from travel restrictions

The Australian government said high school students in their final two years of study can apply for exemptions from the country’s coronavirus travel restrictions. It said, however, these exemptions will be made on a “case-by-case basis does not apply to anyone from Hubei province.”

Australia said these exemptions will be made in recognition of “strict school attendance requirements under state and territory regulations, which if not met would prevent [the students] from completing their senior secondary qualifications.”

The government said there are about 760 students already enrolled in Australian schools who have not been able to enter the country because of the coronavirus travel restrictions.

Students who are granted exemptions would still be subject to the enhanced border screening measures for Australian citizens and residents returning from China. The government noted, however, that violating quarantine arrangements after returning to Australia could make their visas subject to cancellation. —Wang

12:55 pm: China’s central bank to release more liquidity to support economy amid outbreak

Reuters reported, citing comments Vice Governor Liu Quoqiang made to the Financial News, that the People’s Bank of China will keep supporting the economy through measures releasing more liquidity to help companies impacted by the outbreak. The news agency reported, however, that Liu said the central bank will not resort to “flood-like” stimulus. —Wang

11:16 am: Volunteer training for Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics postponed

Organizers for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics have postponed volunteer training that was scheduled to begin Saturday, citing efforts to limit the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19. In an online statement, organizers said the training sessions will be postponed until May or later. —Wang

10:47 am: Second flight of Hong Kong residents evacuated from cruise ship returns to city

The Hong Kong government said its second flight returning residents from the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived early Saturday. It said the flight included 82 Hong Kong residents and two Macao residents.

The people will be transferred to a quarantine center where they will be under observation for 14 days, the city said.

As of Friday, the government said 66 of the 634 confirmed coronavirus cases stemming from the cruise ship were Hong Kong residents. Those people are receiving treatment in Japan, Hong Kong said. —Wang

9:22 am: China reports 109 additional deaths

China’s National Health Commission reported an additional 109 deaths, almost all in Hubei province. That brings the country’s death toll to 2,345 people, according to government data.

As of the end of Friday, the new coronavirus has infected another 397 people with China’s total confirmed cases at 76,288, the commission said.

China also revised its figures for Wednesday and Thursday. For Feb. 19, it said newly confirmed cases were revised from 394 up to 820. As of Feb. 20, the commission said there were 75,891 cumulative confirmed cases, up from 75,465. —Christine Wang and Evelyn Cheng

9:09 am: South Korea’s numbers spike again, now nearly 350 cases

South Korea confirmed another 142 news cases as of Feb. 22, 9:00 a.m. local time, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That brings the total number of cases in the country to 346, making it the largest number of infections outside China.

The agency also said that another person has died, bringing the death toll in South Korea to two. —Joanna Tan

Correction: This entry was updated to reflect that two people have died from the new coronavirus in South Korea.

All times below are in Eastern time.

6:07 pm: DuPont ramps up safety suit production as coronavirus causes shortages in China

Thousands of DuPont employees are working around the clock to increase production of protective garments that are in high demand by first responders and medical workers in high-impact regions like Wuhan, China. The protective suits are used by health professionals during the outbreaks to reduce the risk of infection. Reports from China show workers running low on safety supplies including garments and masks. —Mody and Manning

5:28 pm: Trip.com reschedules earnings

Online travel booking company Trip.com is pushing back its fourth-quarter earnings report from Feb. 26 to March 18 to tally the impact of the outbreak on its ticketing and tour business, the company said. “The revised date would give the company more time to observe business conditions and provide visibility for the first quarter of 2020,” the company said. —Kopecki

4:21 pm: Restaurants in China hit by outbreak

CNBC.com