BEIJING: Fears of a global coronavirus pandemic deepened yesterday with a growing number of deaths in Iran and the worsening of other outbreaks across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The number of fatalities in China – where the virus emerged late last year – also continued to soar, with 150 more confirmed deaths, taking its official death toll to nearly 2,600.
Chinese authorities insist they are making progress in containing the virus, citing slowing infection rates thanks to unprecedented travel lockdowns and quarantines in or near the outbreak’s epicentre.
But the spread of the virus in other parts of the world has accelerated over the past week, with Iran, South Korea and Italy emerging as the worst new hotspots.
Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Kuwait also announced yesterday their first cases of the virus, bringing the total number of countries with infections above 30.
In Iran, the confirmed death toll climbed on Monday by four to 12 – the highest number of fatalities for any country outside of China.
In China, 2,592 people have died out of 77,000 infections.
South Korea has seen a rapid rise in infections since a cluster sprouted in a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week.
More than 200 infections and two more deaths were reported in South Korea yesterday, bringing the total cases to more than 830 – by far the most outside China.
Eight people have died from the virus in South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in over the weekend raised the country’s virus alert to the highest “red” level.
As part of the containment efforts, school holidays were extended nationally and the start of the new K-league football season, scheduled for this weekend, was postponed.
In Italy, a fourth fatality was confirmed on Monday, deepening fears about the virus spreading through Europe.
More than 150 people have been infected in Italy, where several Serie A football games were postponed over the weekend.
In Japan, two more officials sent to a cruise ship quarantined off Japan to help with on-board efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus have contracted the illness themselves.
The announcement came as experts warned the next one to three weeks would be “crucial” to preventing widespread infections and as fears deepen that the isolation of the virus-stricken Diamond Princess has been ineffective.
A quarantine officer in his 50s and a health ministry official in his 40s both tested positive and are in hospital, the ministry said, after they were dispatched separately to the vessel earlier this month. – AFP