COVID-19 spreads across world, Italy tops virus toll

More than 3,500 people have died, and thousands of others have been infected by the COVID 19 disease in different parts of the world since its outbreak in December last year in China. Outside the Communist nation, some 500 people have succumbed to the virus, and over 25,000 others have been infected so far, with Italy, South Korea, France, and Iran were the most affected.

Italy closes social hubs, schools

Italy has reported over 230 fatalities from the COVID 19 disease, the highest number of deaths outside China, since the coronavirus outbreak in December. Schools, museums, theatres, cinemas, nightclubs, and casinos have been closed in a nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of the disease. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s government has also ordered the forced quarantine of 15 million people in northern Italy until April 3.

India on alert

In India, the number of infected people has risen to 40, with 19 cases reported from the Delhi-NCR region. Cases were also reported from other parts of the country, including Kerala and Maharashtra. Provisions are being made at the airports for separate immigration counters and baggage belts for the passengers arriving from 12 virus-hit nations – China, Iran, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, France, Spain, UK, and the US.

France: 700 cases, 11 deaths

France has reported 11 deaths from Covid-19 disease so far, while over 700 people have been infected with the virus, the Health Ministry announced on Saturday. According to the government, cases of coronavirus infection in Hauts-de-France and Normandy, the most severely affected regions, rose to 103. Nurseries and schools in the affected regions were closed. Currently, France remains at a pre-epidemic stage, but it’s only a matter of time before the authorities declare a full epidemic with reinforced restriction measures, officials said.

US: 300 cases, 14 deaths

The United States has detected 399 people with coronavirus infection, of which 14 have died, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus tracker. However, President Trump said the overall risk to the American public from coronavirus remains low. “I think at this point, the overall risk to the American public does remain low,” he said. New York has declared a state of emergency to contain its spread as the number of cases rose to 89. The measures will help to respond faster, said Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

China reports Improvement

In China, the health authorities said that the number of new cases has dramatically fallen, with only three cases were recorded outside the worst-hit Hubei province on March 8. According to chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Zeng Guang, Wuhan and other Chinese cities were making good progress against the virus. As of March 8, China has reported 80,859 confirmed cases and 3,100 deaths (including two in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan). A total of 57,143 patients have recovered from the disease.

South Korea: 7,300 cases, 50 deaths

South Korea has reported 50 deaths and more than 7,300 infection cases as of March 8. A “special care zone” has been declared around Gyeongsan City, which is the worst affected. Gyeongsan is home to 275,000 people and located 250 km south of Seoul. The government said that a temporary travel restriction has been imposed to curb the virus spread as additional relief materials were being sent. Gyeongsan has recorded a spike in new cases recently. Similar quarantine zones were also created around the neighboring Daegu city and Cheongdo County.

Iran: 6,566 cases, 194 deaths

Iran has reported 6,566 cases of Covid-19 disease and 194 deaths, including one of the country’s female parliamentarians. On March 8, the Iranian health ministry has reported 49 new deaths from the COVID-19 disease, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the country. “At least 194 of our compatriots who fell sick with the COVID-19 illness have passed away,” health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference. He added that 743 new infections were also confirmed within the past 24 hours, bringing the number of cases to 6,566 spread across all of Iran’s 31 provinces.

COVID-19 spreads across world, Italy tops virus toll

More than 3,500 people have died, and thousands of others have been infected by the COVID 19 disease in different parts of the world since its outbreak in December last year in China. Outside the Communist nation, some 500 people have succumbed to the virus, and over 25,000 others have been infected so far, with Italy, South Korea, France, and Iran were the most affected.