FACTBOX-Update on Coronavirus Around the World
The rapid spread of the new coronavirus has increased fears of a pandemic, sending global markets into a dive and prompting governments to step up control measures.
- As of Monday, there have been over 89,000 cases of the virus globally, the majority in China, according to a Reuters tally. Outside of China, it has spread to 66 countries, with more than 8,800 cases and 130 deaths. Globally, the illness has killed over 3,000 people.
- Chinese city of Wuhan closed the first of 16 specially built hospitals after it discharged its last recovered patients, as Hubei province reported 196 new cases on Sunday, sharply down from 570 cases a day earlier.
- In total, mainland China had 202 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
- The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China reached 2,912 as of the end of Sunday, up by 42 from the previous day.
- Andorra, Armenia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Iceland and Indonesia confirmed their first cases.
- South Korea postponed the start of all schools by two weeks as 599 new cases were reported on Monday, taking the national tally to 4,335 while the death toll rose to 26.
- South Korea sought murder charges on Monday against leaders of Shincheonji Church, to which most of South Korea’s cases have been traced.
- The Italian government prepared to boost spending to help the fragile economy as the country’s death toll rose to 34 on Sunday and confirmed cases to almost 1,700.
- All members of Lombardy’s local government will undergo tests after a councilor tested positive, authorities said on Monday.
- Washington state on Sunday confirmed the second coronavirus death in the United States, where the number of infections has gone past 75. New York‘s governor confirmed state’s first case and Florida declared a public health emergency as it confirmed its first two cases.
- Iran’s death toll reached 54 on Sunday, the highest number outside of China, with the number of those infected rising to 978.
- Lebanon said three more people had tested positive for coronavirus after arriving from Iran, bringing the total in the country to 10. Iraq and Bahrain reported six new cases each, bringing the total tally to 19 and 47 respectively.
- Five more cases were confirmed in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on Monday, taking the island’s total tally to 77, days after it declared a state of emergency. Japan also raised its infectious disease advisory levels for parts of South Korea and Italy.
- Sweden’s health agency head raised its risk level to “moderate” on Monday, according to TT news agency.
- France‘s confirmed cases rose to 130 on Sunday, up from 100 a day earlier, while Britain announced 13 new infections, taking the total to 36.
- Ecuador confirmed five cases in patients who all had direct contact with an elderly woman who brought the virus to the Andean country from Spain.
- Nigerian stocks fell as authorities contacted around 100 people who may have been exposed to an Italian man who is the country’s first coronavirus patient.
- Australia, after confirming its first coronavirus death a day before, warned on Monday it was no longer possible to completely prevent people with the coronavirus from entering the country.
- Kazakhstan will bar Iranian nationals from entering the country and Armenia extended the closure of its border with Iran.
- Vietnam will temporarily suspend visa-free travel for Italians from Tuesday.
- Angola will prohibit the entry of citizens from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria, if they travel directly from those countries.
- A conference on the world economy due to take place in Italy later this month with Pope Francis taking part has been postponed until November, organizers said on Sunday.
- G7 finance ministers will discuss by phone this week how to best to limit the impact of the outbreak on economic growth, French Finance Minister Le Maire said on Monday.
- China’s factories were dealt the sharpest contraction in activity on record, a private survey showed on Monday.
- The virus has prompted numerous cancellations or postponements of sporting events.
- World stocks markets regained a measure of calm on Monday as hopes for a raft of global interest rate cuts to soften the economic blow of the coronavirus steadied nerves and drove U.S. Treasury yields close to 1%.
(Compiled by Milla Nissi; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
