A viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 80,000 people globally. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it.
The latest figures reported by each government’s health authority as of Wednesday in Beijing:
— Mainland China: 2,715 deaths among 78,064 cases, mostly in the central province of Hubei
— Hong Kong: 81 cases, 2 deaths
— Macao: 10 cases
— South Korea: 1,146 cases, 11 deaths
— Japan: 860 cases, including 691 from a cruise ship docked in Yokohama, 4 deaths
— Italy: 323 cases, 11 deaths
— Iran: 95 cases, 15 deaths
— Singapore: 91 cases
— Thailand: 37 cases
— United States: 57 cases
— Taiwan: 31 cases, 1 death
— Australia: 23 cases
— Malaysia: 22
— Bahrain: 17
— Vietnam: 16 cases
— Germany: 17
— United Arab Emirates: 13 cases
— United Kingdom: 13
— France: 14 cases, 1 death
— Canada: 11
— Kuwait: 11
— Iraq: 5
— Philippines: 3 cases, 1 death
— India: 3
— Spain: 6
— Russia: 2
— Israel: 2
— Oman: 2
— Austria: 2
— Lebanon: 1
— Belgium: 1
— Nepal: 1
— Sri Lanka: 1
— Sweden: 1
— Cambodia: 1
— Finland: 1
— Egypt: 1
— Algeria: 1
— Afghanistan: 1
— Croatia: 1
— Switzerland: 1
China
China’s massive travel restrictions, house-to-house checks, huge isolation wards and lockdowns of entire cities bought the world valuable time to prepare for the global spread of the new virus. It reported another 406 cases of the new virus, along with 52 additional deaths, all of them in hard-hit Hubei province and all but 10 in the epicenter of the city of Wuhan.
South Korea
South Korea, the country with the biggest coronavirus outbreak outside mainland China said the total case of the virus had jumped to almost 1,150. The U.S. military says one of its soldiers based in South Korea tested positive for a new virus, the first U.S. service member being infected.
Japan
Japan has recorded the third highest number of coronavirus cases globally, being at 860. These 860 cases include 691 passengers and crew from the Diamond Princess. Four former passengers on the ship have died and more than a dozen people who were evacuated by their home countries later tested positive for the virus. Six government officials involved in the quarantine effort also became sick. Amid the coronavirus outbreak , A spokesman for the Japanese government on Wednesday said the International Olympic Committee and local organizers are going as planned with the Tokyo Olympics despite the threat.
Europe
In Italy, Civil protection officials in Italy say the number of virus cases in the country increased by 100, or 45%, in a 24-hour period and there now have been a total of 10 deaths. Other European Switzerland, Austria and Croatia have confirmed their first COVID-19 cases in their countries involving people who had recently traveled from virus-hit parts of neighbouring Italy.
Portable pods have been set up at United Kingdom hospitals that will be used to assess people suspected of infection while keeping them apart from others. France developed a quick test for the virus and has shared it with poorer nations. German authorities are stressing “sneezing etiquette” and Russia is screening people at airports, railway stations and those riding public transportation.
United States
President Donald Trump and chief economic adviser said Tuesday that the new coronavirus is under control in the U.S., even as the government’s top disease fighters warned Americans to prepare for an outbreak here. The mixed messages came as the stock market tumbled for a second straight day and lawmakers of both political parties questioned whether the White House’s request for $2.5 billion in virus response funding will be enough to prepare the nation
India
India’s health ministry has been framing step-by-step instructions to deal with sustained transmissions that will be circulated to the 250,000 village councils that are the most basic unit of the country’s sprawling administration.
Iran
The head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who had urged the public not to overreact about its spread has tested positive for the illness himself. Only a day earlier, a coughing and heavily sweating Iraj Harirchi said at a televised news conference in Tehran that “the situation is almost stable in the country.” Harirchi himself posted an online video saying he was infected with coronavirus and had quarantined himself at home. He promised that authorities would bring the virus under control.
