As the number of confirmed cases across the globe reached nearly 87,000 as of Sunday, the U.S., Thailand and Australia all reported their first fatalities connected to coronavirus. Nearly 3,000 people have so far been killed worldwide despite efforts to stop it from spreading.
The U.S. state of Washington became the site of the country’s first coronavirus death on Saturday, at a time when President Donald Trump issued new foreign travel warnings and restrictions in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
Australia reported the first death on its soil, a 78-year-old man who had been evacuated from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. In Thailand, a 35-year old Thai man who worked as a salesperson and had contact with foreign tourists was reported dead from the disease Sunday.
China reported a fresh spike in coronavirus infections on Sunday with 573 new infections, the highest figure in a week after a dip. All but three of them were in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the accelerating outbreak a global emergency on Jan. 30, the virus has continued to make its way across the globe. The Geneva-based WHO said earlier it no longer had a process for declaring a pandemic, but the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread to different countries.
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the world has spread across more than 65 countries and territories since it first emerged in China in December.
Health officials in the Dominican Republic and France on Sunday reported the first confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the tourist-rich Caribbean.
Dominican Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas said a 62-year-old Italian man had arrived in the country on Feb. 22 without showing symptoms. He was being treated in isolation at a military hospital and “has not shown serious complications.”
France, meanwhile, reported a case on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the first in one of France’s overseas territories.
Armenia on Sunday confirmed its first case of coronavirus, an Armenian citizen who recently returned from Iran and who was in stable condition in hospital. Around 30 people who had been in contact with the patient had also been placed in isolation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.
Neighboring Azerbaijan registered its first case of the COVID-19 virus Friday, a Russian who had also arrived from Iran. On Saturday, Azerbaijan suspended all flights to Iran. Georgia also has confirmed three cases and has temporarily banned Iranian nationals from visiting, along with suspending air links with China.
Iran risks creating a regional epicenter of contagion with at least 54 people reported dead among 978 confirmed infections nationwide, together with a vice-president and deputy health minister among those testing positive. Unofficial tolls are much higher. The London-based BBC Persian service says 210 people have been killed by the virus; a figure it says it collated from hospital sources. The report was immediately dismissed by Iran’s health ministry.
Ecuador on Saturday reported its first case, in a woman who had traveled from Madrid, while Mexico reported four cases, all in people who had visited Italy. In Italy, there is a major outbreak of the novel coronavirus, with more than 1,100 infected people. It is centered in the north of the country.
As governments worldwide stepped up efforts to halt the spread of the virus, France announced a temporary ban on public gatherings with more than 5,000 people in confined spaces. It reported 16 new cases for a total of 73 and canceled a half-marathon of 40,000 runners scheduled for Sunday. Switzerland said it is banning events expected to draw more than 1,000 people.
Last Updated on Mar 01, 2020 11:34 pm
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