(Reuters) - The fast-spreading coronavirus has reached some 80 nations with more new cases now reported outside China where the flu-like illness first emerged late last year.
- Globally, there have been over 95,300 cases and more than 3,200 deaths, according to a Reuters tally. (tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7)
- Mainland China reported 139 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 80,409. The uptick was driven by an increase in cases in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, where new infections climbed to 131 from 114 a day earlier.
- South Korea confirmed 760 new cases and five more deaths on Thursday, taking total infections to 6,088, with a death toll of 37. It declared a “special care zone” around the city of Gyeongsan, and the U.S. military confirmed two new cases among relatives of its troops in the country.
- Japan’s Olympics minister signaled the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead as planned even as the outbreak spread to new parts of the country, with the western Shiga prefecture confirming its first case on Thursday. Confirmed infections in Japan rose to 1,036, 36 more than the previous day.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Japan planned for early April has been postponed.
- Italy is likely to increase coronavirus support spending to 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion), its deputy economy minister said on Thursday. Italy’s deaths toll rose to 107 on Wednesday, with the number of cases since the outbreak surfaced climbing to more than 3,000.
- The U.S. death toll rose to 11 on Wednesday as new cases emerged around New York City and Los Angeles. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency after the first death in the state from the virus. House of Representatives approved an $8.3 billion bill to combat the virus and develop vaccines.
- Australia recorded its second death from the epidemic, the first from a “local transmission”, and warned the crisis will subtract at least half a percentage point from the country’s economic growth in the current quarter.
- Thailand on Thursday reported four new cases, bringing its total to 47 since January.
- Slovenia, Hungary and Poland confirmed their first cases on Wednesday.
- France has 285 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the head of the public health service, Jerome Salomon, said on Wednesday, an increase of 73 compared to a day earlier.
- The outbreak has affected almost all of Iran’s provinces, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. Iran has more than 2,900 confirmed cases with a death toll of 92.
- Iraq canceled Friday prayers in the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala, a day after the country reported its second coronavirus death in the capital Baghdad.
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Britain rose to 85 on Wednesday in the biggest daily jump since it was first detected in the country.
- The total number of known coronavirus cases in India rose sharply to 29 on Wednesday, including 16 Italian tourists who had tested positive for the disease.
- Spanish health authorities said on Wednesday they had identified as many as 193 coronavirus cases in Spain, including three children. On Tuesday, Spain reported its first death from the outbreak in Valencia.
- Sixteen new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Stockholm on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in Sweden to 52.
- Scientists in China studying the outbreak of disease caused by the new coronavirus say they have found that two main strains of the virus are circulating in humans and causing infections.
- Hong Kong has quarantined the dog of a coronavirus patient in what could be the first case of human-to-animal transmission, although experts cautioned against pets being potential spreaders of the virus.
- Facebook (FB.O) confirmed on Thursday that a contractor at a Seattle office had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and said it would close that location until March 9.
- The virus’ global spread has crushed hopes for stronger growth this year and will hold 2020 global output gains to their slowest pace since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday.
- Asian shares rallied for a fourth straight session as U.S. markets swung sharply higher and another dose of central bank stimulus offered some salve for the global economic outlook.
