An ARCHIVE of updates from the CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) outbreak in Croatia and worldwide. The virus originated in Wuhan City, China.
*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.
Live Health Organization Coronavirus Updates
- Live updated international map tracking spread of coronavirus from Johns Hopkins CSSE here.
- Live updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) here.
- Live updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here.
- Live updates from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (daily updates at 15:00 CET in Croatian) here.
UPDATED: March 8, 2020 16:45 CET (Central European Time)
16:45 - The Croatia Civil Protection Staff has released the latest information on the coronavirus in Croatia at today's press conference.
Yesterday it was confirmed that a twelfth person in our country was infected with the coronavirus. As in the case of the eleventh infected, it was the close contact of the tenth infected truck driver from Varaždin. There are no new cases as of today.
Additional Protective Measures Considered
Bozinovic confirmed that it is likely that additional measures will be introduced if this situation continues in Italy and the surrounding area. "We have undertaken all the measures in a timely manner. I am sure that, if this approach had been taken in other countries, the situation would be a little more favorable," Bozinovic said.
"The (coronavirus patients) are ill in all three cities, three have a slightly more severe form of the disease, the others have milder symptoms," said Markotic.
"The drug has been tested in subjects treated for Ebola. The coronavirus drug treatment is still in testing. Only after testing will we know how successful it has been in treating the coronavirus. We have isolated cases in which patients have recovered, but not in controlled conditions. However the results of individual cases are encouraging," explained Markotic when asked about the drug she mentioned.
Beros explained that the measures that could be introduced at some point relate to border measures and large gatherings.
Testing Potential Coronavirus Treatment Drug
"Everyone is stable, clinical and laboratory tests are underway. It is very important that at-risk groups, older people and people with chronic illnesses avoid larger groups because they may experience chronic problems later on. We will go into research with a drug that has proven very successful in treating the coronavirus," said Director Alemka Markotic.
"327 tests have been done, we have no new patients and we have only one test in the report. 258 people are under certain epidemiological measures," Health Minister Vili Beros said.
"The number of infected people in the region is increasing, but thankfully not in Croatia," Beros added.
Avoid Regions Where Coronavirus Intensified: Details Pending
"Italy has introduced a number of new measures, we ask citizens to avoid regions where the coronavirus infection is intensified, we will announce in detail what those regions are. We will propose additional measures if necessary, we have packages of measures," Bozinovic said.
"There are no new infections in Croatia, there are still 12 cases," Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said.
Five Infected in Rijeka
As it is known so far, the first person to be infected in Rijeka is a man in his fifties who worked at a factory in Italy, after whom his wife and her brother became ill. A couple of days later, news came that two more close contacts were also infected with coronavirus, which is the daughter of the infected, and his brother-in-law, who are between 25 and 30 years old.
Three Cases in Zagreb
There are still three cases in Zagreb. They are all doing well. It is not yet known when they will be released from the hospital. The first infected patient, picked up the virus in Milan, and was admitted to the hospital on February 24, and a day later the prime minister announced that Croatia had confirmed its first case of coronavirus. After that, the twin brother of the first victim also fell ill, and then his girlfriend, who had been with him in Milan.
Four Cases in Varaždin
The first infected in Varaždin was a young man who was also in Italy with his girlfriend and friends. The second infected is a truck driver who was in Italy, and the third and fourth infected person in Varaždin are in close contact with the truck driver.
An epidemic risk measure has been declared in Croatia. Minister Beroš explained that this is a measure that enables mobilization of all health resources to combat the epidemic. Ambulance chief Maja Grba-Bujevic further explained at the intersection at 16:00 CET that the administrative measures allow the minister to reallocate people and resources within the health sector. The head of the Infectious Diseases Clinic "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" said that everyone infected was in stable condition.
The Twelfth Case Young Man with Mild Symptoms
The fourth person infected with coronavirus in Varazdin, and the 12th in Croatia, is a young man with mild symptoms of illness and in isolation at a Varaždin hospital, County Civil Protection Chief Robert Vugrin said Saturday, urging people under self-isolation order to follow directions.
"This is a man under 40 who has been in isolation at the Varazdin General Hospital since yesterday with mild symptoms. This is a person who has been in close contact with another person," Vugrin said at a news conference and indicated that there are more people under active health surveillance (self-isolation) and more than 150 of them are in Varaždin County.
16:25 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
107,722 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,699 Mainland China
7,314 South Korea
6,566 Iran
5,883 Italy
951 Germany
949 France
696 Others
613 Spain
502 Japan
437 US
332 Switzerland
273 UK
265 Netherlands
203 Sweden
169 Belgium
157 Norway
150 Singapore
114 Hong Kong
104 Austria
99 Malaysia
85 Bahrain
76 Australia
66 Greece
62 Kuwait
60 Canada
54 Iraq
50 Thailand
50 Iceland
45 United Arab Emirates
45 Taiwan
39 India
36 San Marino
35 Denmark
28 Lebanon
26 Czech Republic
25 Portugal
25 Israel
23 Finland
22 Palestine
21 Vietnam
19 Brazil
19 Ireland
19 Algeria
16 Oman
15 Russia
15 Egypt
14 Ecuador
13 Romania
13 Georgia
12 Slovenia
12 Croatia
12 Qatar
11 Saudi Arabia
10 Macau
10 Estonia
9 Argentina
9 Azerbaijan
8 Poland
7 Chile
7 Hungary
7 Mexico
6 Pakistan
6 Peru
6 Indonesia
6 Philippines
6 Belarus
5 French Guiana
5 New Zealand
5 Costa Rica
4 Afghanistan
4 Bulgaria
4 Senegal
3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 North Macedonia
3 Bangladesh
3 Slovakia
3 South Africa
3 Luxembourg
3 Malta
2 Cambodia
2 Cameroon
2 Maldives
2 Dominican Republic
2 Faroe Islands
2 Morocco
2 Martinique
2 Latvia
1 Lithuania
1 Monaco
1 Togo
1 Armenia
1 Ukraine
1 Vatican City
1 Liechtenstein
1 Andorra
1 Gibraltar
1 Nigeria
1 Moldova
1 Tunisia
1 Colombia
1 Bhutan
1 Nepal
1 Jordan
1 Paraguay
1 Serbia
1 Sri Lanka
27,023 Total Cases Outside of China
3,654 Total Deaths
60,659 Total Recovered
16:29 - Four new cases and one death have been reported in Hong Kong. A 76-year-old woman, who developed fever, respiratory problems, died after reporting abdominal pain on February 28 and was hospitalized the same day.
Ten new cases have been confirmed in Vietnam.
16:17 - Seven new cases confirmed in Portugal.
16:04 - 64 new cases of infection in the UK have been confirmed.
15:16 - 42 new cases of infection have been confirmed in Sweden and eight in Denmark.
15:14 - Another person has died in Switzerland. This is a 74-year-old woman from Vaud.
15:10 - Two new infections have been confirmed in Hungary. One infected is a 22-year-old Iranian sturet who was at a birthday party with the first infected in Hungary, also an Iranian student The second infected is the Hungarian wife of a 59-year-old Briton who became infected in Milan.
14:48 - Four more women have died in Spain, bringing the number of deaths from coronavirus to 17. These are women aged 87, 88 and 92.
14:20 - A third coronavirus patient in Hong Kong has died.
13:50 - Piedmont leader Alberto Cirio is infected with a coronavirus. Piedmont, the northwestern region whose capital is Turin, is the fourth coronavirus to be the most affected region in Italy.
13:22 - The death toll from China's quarantine hotel collapse has risen to ten.
13:15 - Pope Francis led prayers through a video link because the Vatican fears the spread of coronavirus.
12:40 - Croatian Interior Minister comments on state of coronavirus. There are no new patients. Read more.
12:22 - The death toll in Iran has jumped dramatically today, with 49 deaths reported. The number of infected people has jumped by 743 to a total of 6566. A total of 194 people have died from coronavirus in Iran so far.
12:12 - A quarter of the Italian population is quarantined as of today. This is a consequence of the drastic steps taken by the Italian government in an effort to stem the spread of a new deadly virus that has spread to the world in which Latin America recorded the first death of the disease on Sunday.
Italy recorded the most deaths from Covid-19 disease outside China, where the epidemic, which has so far killed more than 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 worldwide, began in December.
The measures, which will be implemented by April 3, prohibit people from entering or leaving large areas of northern Italy without a valid reason, according to a decree signed by the prime minister and published online.
The quarantined area is home to more than 15 million people and includes regions around Venice and the financial capital, Milan, and cinemas, theaters and museums will be closed nationwide. Read more.
12:02 - Yesterday, Argentina became the first Latin American country to report death from a virus affecting 95 countries and territories. Colombia, Costa Rica, Malta, the Maldives, Bulgaria and Paraguay also reported their first cases yesterday.
The number of infections in South Korea on Saturday exceeded 7000 - the highest in the world outside China.
The contagion has already spread to 30 US states, killing at least 19 people, New York being the last in a series to declare a state of emergency in the US.
11:50 - A 100-year-old has been recovered in China after being infected with a coronavirus, Chinese Xinhua News Agency reported. This is the oldest patient who has recovered.
He was born in February 1920, Xinhua reports. He was admitted to the hospital on February 24th, a man with Alzheimer's disease, hypertension and who once suffered a heart attack.
11:25 - Bulgaria has confirmed the first cases of coronavirus infection today, Reuters reports.
Two men from the town of Pleven and two women from the town of Gabrovo were infected.
Cyprus has remained the only EU country with no infections.
10:38 - The first cases of infection were reported in Maldives. Two people were infected.
9:29 - In the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, 42 cases of coronavirus infection have been registered so far, and the first person in the region to have died of coronaviruses on Saturday, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
This is an 87-year-old woman from a nursing home in Trieste. A total of eight people are hospitalized in the region.
In Trieste and Gorizia, 17 cases were reported, in Udine 23 and two in Pordenone.
9:03 - For most of the world's stock exchanges, stock prices plummeted last week, for the third time in a row, as investors are uncertain as economic damage could be greater than previously estimated due to the rapid spread of coronaviruses throughout the world.
The STOXX 600 index of leading European stocks slid for the third week in a row and plunged to its lowest level since August last year.
The London FTSE index fell 1.8 percent to 6462 points, while the Frankfurt DAX sank 2.9 percent to 11.541 points and the Paris CAC 3.2 percent to 5139 points.
On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, however, the Nikkei Index slipped 1.9 percent to 20,749 points.
But on Wall Street, Dow Jones rose 1.8 percent last week to 25,864 points, while the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent to 2972 points and the Nasdaq index 0.1 percent to 8575 points.
The growth of these indices is mainly due to the jump at the beginning of the week by more than 4.5 percent, when the market tried to recover from the fall one week earlier by more than 10 percent.
8:22 - Slovenian Health Minister Ales Shabeder banned all public gatherings indoors with more than 500 people late Saturday night due to the coronavirus, according to a statement by the Slovenian health ministry.The minister has signed a decree banning gatherings at public events, and the ban will remain in place as long as the disease continues to spread, the statement said.
"We recommend that organizers consider the importance of events with fewer people because of increased epidemiological risk," the statement said.
In the coming weeks, preparations are underway in Slovenia for alpine skiers competitions for the World Cup in Kranjska Gora (March 14 and 15) and in the ski jumping in Planica (March 19 and 22). The fate of these competitions is not yet known.
So far, 12 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Slovenia and approximately 800 people have been tested. The first case was confirmed on Wednesday. The Ministry of Health also announced that none of those infected were in critical health.
Most of the infected traveled to neighboring Italy before being tested, and the Slovenian Foreign Ministry on Friday advised all citizens to consider their travel plans and to delay all non-urgent ones.
8:13 - Seven people have been killed in the collapse of a hotel in the Chinese city of Quanzhou, the emergency ministry said Sunday after state media said the hotel was being used to quarantine coronavirus-infected people.
The hotel began to collapse on Saturday night. By Sunday at 11:30 local time, authorities had pulled 43 people out of the destroyed hotel, the ministry said. Seven people were confirmed dead, 36 were sent to hospital for treatment, the ministry said in a message on Weib.
The rescue operation is still ongoing, with a search for 28 people, the ministry added. According to the Xinhua State News Agency, the owner of the building, a man named Yang, was called by police. At the time of the demolition, the first floor of the building was being renovated, the news agency reported.
8:08 - South Korean authorities, however, reported 367 new infections on Saturday, bringing the total to 7134 in the country. For the first time since February 26, the country reported less than 400 infections in one day according to Yonhap News Agency.
So far, 50 people have died in the country due to the disease, most of whom had chronic illnesses.
8:05 - Australia's health authority reports a third death from a coronavirus, an 80-year-old man who died at a Sydney hospital. A total of 74 infectious cases have been confirmed in the country, and health authorities are concerned about the risk of a further spread of the epidemic.
Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday that the government had secured the purchase of an additional 54 million protective masks for health professionals, which should be delivered by the end of April. An additional 260,000 surgical masks have already been released to the health care network from inventory.
8:00 - At least 434 cases have been reported in the United States so far, NBC News reported, with more than half of the states reporting the infection. So far, 19 people have died from the coronavirus.
Several states have declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of the epidemic, including California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Utah and Washington.
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 7, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 8, 2020:
20:54 - France's death toll rises to 16 (seven new deaths reported today). The number of infected people is also growing rapidly, so that today there are 949 in total (296 new cases have been reported today).
20:27 - The number of confirmed cases in the US has increased to 377.
19:49 - Five more cases of infection in Iceland have been confirmed.
19:23 - Slovenia has banned public gatherings after the number of infected people has risen to 12 today.
18:49 - New York governor declares state of emergency.
18:40 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
105,479 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,652 Mainland China
7,041 South Korea
5,883 Italy
5,823 Iran
799 Germany
716 France
696 Others
500 Spain
461 Japan
346 US
268 Switzerland
206 UK
188 Netherlands
130 Singapore
109 Belgium
108 Norway
108 Hong Kong
101 Sweden
83 Malaysia
66 Austria
63 Australia
60 Bahrain
58 Kuwait
54 Canada
50 Thailand
48 Iraq
45 United Arab Emirates
45 Taiwan
45 Iceland
45 Greece
31 India
23 San Marino
23 Denmark
22 Palestine
22 Lebanon
21 Israel
19 Czech Republic
18 Vietnam
18 Ireland
17 Algeria
16 Oman
15 Finland
15 Egypt
13 Russia
13 Portugal
13 Brazil
13 Ecuador
12 Croatia
10 Macau
10 Estonia
9 Azerbaijan
9 Romania
8 Argentina
8 Qatar
7 Slovenia
6 Pakistan
6 Philippines
6 Belarus
6 Mexico
5 Saudi Arabia
5 French Guiana
5 New Zealand
5 Poland
4 Indonesia
4 Senegal
4 Chile
4 Georgia
4 Hungary
3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 North Macedonia
2 Dominican Republic
2 Luxembourg
2 Morocco
2 Martinique
1 Lithuania
1 Cambodia
1 Cameroon
1 Monaco
1 Afghanistan
1 Slovakia
1 Peru
1 Togo
1 Armenia
1 Ukraine
1 Vatican City
1 South Africa
1 Liechtenstein
1 Faroe Islands
1 Costa Rica
1 Andorra
1 Gibraltar
1 Nigeria
1 Tunisia
1 Colombia
1 Bhutan
1 Nepal
1 Jordan
1 Latvia
1 Serbia
1 Sri Lanka
24,827 Total Cases Outside of China
3,555 Total Deaths
58,354 Total Recovered
18:25 - In Italy, 36 people died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. As many as 1247 new infections have been reported.
18:10 - Greek police dispersed pepper spray in Cyprus on Saturday after a clash broke out over the closure of a checkpoint on that ethnically divided island as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the coronavirus.
Cyprus announced on February 28 the temporary closure of four checkpoints on the divided island. This is the first time they closed since 2003, after decades of turmoil, facilitating the transition of residents from one side to the other. Witnesses said a group of people from the Turkish side of the island wanted to support peace activists on the other side of the checkpoint, calling for it to be opened.
The point of contention is actually the narrow alley of Ledra, which passes the UN buffer zone. When opened, hundreds of residents use it daily.
"People were wearing olive branches, but at one point it seemed like someone was starting to push in," one of the Turkish protesters told Reuters. "Greek police tried to push them back and at that time they used pepper spray," he said.
A police statement said a small amount of tear gas was used to prevent protesters from trying to break through the police cordon. The statement said that protesters threw stones at police. The decision to close the checkpoint has been politically sensitive because of the territorial divide between Turkish Cypriots and Greeks since 1974.
Authorities say the sole motive for such an appearance was the protection of public health and better use of medical devices. No cases of coronavirus have been reported in Cyprus so far. UNFICYP, the US peacekeepers stationed on the island, have expressed concern about the problems caused by the closure of checkpoints. The decision on whether to remain so will be considered next week.
17:30 - The first two cases of infection have been confirmed in Maldives.
17:05 - Coronavirus dead in Japan rose to 13.
16:54 - Three more cases have been reported in Georgia.
Republika Srpska, where three cases of coronavirus infection were reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 221 people are under surveillance, while 37 are in isolation, Health and Social Protection Minister Alen Seranic announced on Saturday.
Samples were taken from the people who were in contact with the coronavirus infected, a Banja Luka press conference said. According to Minister Seranic, a total of four people were hospitalized in Banja Luka, and three were confirmed to have coronavirus infection. He explained that the people infected with the coronavirus are in good condition, with no more pronounced symptoms.
Minister Seranic said that 221 people were under supervision, while 37 were in isolation on suspicion of the coronavirus infection, since they had stayed in northern Italy or had contact with the other people.
He also explained that the health inspection activity in Republika Srpska, which issued 76 surveillance or isolation solutions, had intensified. He also announced new measures by health authorities to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus infection.
16:09 - In the Netherlands, the number of infected people has increased to 188.
15:35 - There are 42 new cases of infection in the UK and the total number of cases has now exceeded 200.
15:24 - Coronavirus infection has been confirmed for five more people in Scotland, bringing the number of people infected in Britain to 169.
15:21 - A hotel building, which had been used as a quarantine for coronavirus sufferers, has collapsed in China, Chinese media reported. Emergency services are looking for survivors. So far, 32 people have been rescued. Read more.
15:14 - 63 new cases confirmed in France and another death. There are a total of 11 dead in France, with a total of 716 infected. Two more died in Spain.
15:12 - Traditional Prayer Angelus Pope Francis will send believers Sunday from his library via video transmission, not from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the official Vatican announced on Saturday, seeking to "avoid the danger of spreading" coronavirus. Read more.
15:03 - Four new cases of infection in Slovenia confirmed. The total number of infected is now 12, the same as in Croatia. One in four new people infected in Slovenia is a man who traveled to Italy for two weeks, the second is close contact with an eight-infected doctor, the third is a man who returned from Austria where he started to feel unwell and the fourth man to travel to Italy and Spain with his family .
14:26 - Only one country in the EU has no coronavirus, it's Cyprus. Read more.
14:16 - Austrian customs officers seize 21,000 smuggled face masks. Read more.
14:08 - Details on the 12th infected in Croatia are published, this is a young man. Read more.
13:38 - In France, the total number of infected people has risen to 613. Ten people have died in that country so far.
13:33 - There have been 47 new cases in Germany and 40 in Spain.
13:30 - 60 new cases of infection have been confirmed in Belgium, bringing the total number of infected in that country to 169.
13:16 - Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party, one of the parties in power, Nicola Zingaretti has the coronavirus. The function of party secretary in Italy is otherwise crucial to that of party president and is the first operative. Nicola Zingaretti himself confirmed that he had a coronavirus. "The doctors told me I was positive for Covid-19. I'm fine, but I'll have to stay home for the next few days. From there, I'll continue to monitor the work that needs to be done. Courage to all and see you soon!" said Zingaretti in the video he recorded.
12:34 - A total of 1,076 new infections and 21 deaths have been confirmed in Iran.
12:18 - The first case of infection was reported in Malta. A 12-year-old girl who returned home from a family trip to northern Italy has been infected.
11:57 - From the Grand Princes cruise ship located in front of San Francisco that has at least 21 people infected, one person was picked up by helicopter and transported to San Francisco. No details are known so far.
11:33 - There are four new cases in Afghanistan. The three returned from Iran and a fourth came into contact with them.
11:16 - In Greece, 15 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, bringing the total number of infected in that country to 45. Eleven of the new cases are people who have traveled to Israel and Egypt, authorities said.
11:04 - Hong Kong reports that 17 people have tried to escape quarantine. They were caught trying to leave the city and were quarantined. Two have already been charged, police have collected evidence for seven, and others are still pending.
10:55 - The second death in the UK has been officially confirmed. This is a man in his early 80s, and health services are now working to isolate anyone who has been in contact with him.
10:09 - The Six Nations Nations women's rugby match between Scotland and France has been canceled today after a test confirmed that a Scottish player had been infected with a coronavirus. Her condition is good and the other members of the team and professional staff are in self-isolation.
9:54 - 274 new cases of coronavirus infection in South Korea have been confirmed, bringing the total number of those infected to 7041 in the country. The vast majority of those infected are in the city of Daegu and the surrounding Gyeongsang province. Two deaths in South Korea were confirmed earlier today, bringing the death toll to 46.
9:18 - Two new cases have been confirmed in Thailand, bringing the total number of infected in the country to 50. Two newly infected men are in their forties and began showing symptoms on Thursday.
8:35 - 16 new cases and two deaths have been reported in the US. The number of infections in that country is currently 332.
In China, the Number of Infected and Dead Falls, Growing Rapidly in Italy and Iran
According to Johns Hopkins University, 102,000 cases of coronavirus infection are currently confirmed worldwide.
In Iran, the death toll rose to 145 on Saturday after another 21 deaths were confirmed, including a conservative lawmaker from Tehran, Reuters reports.
The number of people infected in that Middle Eastern country has increased by 1,000 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 5823 infected.
Until further notice, all gatherings and celebrations have been canceled by the Iranian authorities.
The number of infected in South Korea has exceeded the figure of 7 thousand, after 448 new cases in the last 24 hours. More than half of the cases are related to the Christian sect that is at the center of the epidemic in that country. In all, 46 people have died in South Korea.
Although the number of 448 new cases is high, it is the third day of decline in the number of cases in that Asian country.
The number of cases in the United Arab Emirates has grown to 45, from 30 the day before, the health ministry said. Three new cases are also reported by Kuwait, with 61 in total, while there are 12 infected in Qatar.
The majority of those infected in the Middle East had traveled to Iran or have been in contact with individuals there. Saudi Arabia has closed its borders with the Emirates, Bahrainonm and Kuwait, except for commercial trucks, and allows flights from these countries to only three airports.
Fifteen US citizens have been quarantined at a hotel in Bethlehem for precaution, Palestinian authorities said. Earlier, they banned travel to and from this city and closed a church believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
About a quarter of new confirmed cases in China, and almost all of those reported outside Wuhan, the outbreak, have been infected outside the country, official data show, Reuters reports.
Most of these cases are in the northwestern province of Gansu, and among those who are quarantined are travelers who were in Iran between March 2 and 5.
There were 99 new infections in central China on Friday, down from 143 the day before. This is the lowest number of newborns since Jan. 20, when nationwide data began to be released.
In total, 80,561 people were infected in China and 3070 died of coronaviruses.
Grand Princess: 21 on Cruise Ship with Coronavirus
On the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was banned from entering the port of San Francisco, 21 of the 46 tested were positive for coronavirus, so US Vice President Mike Pence said the ship would be transferred to a non-commercial port where all 3,400 passengers would be tested.
Of the 21 people confirmed to have coronavirus, as many as 19 are crew members.
President Donald Trump has said he would personally like to have all passengers quarantined on board, but would leave the final decision to the profession.
Keeping passengers aboard the ship on which the contagion has turned out has been a disastrous strategy recently in Japan as such a decision has resulted in one of the largest outbreaks of the worldwide epidemic.
The coronavirus is also expanding in the US, with 15 deaths reported so far, and on Friday, the first patients registered in six new states - Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska - the number of states in which the virus appeared grew to 25.
8:00 - From the Dr. Fran Mihaljević Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb, another person has been confirmed with the coronavirus, which means that 12 people have been confirmed in the Republic of Croatia so far.
It is a close contact of the second coronavirus patient in Varaždin (truck driver), the Civil Protection Directorate reported.
2:10 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
101,927 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,647 Mainland China
6,593 South Korea
4,747 Iran
4,636 Italy
696 Others
670 Germany
653 France
420 Japan
400 Spain
331 US
214 Switzerland
163 UK
130 Singapore
128 Netherlands
109 Belgium
108 Norway
107 Hong Kong
101 Sweden
83 Malaysia
60 Bahrain
60 Australia
58 Kuwait
55 Austria
49 Canada
48 Thailand
45 Taiwan
45 Greece
43 Iceland
40 Iraq
31 India
29 United Arab Emirates
23 Denmark
22 Lebanon
21 San Marino
21 Israel
18 Czech Republic
18 Ireland
17 Algeria
16 Palestine
16 Oman
16 Vietnam
15 Finland
15 Egypt
13 Russia
13 Portugal
13 Brazil
13 Ecuador
11 Croatia
10 Macau
10 Estonia
9 Romania
8 Qatar
7 Slovenia
6 Pakistan
6 Azerbaijan
6 Belarus
6 Mexico
5 Saudi Arabia
5 Philippines
5 Poland
4 New Zealand
4 Indonesia
4 Senegal
4 Chile
4 Georgia
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 North Macedonia
2 Argentina
2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
2 Dominican Republic
2 Luxembourg
2 Morocco
2 Hungary
1 Lithuania
1 Cambodia
1 Cameroon
1 Monaco
1 Afghanistan
1 Slovakia
1 Peru
1 Togo
1 Armenia
1 Ukraine
1 Vatican City
1 South Africa
1 Liechtenstein
1 Faroe Islands
1 Costa Rica
1 Andorra
1 Gibraltar
1 Nigeria
1 Tunisia
1 Colombia
1 Bhutan
1 Nepal
1 Jordan
1 Latvia
1 Serbia
1 Sri Lanka
21,280 Total Cases Outside of China
3,488 Total Deaths
57,350 Total Recovered
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 6, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 7, 2020:
22:30 - Coronavirus infections in Brazil increase to 13.
21:56 - The eighth infected person in Slovenia is a doctor who has recently been in contact with 96 people. Read more.
21:50 - First coronavirus infection reported in Colombia.
21:43 - In France, the number of infected has increased to 613, today there are 190 new cases of coronavirus infection.
21:00 - Irish health officials say five new cases of coronavirus have been reported, bringing the total number of infected people to 18 in that country.
20:09 - The Minister of Transport for the Sarajevo Canton has issued an urgent order today to disinfect all public transport vehicles in the capital Bosnia to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To that end, Kalem has also ordered an enhanced clean-up of all public transport vehicles, Klix reports.
19:53 - Fifth case of coronavirus infection confirmed in Chile.
19:40 - The eighth case of coronavirus infection in Slovenia has been confirmed. A doctor from the Metlika Health Center was infected. He traveled through Italy to Slovenia a few days ago. He worked a normal schedule for three days and was in contact with patients, according to 24ur.
19:36 - US President Donald Trump commented on the topic of the coronavirus while signing an $8.3 billion emergency fund for the virus. "It will go away," Trump remarked briefly about the coronavirus.
18:40 - In the US state of New York the number of coronavirus infections has increased to 33.
18:30 - Three people who attended a meeting at Biogen headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts last week have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the biotech company, adding that all Biogen employees who attended the meeting were told to work from home for the next two weeks.
18:18 - According to the latest information, there are 197 dead from the coronavirus in Italy. In the last 24 hours, 49 people have died, the highest number so far. The total number infected in that country is 4,636. There are currently 3,916 positive for coronavirus. 2394 were hospitalized and 426 were in intensive care.
17:30 - In Macau, the last coronavirus patient has recovered, there haven't been any new cases in the last month. Read more.
17:25 - Facebook is closing its London offices after one of its employees was infected with a coronavirus. This is a Singaporean employee who visited the London office between February 24 and 26, Sky News reported. Employees were told they would work from home until further notice.
17:15 - The seventh case of coronavirus infection in Slovenia has been confirmed. She is a wife of a six-year-old 32-year-old woman. She is a doctor and works in the radiology department of Maribor, and her husband is employed at the same hospital, according to 24ur, which added previously that it was unlikely that they were both infected.
17:12 - 104 new infections have been confirmed in Spain.
17:09 - There are 12 new cases registered in Austria.
17:07 - Three new cases have been reported in Romania. This is a 40-year-old woman recently in Bergamo and Italy, a 51-year-old woman who has been in close contact with one of the previous cases, and a classmate of a 16-year-old who was previously confirmed to have coronavirus infection.
17:00 - Fifth coronavirus infection confirmed in New York City.
16:46 - In the US so far, 231 cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in 20 states.
16:45 - Croatia and the European Union have enough resources at the moment to respond to the spread of coronavirus, but the question is how long this crisis will last, Health Minister Vili Beros said today. Read more.
16:40 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli spoke on the state of tourism due to the coronavirus situation and announced a new action in which Croatian citizens will receive a 50 percent discount on the services of more than 100 participants such as Croatia Airlines, Jadrolinija, Plitvice for a week. Read more.
16:30 - Lufthansa announces cutting number of flights in half due to coronavirus epidemic, AFP reports.
16:15 - A third case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a middle-aged man who returned from Italy. In BiH, he returned with the same car as the man whose coronavirus infection was first discovered, Klix reports.
16:05 - 13 new cases of coronavirus infection confirmed in Singapore.
16:00 - The Czech Ministry of Health has announced new measures for citizens staying in Italy and ordered all Czech citizens to report to their doctor from tomorrow and spend 14 days in home isolation if they return from Italy.
They added that those who breach the quarantine conditions could be fined up to 3 million Czech crowns, which is about 900,000 kunas, CNN reports.
15:45 - In Greece, the number of infected has increased to 45.
15:32 - Two British Airways staff test positive for the coronavirus.
"The State of England's Public Health Agency has confirmed that two members of our staff are positive for COVID-19," the airline said.
15:31 - 33 new cases have been reported in Germany.
15:29 - Four new cases reported in Portugal. Three are in the hospital in Porto, and the source of the infection for those three is probably Italy. The fourth patient is in Lisbon.
15:20 - Two more people have died from the coronavirus in France, bringing the death toll to 9 in that country.
15:10 - In Britain, the number of infected has increased to 163. More than 20,000 people have been tested so far.
14:43 - A second coronavirus victim has died in the UK, the Guardian reports.
14:39 - A student from Milan will be tested for coronavirus at the University of Sarajevo clinical center today, Klix reports.
Unofficially, the young man arrived in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina a week ago. Read more.
14:26 - Six new cases have been reported in Russia.
14:18 - The WHO chief said the coronavirus situation was not a trial run. He said further efforts would be needed to stem the spread of the virus.
14:10 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
100,113 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,556 Mainland China
6,593 South Korea
4,747 Iran
3,858 Italy
696 Others
577 Germany
423 France
381 Japan
296 Spain
233 US
119 Switzerland
117 Singapore
116 UK
109 Belgium
106 Hong Kong
101 Norway
94 Sweden
83 Malaysia
82 Netherlands
60 Australia
58 Kuwait
55 Bahrain
48 Thailand
47 Austria
46 Canada
45 Taiwan
35 Iraq
34 Iceland
31 Greece
30 India
29 United Arab Emirates
21 San Marino
17 Algeria
16 Oman
16 Vietnam
16 Lebanon
16 Israel
13 Ecuador
12 Czech Republic
12 Finland
11 Croatia
10 Macau
10 Denmark
8 Portugal
8 Qatar
6 Azerbaijan
6 Romania
6 Ireland
6 Belarus
5 Saudi Arabia
5 Pakistan
5 Philippines
5 Mexico
4 Palestine
4 New Zealand
4 Indonesia
4 Russia
4 Senegal
4 Brazil
4 Chile
4 Georgia
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 Estonia
3 Egypt
2 Argentina
2 Slovenia
2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
2 Hungary
2 Luxembourg
2 Morocco
1 Lithuania
1 Cambodia
1 Cameroon
1 North Macedonia
1 Monaco
1 Afghanistan
1 Armenia
1 Dominican Republic
1 Ukraine
1 Vatican City
1 South Africa
1 Liechtenstein
1 Faroe Islands
1 Costa Rica
1 Andorra
1 Gibraltar
1 Nigeria
1 Tunisia
1 Bhutan
1 Nepal
1 Jordan
1 Poland
1 Latvia
1 Serbia
1 Sri Lanka
19,557 Total Cases Outside of China
3,398 Total Deaths
55,690 Total Recovered
14:00 - Peru confirmed the first case of a coronavirus. The 25-year-old fell ill upon his return from Spain.
13:55 - In Belgium today the number of infected has increased from 50 to 109.
13:40 - The first case of coronavirus infection was confirmed by Slovakia. A 52-year-old fell ill with the virus.
13:38 - Five schools closed in Pennsylvania due to the coronavirus.
Iranian News Agency, Tasnim, has confirmed that recently elected Fatemeh Rahbar has passed away from coronavirus. She is the first female politician to die of coronavirus in that country.
13:31 - French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the French to avoid visiting older relatives who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus
13:25 - Germany has more than 530 cases of coronaviruses.
13:08 - The organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Rotterdam, Netherlands this May, has announced that it is considering options in light of the coronavirus epidemic, which has delayed the Indian film awards.
13:05 - None of those infected on the Nile cruise ship near Egypt showed any symptoms.
12:57 - The number infected worldwide has exceeded 100,000 people. In particular, 100,242 people are infected.
12:35 - 12 coronavirus infected persons were discovered on a Nile cruise ship. They were going for Aswan from Luxor.
12:37 - More than 700 people are quarantined in St. Petersburg, which includes a large number of students who may have been in contact with an Italian student who was diagnosed with coronavirus on Tuesday.
Seven cases of coronavirus have been reported in Russia so far.
12:28 - Iranian authorities warn they may have to use force to limit travel between cities.
There have been 1,234 new cases recorded in the country in the last 24 hours. There are 4,747 in total.
12:15 - In the absence of disinfectants to protect against coronaviruses, disinfectants from domestic handicrafts appeared on social networks, including one with vodka as the main ingredient. The vodka maker immediately denied a tweet claiming their vodka was strong enough to disinfect. Read more.
12:00 - Stock prices around the world are plummeting as investors again fear the impact of the virus on the global economy.
11:40 - Thousands of passengers and crews are aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California awaiting the results of a coronavirus test. Tests were delivered to the cruiser by helicopter after it was revealed that the first person to die in California was on that cruiser.
45 people who were previously on the cruise shipe were also tested. There are about 3500 people on the cruise ship, of which about 4200 are passengers and about 1100 are crew members. A video of test delivery on a cruise ship has also been released.
11:36 - The first case of a coronavirus has been reported in Cameroon. This is a French man who is 58 years old. He is in isolation at the hospital.
11:23 - First coronavirus death confirmed in Netherlands. The 86-year-old who passed away today.
11:15 - More than 60 Cork University Hospital staff are self-isolating after a virus spread through the hospital.
11:10 - The Dutch media reported that the first case of a coronavirus was confirmed in that country.
11:05 - Healthcare professionals in Ireland are trying to reach dozens of people who may have been exposed to the virus after the number doubled within 24 hours.
10:51 - According to the Serbian Minister of Health, the sick man in Serbia is a 43-year-old who has been to Budapest several times. He checked himself in when he felt symptoms and took self-isolation measures, but is experiencing no serious problems.
"He is in isolation at the hospital in Subotica," Minister Loncar said, saying that there was no room to panic, but that caution and prevention were needed because it was a global problem.
Samples for analysis were taken from all persons who were in contact with the infected patient, Loncar added.
10:42 - According to AFP, the Vatican has reported the first case of coronavirus. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said they had discovered everything yesterday, that the check-ups at the Vatican Hospital had been suspended and that disinfection was being carried out.
10:39 - Thailand reported another case of infection, a total of 48 cases.
10:25 - The city of Bethlehem is quarantined after seven people became infected with a coronavirus.
10:18 - The first case of coronavirus was also reported in Serbia. According to the Telegraph, this is a 43-year-old man from Subotica. According to Health Minister Loncar, the man recently came from Hungary.
10:15 - Starbucks has temporarily stopped producing reusable glasses in North America due to the coronavirus.
10:08 - South Korea has confirmed another 309 cases of coronavirus. Thus, the total number of patients in that country increased to 6,593 people. About 60 percent of the cases are related to the controversial Shincheonji sect.
9:40 - Because of the coronavirus, travel abroad for all Croatian students has been delayed.
This news was reported by Education Minister Blazenka Divjak on her Facebook page. The decision to postpone the trip will be effective, she wrote, for at least a month.
"The safety of students and educators must be paramount, which is why we, in cooperation with the Civil Protection Staff, have just sent instructions to schools to delay all trips outside the Republic of Croatia for at least the next month.
Share this important information with your colleagues and friends," Divjak wrote.
9:17 - In Italy, a positive teacher, children in home isolation
According to RaiNews, there is a coronavirus-positive teacher in Arezzo, which is why 112 school children ended up in home isolation.
8:43 - Italian media reports 45 day old baby positive for coronavirus.
8:30 - The White House has failed to deliver enough coronavirus testing equipment.
US Vice President Mike Pence has acknowledged that the Trump administration will not be able to deliver a million coronavirus test kits this week, though it was announced on Monday.
Congress, meanwhile, has unusually quickly approved $8.3 billion as a contagious emergency in the United States, which has expanded to more than 98,000 patients worldwide so far. The majority of patients are in China, with more than 80,000 cases. Read more.
8:23 - Ecuadorian Navy Quarantined
An Ecuadorian Navy ship with 50 people has been quarantined after it was discovered that one crew member was in contact with the first infected person in that country.
All sailors are currently negative, but are nevertheless put in isolation. So far, 13 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Ecuador.
8:16 - Quarantined Danish footballers
The BBC reports that quarantine and Danish footballers from Brondby and Lyngby are also quarantined. The clubs played a game this past weekend and subsequently retired Brondby star Thomas Kahlenberg was diagnosed with a coronavirus. There are 13 people quarantined from Brondby and 3 from Lyngby.
Italian media reported the first death from the coronavirus in Rome. This is a woman who has had cardiovascular problems.
8:04 - The 11th case of coronavirus in Croatia
A new, 11th case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Croatia. This is another person from Varaždin. Read more.
7:58 - Google employees in California get the opportunity to work from home.
7:52 - A video from a morgue in Iran showing bodies in black sacks on the floor appeared on social media. Workers wearing protective suits pass around them. It is not known whether these are people who died from a coronavirus infection, one of the world's hot spots in Iran.
There is another problem in Iran. Namely, according to traditional customs, bodies are washed before burial. But in this case it could spread the infection, so experts recommend avoiding customs while the coronavirus epidemic continues. There are 3513 cases reported in Iran and 108 dead.
7:51 - New cases of infection are also reported in India. In total, 30 people with coronavirus have been confirmed in this country.
7:50 - In the US, 14 people have died.
7:30 - The scientist Igor Rudan discussed mortality and the different percentages that appear in the public and the media. Read more.
7:00 - Stocks on Wall Street plummet due to coronavirus. Read more.
6:55 - In the US, 12 people died from coronavirus. Read more.
6:50 - There are already six infected in Slovenia. They were all discovered yesterday. Read more.
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 5, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 6, 2020:
22:28 - According to the latest information, there have been 160 new cases of coronavirus infection in China today, 467 in South Korea, 769 in Italy and 591 in Iran.
In Italy, 148 people have died of the disease so far, in Iran 108, in South Korea 40, in France 7, in the US 12 and in Japan 6. In some other countries there have also been deaths, but in a smaller number.
22:21 - South Africa reports first case of coronavirus infection in that country.
22:20 - Coronavirus deaths in the US rise to 12.
21:42 - In BiH, while the coronavirus is spreading throughout Europe, they have organized a lecture on coronavirus, to which children have been invited. After the media reported on the lecture, they canceled everything. Read more.
21:36 - Speaker of the European Parliament David Sassoli has decided today to cancel the plenary session in Strasbourg scheduled for next week and to hold it in Brussels instead because of the coronavirus epidemic.
21:30 - Hossein Sheikholeslam, advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, has died of a coronavirus infection. He is the third Iranian statesman to die from the disease, RT reports.
21:00 - The worldwide spread of coronavirus outbreaks can be curbed and controlled, but only through the joint efforts of all world governments, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.
"We call on every country to act swiftly, comprehensively and with clear determination," said WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Read more.
20:30 - Seven people are dead from coronavirus in France. The French health ministry has announced that six men and one woman have died in the country so far in coronavirus and that the majority of deaths are over 80 years old.
20:16 - Portuguese airline TAP has announced it will cancel 1,000 flights during March and April due to the coronavirus epidemic.
20:15 - In Washington, the number of infected people has risen to 70. The number of people infected in the United States is now 205.
19:57 - 252 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Germany, and 42 new cases in Sweden.
19:43 - British health authorities have called on all Britons returning from Italy to self-isolate if they think they have symptoms of coronavirus.
19:30 - Fourth coronavirus infection reported in Brazil.
19:00 - The third case of infection in Slovenia has been confirmed. The Slovenian government announced on Twitter that 433 people were tested and three were infected.
18:57 - Coronavirus Infection in New York State Increases to 22.
18:56 - Iraqi health ministry says three new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the country. The total number of confirmed cases in Iraq is 38.
Russia is canceling SPIEF 2020 economic conference due to coronavirus, RT reports.
18:37 - US President Donald Trump said yesterday evening that he did not believe the World Health Organization estimate that the global coronavirus mortality rate was 3.4% and that these were false figures. Read more.
18:35 - First death in the UK from the coronavirus, Sky News reports, adding that this is an elderly man with pre-existing health problems.
Coronavirus infection has been reported in 18 of the 50 U.S. states, the New York Times reported. The latest patient in Tennessee is a 44-year-old man who recently returned from a trip outside the US. Authorities are trying to contact everyone he has been in contact with.
18:30 - The number of people infected in the UK has increased to 115. This is an increase of 30 people from yesterday.
18:28 - All 26 students and 12 teachers from the Branko Copic Elementary School in Banja Luka who have been in contact with a coronavirus infected student have tested negative for this virus, confirmed Republika Srpska Health Minister Alen Seranic. Recall that in Banja Luka, as it was confirmed earlier today, a man and his son, a boy in primary school, were infected.
18:17 - According to the latest data, the number of deaths from the coronavirus has increased to 148 in Italy. That's 41 more deaths than yesterday. A total of 3858 people were infected and 3296 are currently positive for the coronavirus. 351 were in intensive care and 414 were cured. The infection has spread to all 20 Italian regions.
17:09 - The number of new coronavirus cases in the Netherlands has doubled, with 82 now infected.
17:00 - Split prisoner ends up in hospital on suspicion of coronavirus. Read more.
16:55 - A man from Egypt, 44, who traveled through Serbia to France and then back to his home country, is the third coronavirus-positive person in Egypt, Blic reports.
16:42 - The first Slovenian coronavirus patient visited Morocco with three Croatians. Read more.
Italy has canceled the Roman Marathon scheduled for March 29, organizers said today. It have been postponed until 2021.
16:33 - German pharmacies have been granted permission by the state health ministry to prepare disinfectants themselves, as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, which has led to a shortage of these products.
16:30 - The number of deaths from coronavirus infection in Iran has increased to 107.
16:03 - The Basilica of the Nativity of Jesus was closed today in Bethlehem after four cases of the coronavirus infection were reported in that city.
15:40 - Nearly 300 million students in thirteen countries do not have adequate access to education due to school closures due to coronaviruses, UNESCO said.
15:38 - Beros declares the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic a threat to Croatia. Read more.
15:30 - Lufthansa canceled 7,100 European flights in March due to the coronavirus epidemic.
15:25 - Two more deaths reported from coronavirus infection in France. The death toll in the country has soared to six, AFP reports.
15:20 - The US state of New York has confirmed two more cases of coronavirus, bringing the number of infected at the state level to 13.
15:10 - Two Red Cross volunteers in Lombardy, northern Italy, are positive for coronavirus, said Riccardo Giudici, regional head of the Red Cross, adding that this organization has thousands of volunteers working in the healthcare system in Lombardy.
With two coronavirus-infected volunteers, "140 are considered at-risk because they had contact with patients with coronavirus disease in the first few days of the epidemic." Giudici said cases were suspicious in the testing process.
The number of people infected in the US has increased to 161.
14:20 - The first case was also reported in South Africa.
13:25 - Italy closed schools and universities due to the coronavirus. Museums, cinemas and theaters are also closed.
13:30 - In 24 hours the number of infected people in Germany has jumped to 109. Now the total number of infected is 349.
13:00 - Another case of coronavirus infection confirmed in Slovenia. This is a person who has been in contact with the first patient who is in the hospital.
13:00 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
95,748 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,411 Mainland China
6,088 South Korea
3,089 Italy
2,922 Iran
706 Others
331 Japan
285 France
262 Germany
222 Spain
159 US
110 Singapore
105 Hong Kong
90 Switzerland
85 UK
56 Norway
56 Kuwait
52 Bahrain
52 Australia
50 Malaysia
47 Thailand
42 Taiwan
38 Netherlands
35 Sweden
35 Iraq
34 Canada
29 Austria
28 United Arab Emirates
28 India
26 Iceland
23 Belgium
16 San Marino
16 Vietnam
15 Oman
15 Israel
13 Lebanon
12 Algeria
10 Macau
10 Ecuador
10 Denmark
10 Croatia
9 Greece
8 Czech Republic
8 Qatar
7 Finland
6 Romania
6 Ireland
6 Belarus
5 Pakistan
5 Portugal
5 Mexico
4 Senegal
4 Brazil
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 New Zealand
3 Azerbaijan
3 Russia
3 Georgia
3 Philippines
2 Saudi Arabia
2 Indonesia
2 Hungary
2 Estonia
2 Egypt
1 Lithuania
1 Cambodia
1 Argentina
1 Slovenia
1 North Macedonia
1 Monaco
1 Afghanistan
1 Armenia
1 Dominican Republic
1 Ukraine
1 Liechtenstein
1 Faroe Islands
1 Luxembourg
1 Andorra
1 Gibraltar
1 Nigeria
1 Chile
1 Morocco
1 Nepal
1 Jordan
1 Poland
1 Latvia
1 Tunisia
1 Sri Lanka
15,337 Total Cases Outside of China
3,286 Total Deaths
53,423 Total Recovered
12:35 - Scientists say they have isolated two strains of coronaviruses. Yet, after it was announced yesterday that one strain was more aggressive, scientists are refuting it today.
"Differences in the genetic code of the virus strains have been found, but it has not been proven that this changes the way the virus behaves," scientists say today.
12:20 - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a letter of support to Seoul expressing his desire for South Korea to "recover" quickly from coronaviruses, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's office said.
12:01 - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank announce more than $ 60 billion in aid to countries affected by the coronavirus epidemic.
11:58 - Greece reports that the number of coronavirus-infected people has increased to 10, and it concerns a person who recently visited Israel and Egypt on a religious pilgrimage. Greece had closed schools 48 days earlier and banned public gatherings in three districts in the west of the country.
Germany reported 109 new cases of coronavirus infection in just one day, bringing the total number of patients to 349. Most, with 175 cases, the province of North Rhine-Westphalia was affected.
In the US, two more died of coronaviruses and the number of deaths climbed to 11, and the House of Representatives decided to allocate $ 8.3 billion to fight the epidemic. One of the deceased is from Sacramento, California, and is the first death outside Washington state. Overall, the US records 100 cases of coronavirus infection.
According to the latest data, the number of infected people worldwide has risen to 95,371, with 3,284 dead in 84 countries.
South Korean authorities announced 467 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total number of infected in South Korea to 6088, the highest outside China.
Three new deaths have been confirmed, bringing the total death toll to 35, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
Iraq recorded three deaths caused by a new coronavirus in just one day on Wednesday, the first deaths in the country bordering Iran, one of the hardest hit countries, with nearly 100 dead, according to official figures.
Baghdad has reported 35 cases of infection in recent days. But on Wednesday, the Covid-19 epidemic claimed the lives of a 40-million-population state in which there is a chronic shortage of medical supplies, medicines and hospitals.
11:55 - In Iceland, the number of infected people has increased from 10 to 26.
11:50 - Iran closes all schools and universities until March 20.
11:49 - The World ATM Congress, scheduled to take place in Madrid next week, has been canceled due to the spread of coronaviruses. Read more.
11:35 - WHO has sent a new alert on coronaviruses. They say fraudsters present themselves to people as WHO staff and ask them for money and personal information.
"If you are contacted by a person claiming to be a WHO employee, be sure to ask them for identification documents," the WHO warned, and listed a few things that WHO staff would never do:
- Asked you to sign in to your account to get information
- send attachments in e-mails that you did not request
- Ask you to visit any site except www.who.int
- charge you for a job application or conference or hotel booking
11:14 - Health Minister Vili Beros presented a report on the epidemiological situation with coronavirus at a cabinet session on Thursday, assessing that it is currently promising and satisfactory with respect to the 10 patients.
"In Croatia, out of 251 tested, there are 10 positive so far, three in Zagreb, five in Rijeka, two in Varaždin. This epidemiological picture is promising and satisfactory, since these are only three outbreaks. soon detected and put under surveillance," Beros said. Read more.
10:59 - Switzerland reports the first death of a coronavirus. It's about a 74-year-old woman who fell ill two days ago, the BBC reports.
10:15 - Health Minister Vili Beros says Croatia has shown its readiness and organization to fight coronavirus and that a number of measures are in preparation, if necessary given the epidemiological situation.
"I am happy with the number of patients, because if you look at the countries in the surrounding area, they show a significant increase in the number of patients, and we are at only 10 patients. that threat, "Beros told reporters at the Court.
Asked if the economy could withstand given that some employers say the crisis is near, he hoped the crisis would last as short as possible and that warmer weather would cause the epidemic to decline.
"We are in a different position from other countries. The Italian economy suffers enormous losses and in this way - by preventing the spread of disease - we are also fighting for the Croatian economy," the minister said.
He confirmed that they were considering some kind of assistance fund, which they are in constant communication with Finance Minister Zdravko Maric, and that they have a number of measures that are ready for activation depending on the further development of the epidemiological situation.
Beros also spoke with Minister of Science and Education Blazenka Divjak, who announced providing an alternative way of following the school curriculum through interactive online classes, if needed.
He reiterated that people need to be careful, but there is no general ban on organizing various events.
10:05 - Minister of Science and Education Blazenka Divjak announced at the Faculty of Electronics and Computing alternative ways of education in case the situation with the coronavirus worsens.
If the situation with the coronavirus worsens, it will go to online classes in schools and colleges, said Minister Divjak, N1 reports.
9:45 - Croatian Health Minister Wili Beros says there are no new cases of coronavirus infection in Croatia so far. There are still 10 patients.
The last infected driver was a truck driver from Varaždin who was in Italy. Beros said there were more suspected infections, 272 specimens were tested and 10 were still awaiting findings. So far, 3.98% of the samples tested have been positive, the minister said.
Beros also announced that he would declare the danger of a coronavirus outbreak today, but that it was merely an administrative measure and did not apply to school closures, HRT reports.
"We have a number of other measures in preparation, which we will not activate now, however, they are ready depending on the further development of the situation," Beros said. He added that these measures will be activated when the epidemiological situation in Croatia requires it.
9:30 - New details on infected in BiH have been released. It's about father and son. Read more.
9:08 - The outgoing Slovenian government will discuss the necessary measures at a regular session today, as the first case of coronavirus in their country was confirmed late Wednesday night.
It is a patient who returned to Slovenia a few days ago from Morocco via an airport in Italy, while the mode of transport in Slovenia is unknown for now.
According to the first assumptions made by Slovenian infectologists presented at a press conference late last night, the patient was not infected in Slovenia but probably in Morocco, but that remains to be determined, Slovenian Radio reported in the morning news.
9:07 - Nearly three hundred million students in the world are staying home from school, and Italy is the last in a series of countries to close schools to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus that is spreading panic across the globe and threatening the world economy, AFP reports Thursday.
Italy, Europe's first focal point, which crossed the threshold of one hundred deaths (107 deaths out of 3089 patients) on Wednesday, introduced unusual measures and closed all schools and universities until Thursday March 15.
In South Korea, the second largest hotbed of contagion after China has 145 new cases Thursday, with a total of 5766 infected, 35 of which have died, schools and nurseries will be closed for another three weeks.
In Iran, too, where authorities have reported another 15 deaths (92 in total out of 2,922 infected), schools are closing, cultural and sporting events are canceled, and the working hours for public administration have been shortened.
Thirteen countries have had to close all schools due to the epidemic, affecting 290 million students worldwide, according to UNESCO, which speaks of "numbers not seen before".
9:04 - Six more people are infected in Iceland, which means that the number of infected people in the country has increased to 25.
9:01 - Poland confirmed the first case of infection. This is a man who came from Germany. In Poland, a total of 584 people were tested for the coronavirus.
8:23 - In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Republika Srpska, the first case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed, confirmed by the Republika Srpska Ministry of Health, Klix reports.
In Republika Srpska, 144 people are currently under medical supervision, who came from SARS-CoV-2 virus areas, while no coronavirus patients have been reported so far.
So far, no cases of new coronavirus disease have been registered in the Federation of BiH. Read more.
7:57 - A total of 29 cases of infection have been reported in India.
7:33 - Japan's western Shiga prefecture reports its first coronavirus infection after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that the Olympics in Japan will begin on schedule in July.
A man in the 60s was positive for the virus, the first confirmed case of infection in Shiga Prefecture, an official told a media briefing on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan are well over a thousand since Wednesday, when 36 new cases were detected. This is the largest one-day increase in Japan, where 12 people died in the epidemic, according to the health ministry.
The rapidly expanding epidemic has raised questions about whether Tokyo can host the Olympics, which are set to begin on July 24.
7:15 - There were 160 new confirmed cases in mainland China on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said, bringing its total number to 80,409.
In Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, the number of new infections climbed to 131 from 114 days earlier. But the number of new confirmed cases in Hubei, with the exception of Wuhan, remained unchanged seven days in a row, with three new infections reported on Wednesday.
Outside Hubei, there are only five new confirmed cases, and the death toll from mainland China on Wednesday reached 3,012 - up 31 from the previous day.
7:05 - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency because of the coronavirus in a state that now has 53 confirmed cases.
Earlier Wednesday, health officials announced the first death of a coronavirus in California, an elderly person.
It was the first coronavirus death in the United States outside of Washington state, killing 10 people.
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 4, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 5, 2020:
22:50 - The Coronavirus caused a second death in Australia. This is a 95-year-old nursing home resident who died Tuesday, and findings have now shown he was positive for the virus.
22:05 - Press conference of the Slovenian Minister of Health on the first case of infection in that country, details have been published. Read more.
21:44 - The number of people infected in the UK has risen to 87. Today is the highest daily jump in the number of people infected in Britain so far. Of the 36 newly infected, 32 are from England, two from Scotland and two from Northern Ireland.
21:30 - The first case of coronavirus infection in Slovenia has been confirmed. This was announced by Slovenian outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Sarec on Twitter. A press release is scheduled for 21:30 CET and more information should be available after that.
21:18 - Multiple US colleges cancel their basketball games for fear of coronavirus.
21:05 - First death in California from Coronavirus infection, bringing death toll to 11 in the United States. An elderly Placer County patient with health problems has died. He probably got infected on the Princess Diamond cruise ship.
20:32 - The number infected in the US has increased to 149.
King County Health Department in Washington state says there aren't enough coronavirus tests to meet current demand, CNN reported.
20:05 - In the US, a tenth person has died of coronavirus.
19:50 - According to the latest information, one of the infected in the US is a lawyer from Manhattan. The man was hospitalized for the coronavirus and is in "critical condition" and tests have confirmed that his family is also infected.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the wife (of the lawyer), son, daughter and neighbor from Westchester County have also contracted the virus, but none have severe symptoms.
19:34 - More detailed information on the first two cases of coronavirus in Hungary has been published.
19:41 - 52 new cases have been reported in Germany, 57 in Spain, 45 in France.
19:30 - A second case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Chile.
18:55 - A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles after identifying six new cases of coronavirus infection.
18:53 - The number infected in the US has increased to 137.
18:50 - The first two cases of contagion in Hungary have been confirmed, and the prime minister of the country said the infected are two Iranian students studying in Hungary.
18:43 - Trade shows such as Berlin's largest tourism fair are canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic, and it was announced today that the Venice Biennale is being postponed for August.
The World Architecture Summit will take place from 29 August to 29 November instead of 23 May to 29 November, organizers announced today.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank decided on Tuesday to hold virtual sessions until the outbreak subsides, and the London Book Fair was canceled.
18:26 - It is confirmed that all schools and universities will be closed in Italy by tomorrow, at least until March 15. Both cinemas and theaters are closing. Public events throughout the country are also banned.
18:13 - According to the latest figures 107 people have died from coronaviruses in Italy. There are 3089 people infected. The death toll has increased by 28 yesterday and the number infected by 587. 295 people are in intensive care and 276 have recovered from coronaviruses.
18:06 - A Chinese scientist has injected an untested coronavirus vaccine. Read more.
18:05 - Israel has today imposed restrictions on passengers arriving from Germany, France, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. When entering the country, they must spend some time in home quarantine to determine that they are not infected with the coronavirus.
Israel has already introduced this measure for flights from Italy, China and Singapore.
17:58 - In Hong Kong, a dog has been infected with a coronavirus by its owner. Read more.
17:55 - After the Coronavirus epidemic postponed today's match between Juventus and Milan, the Italian Football League has postponed another Cup semi-final match between Napoli and Inter Milan. The match was to be played on Thursday in Naples, but the match was postponed.
So far, 12 games have been postponed in Italy.
17:43 - A second case of coronavirus infection confirmed in Senegal.
17:40 - South Korea plans to use GPS system to monitor quarantined citizens for coronavirus. If they leave the area where they are isolated from the environment, the system should sound an alarm and notify the responsible services.
17:36 - 15 new cases have been reported in Norway, with the majority of people infected in Italy.
17:30 - Two new infections have been reported in Greece. Six new cases are being recorded in Iceland. Romania has two new cases.
17:22 - Italy will close schools, at least until mid-March, reports Correre del Sera, according to whose sources the decision has already been made and just needs to be formally confirmed. "The decision will be formalized in the next few hours," Italian Education Minister Lucia Azzolina told Corriere. In addition to schools, universities should be temporarily closed.
16:55 - Delta Airlines has announced that it will reduce its number of flights to Japan as there has been "reduced demand due to coronaviruses".
16:30 - British Health Minister Matt Hancock will chair an emergency meeting today on the situation with the coronavirus epidemic. The meeting will start at 17:00 CET.
16:07 - A tenth case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Croatia. Read more.
16:05 - The Italian government intends to close cinemas and theaters and ban public events across the country in an attempt to curb the coronavirus epidemic, according to a draft state regulation today.
The regulation, which Reuters revealed, mandates "suspending events of any nature ... involving the gathering of multiple people in one place and preventing the security measure of at least one meter from being observed."
16:00 - A sixth coronavirus infection has been confirmed in New York.
15:58 - In France, 120 schools have been closed because of the coronavirus, according to The Independent.
15:50 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that false information about the coronavirus in Russia is being bribed from abroad and that nothing "critical" is happening in that country.
15:44 - Lufthansa Airlines announces that it will land 150 of its approximately 750 aircraft due to the coronavirus epidemic.
15:38 - A third case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed in New York. Yeshiva University said one of their students is positive for the new strain of the virus.
15:30 - A second case of coronavirus infection confirmed at EU institution in Brussels, AFP reports.
Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant confirmed earlier today that a coronavirus had been infected by an official of the European Defense Agency, whose headquarters is in Brussels, but is located just outside the European Quarter. It was the first confirmed case in an EU institution.
15:20 - The number infected in India has increased to 28, including 16 Italians currently in the country.
15:15 - In the last 24 hours, 34 new cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Britain, which means that the number of infected people in the country has increased to 85.
15:10 - The International Monetary Fund has pledged "all available financing options" to help countries fighting the coronavirus epidemic, AFP reports.
15:05 - The Czech government has banned the sale of FFP3 medical face masks, which it considers to be most effective, except for health and social care institutions, public health authorities, ambulances and other government agencies, CNN reports.
14:50 - Another person infected in the UK.
The Italian government has once again announced the closure of schools and universities. Lucia Azzolina, education minister, said school closures would be decided in the coming hours. They say they know this will have huge repercussions for entire families, adding that the decision to close will be formalized in the coming hours.
14:23 - Japan reports that they plan to hold the Olympics within the timeframe planned, without delay.
14:20 - The Paris Louvre reopens.
According to the BBC, referring to the writing of the Italian news agency Anse, the Italian government has decided to close all schools and universities because of the coronavirus. Classes are delayed until the middle of March.
13:40 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
94,189 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,270 Mainland China
5,621 South Korea
2,922 Iran
2,502 Italy
706 Others
304 Japan
244 Germany
212 France
193 Spain
127 US
110 Singapore
102 Hong Kong
68 Switzerland
56 Kuwait
53 UK
49 Bahrain
43 Thailand
42 Taiwan
39 Australia
38 Netherlands
36 Malaysia
35 Sweden
33 Canada
32 Norway
32 Iraq
28 India
27 United Arab Emirates
27 Austria
23 Belgium
16 Iceland
16 Vietnam
13 Lebanon
12 Israel
12 Oman
10 San Marino
10 Denmark
10 Macau
9 Croatia
8 Qatar
7 Ecuador
7 Greece
6 Finland
5 Czech Republic
5 Algeria
5 Pakistan
5 Mexico
4 Romania
4 Portugal
3 Georgia
3 Russia
3 Philippines
3 Saint Barthelemy
3 Azerbaijan
2 Ireland
2 Indonesia
2 Senegal
2 Estonia
2 New Zealand
2 Brazil
2 Egypt
1 Afghanistan
1 Lithuania
1 Nepal
1 Luxembourg
1 Andorra
1 Saudi Arabia
1 Armenia
1 Argentina
1 Nigeria
1 Jordan
1 Chile
1 Dominican Republic
1 Ukraine
1 North Macedonia
1 Morocco
1 Cambodia
1 Monaco
1 Belarus
1 Liechtenstein
1 Latvia
1 Tunisia
1 Sri Lanka
13,919 Total Cases Outside of China
3,213 Total Deaths
51,004 Total Recovered
13:30 - The German health minister says coronavirus infection has become a global pandemic. Read more.
13:15 - A young man has been quarantined at a hospital in Bjelovar on suspicion of being infected with a coronavirus. He stayed with his girlfriend in Italy and Morocco in mid-February. He has symptoms of the disease, but test results are still pending.
13:00 - Croatian scientist Igor Rudan says the virus might mutate. These mutations could go in multiple directions. Read more.
12:46 - Germany has banned the export of protective masks and other protective equipment such as gloves and protective clothing. Exceptions are possible only when it comes to international aid actions, and the decision is made by the German Ministry of Health. Coronavirus infections have been confirmed in 15 of the 16 German provinces, and the Crisis Headquarters, with this ban on the export of protective equipment, wants to prevent a shortage of equipment to combat the spread of the infection in Germany.
12:35 - A coronavirus case has been confirmed at a European Union office in Brussels. Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant confirmed the information, which has been circulating on social media since morning.
This is an official from the European Defense Agency, whose headquarters is in Brussels, but is located just outside the European Quarter. This is the first confirmed case to date. So far, the European Parliament is the only institution that has preventively closed its doors to visitors. As a result, over a hundred public events that were to take place at the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels have been canceled.
12:20 - The coronavirus has hit almost all of Iran's provinces, Iranian President Hasan Rohani said, according to the Iranian president's official website.
"This disease is a widespread disease," he said.
"It has reached almost all of our provinces and is in some ways a global disease," Rohani added
As of Tuesday, 586 new cases of coronavirus infection in Iran have been reported, bringing the total to 2922, with 92 deaths from coronaviruses in that country so far, the highest number of deaths outside China.
Iraq reports that a seventy-seven-year-old imam from Suleimaniya, a city located in Iraqi Kurdistan, died of coronavirus. He is the first person to die of coronavirus in the Arab world.
11:59 - Chinese scientists studying the origin of the new coronavirus epidemic say they have discovered two major strains that can cause the infection.
Experts from the University of Beijing and the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, who works at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, warned that the analysis included only a limited range of samples, and said they would need to conduct additional research on a larger sample to better understand the development of the virus.
Preliminary research suggests that the more aggressive strain of the new coronavirus that is associated with the outbreak of the disease in Wuhan, accounts for about 70 percent of the samples analyzed, while 30 percent is associated with the less aggressive type of virus.
They also said that the prevalence of the more aggressive strain of the virus began to decline in early January.
11:55 - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that it is developing a drug for blood-derived COVID-19, adding that it is negotiating with research authorities in Europe, the US and Asia. Read more.
11:37 - Organizers of Hanover Messe, one of the largest industry fairs in the world, have announced that the fair will be moved to July due to the coronavirus epidemic.
11:11 - The average incubation time for a new coronavirus is five to seven days and a maximum of 14 days, the head of the Intensive Care Unit of the Du Bin Chinese Medical Association announced at a press conference in Beijing.
Du also said there were no reports of follow-up of some people who were positive for the virus after being discharged from a hospital in Hubei province.
According to him, there is no evidence that such patients can contract another person's virus.
10:51 - These are the countries with the most infected:
China (80,270 cases, 2981 dead)
South Korea (5612 cases, 32 dead)
Italy (2502 cases, 79 dead)
Iran (2359 cases, 77 dead)
Japan (991 cases, 12 dead)
9:58 - South Korea reports a new 293 infections, bringing the total number of infected to 5612. 32 people have died so far in the country.
9:44 - The head of the Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health said that the situation in Croatia is the same as yesterday. But in Italy everything is worse.
9:42 - Poland announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus on Wednesday, showing that the disease is spreading around the world despite health services trying to curb it.
Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said Wednesday that the patient was feeling well and was being treated at a hospital in Zielona Gora in the western part of the country. The patient was recently visiting Germany, the minister said.
The patient's family and the people he was in contact with were quarantined, he added.
Currently, 500 people are quarantined in Poland, while 68 people suspected of having the virus are housed in hospitals.
9:39 - Hong Kong has confirmed two new infections, bringing the total number of infected to 103.
9:00 - The President of the World Health Organization warns of a shortage of medical supplies worldwide. The WHO estimates that 89 million protective masks, 76 million medical gloves and 1.6 million safety glasses will be needed worldwide for healthcare professionals.
"Due to major shortcomings, doctors and medical professionals around the world, who are on the front lines of defense against coronaviruses, are inadequately equipped," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
8:42 - A student from Singapore is attacked in central London. Read more.
8:29 - The number infected in the US has now grown to 126. 45 were infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Nine people have died.
8:03 - Two new infections have been confirmed in Australia. A total of 42 people are now infected.
7:53 - Fifteen Italian nationals in India tested positive for coronavirus, and in Italy, 2502 cases and 79 deaths have been reported in Italy, media reported on Wednesday.
Doordarshan State Television, as well as private television NDTV and CNN-News 18 reported that 21 tourists were tested in the capital city of New Delhi.
All Italians in the western desert province of Rajasthan have tested positive for the virus, a health official said.
7:50 - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said the current mortality rate for confirmed coronavirus cases is about 3.4%, far higher than the mortality rate for seasonal influenza, which is below 1%.
"In short, COVID-19 spreads less efficiently than the flu, and those who do not have the symptoms appear to be not contagious. Coronavirus causes more serious illnesses than the flu, so far no vaccines or drugs are available, but the epidemic can be controlled," Ghebreyesus told a news conference journalists in Geneva.
7:30 - South Korea reports 516 new cases of coronavirus infection today, with thousands waiting for a hospital bed in Daegu, the city from which the worst epidemic outside mainland China has started.
The total number of people infected in South Korea is now 5328, with at least 32 deaths, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most of the infected are in and around Daegu, the fourth largest city in the country, in which the virus spread extremely rapidly across members of a Christian sect.
Health officials expect that the number of newborns will be much higher in the near future as about 200,000 sect members and thousands of other suspected cases end up being tested.
"We need special measures," South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a special cabinet session. "To overcome COVID-19 as soon as possible and minimize its impact on the economy, we need to proactively engage all available resources."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has canceled trips to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Turkey, which he is due to travel to in the middle of the month, due to the alarmingly rapid spread of coronavirus infection.
Hospitals in the worst-hit cities are overcrowded, so in Daegu, 2,300 people are waiting to be admitted to a hospital or temporary medical facility, said Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang-lip.
A military hospital with a hundred beds that treated some of the most serious cases should get another hundred by Thursday, he said.
On Tuesday, Moon declared war on the coronavirus. "The whole country is at war with a contagious disease, and the crisis in Daeguu and Gyeongbuku provinces has peaked," he said at a government meeting, referring to the most affected parts of the country.
7:00 - China has today re-reported a decline in new cases of coronavirus infection as its focus shifts to controlling the risk of infections from the outside, as outbreaks of the disease that originated in China have emerged around the world.
Authorities urged Chinese living outside the country to reflect on their travel plans as more cities in China quarantine people coming from at-risk countries.
Mainland China had 119 new cases Tuesday, slightly less than the day before (125).
The number of newborns has been declining since mid-February.
There are now 80,270 people infected in mainland China and 2,881 have died.
The number of new cases of infection worldwide exceeds the number of new cases in China, with crisis centers in Iran, Italy and South Korea.
6:55 - In addition to Japan and South Korea, coronavirus has also been intensively struggling in recent days with France, the United Kingdom and the United States. In France, 203 were infected and four died, in the US 108 were infected and nine died. There are 51 people infected in Britain, with 12 new cases reported today in Britain. The British National Health Service has therefore declared today the fourth level of coronavirus, the highest level of emergency.
On the other hand, according to the National Health Commission, 196 new cases were confirmed in Hubei province on Sunday, down from 570 newly infected just a day earlier. A total of 126 new confirmed cases have been reported in mainland China today, the lowest number since January 22.
As of 18:00 CET on Monday, China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, France and the United States registered new cases and Morocco, Latvia and Ukraine diagnosed the first cases in their territories.
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 3, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 4, 2020:
22:59 - A new case of coronavirus infection has been reported in Ireland. It is a woman from the east of the country who traveled to the north of Italy.
22:57 - Six new cases have been reported in the UAE, with schools closing for four weeks.
22:52 - Six new infections have been reported in Denmark, two in Portugal, one in Estonia and six in Sweden.
22:35 - Google has canceled its biggest annual event because of concerns about the coronavirus epidemic.
"The annual Google I/O 2020 developer conference, scheduled to take place May 12-14 at Google's California headquarters, has been canceled," the company announced today.
22:15 - A second case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Ireland. This is a woman who recently traveled to Italy.
22:10 - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the current mortality rate for confirmed coronavirus cases is about 3.4%, far higher than the seasonal influenza mortality rate below 1%. Read more.
21:40 - In the US, the number of coronavirus infected people has risen to 118. The death toll in the US has risen to nine, according to the Washington State Department of Health. It has been infected in the US 27.
Spain confirms first death caused by coronavirus, Reuters reports.
21:09 - The first case of coronavirus infection was reported in Chile.
21:04 - US President Donald Trump says he is considering introducing additional travel restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus.
21:01 - In the US, deaths from coronavirus have increased to seven. This is a person who passed away last week in Seattle, Washington. The death has now been determined to be coronavirus-related, the New York Times reported.
20:14 - In Argentina, the first case of the coronavirus infection was confirmed, and the first case of infection is confirmed in Liechtenstein.
19:53 - According to the latest information, there are 2502 infected in Italy. This is almost 250 more than the last figures that were current half an hour ago.
19:40 - In the US, the number of coronavirus infected people has increased to 108.
19:33 - The British National Health Service has declared the fourth highest level of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak.
19:28 - Iran has released 54,000 prisoners. They stated that they did so to prevent the spread of coronavirus in overcrowded prisons, and that it was a temporary release. Prisoners sentenced to more than five years in prison will not be released.
19:22 - The death toll in Italy has increased by as many as 27 people since yesterday. It is infected in 19 Italian regions, only one without coronavirus infection. 25,856 people were sampled for coronavirus testing. 1034 patients were hospitalized with symptoms, of which 229 were in intensive care.
19:07 - According to the latest information, in Italy, 79 people have died from the coronavirus and 2263 were infected.160 people have recovered from the virus.
18:50 - Kenya suspends all flights to and from northern Italy for fear of a coronavirus epidemic.
18:40 - Construction of an emergency field hospital started in the Komi region in Iran due to the coronavirus epidemic. Read more.
18:00 - US President Donald Trump says his administration is "working hard" to combat the coronavirus.
"We hold regular meetings with regional and health officials in 30 states," Trump said this morning and then complained that the situation could change very quickly.
17:40 - The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was found that only 1% of those infected with the coronavirus in China had no symptoms.
17:25 - A British woman staying at a hotel in Tenerife who was quarantined for a coronavirus has tested positive for the virus, Sky News reported.
17:00 - Croatian Health Minister Vili Beros unveils new details on the coronavirus in Croatia at a press conference. Nine people have been infected and all are feeling well. Only two of them have a fever. Read more.
16:20 - The United States Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates to safeguard its economy from the effects of the coronavirus.
16:07 - A fourth person has died in France due to the coronavirus infection, the French Ministry of Health said. The age and gender of the victim are not known at this time.
16:00 - The government of France says it is taking control of the production and stock of face shields, AFP reports.
15:18 - Suspected Coronavirus cases in Split. Two people are in isolation. Read more.
15:16 - Another person in the US state of New York has been infected with the coronavirus, which means that two people are now positive for the virus in that US state.
14:55 - What the world has learned about fighting the virus after the major Spanish flu pandemic that killed tens of millions of people a hundred years ago. Read more.
14:15 - In the UK, 51 people are infected with the coronavirus.
14:02 - The British government issued an action plan to combat the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday, including possible measures to close schools, work from home and cancel large rallies. Read more.
14:00 - A patient from Varaždin who has been confirmed with the coronavirus (COVID-19) today is a young man who privately stayed in Milan last week with three friends. The patient is not a truck driver as was previously reported. He is allegedly about a well-known person from Varazdin, who is in his early thirties, and from a wealthy family.
13:43 - Most of the Google staff in Dublin have been told to work from home after an employee reported flu-like symptoms. About 8,000 people work in that office.
13:33 - Iran's emergency services chief Pirhusein Kolivand has been infected with a coronavirus, ILNA news agency reported.
13:20 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
91,320 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,151 Mainland China
5,186 South Korea
2,036 Italy
1,501 Iran
706 Others
274 Japan
191 France
165 Germany
120 Spain
108 Singapore
105 US
100 Hong Kong
56 Kuwait
49 Bahrain
43 Thailand
42 Taiwan
42 Switzerland
40 UK
36 Malaysia
31 Australia
27 Canada
26 Iraq
25 Norway
21 United Arab Emirates
18 Netherlands
18 Austria
16 Vietnam
15 Sweden
13 Lebanon
12 Israel
10 Macau
9 Iceland
9 Croatia
8 San Marino
8 Belgium
7 Qatar
7 Greece
6 Ecuador
6 Oman
6 Finland
5 Algeria
5 India
5 Pakistan
5 Mexico
4 Czech Republic
4 Denmark
3 Georgia
3 Philippines
3 Russia
3 Romania
3 Azerbaijan
2 Indonesia
2 Brazil
2 Portugal
2 Egypt
1 Afghanistan
1 Lithuania
1 Nepal
1 Luxembourg
1 Andorra
1 Saudi Arabia
1 Ireland
1 Nigeria
1 Senegal
1 Armenia
1 Dominican Republic
1 Estonia
1 North Macedonia
1 Morocco
1 Cambodia
1 Monaco
1 Belarus
1 New Zealand
1 Latvia
1 Sri Lanka
11,169 Total Cases Outside of China
3,118 Total Deaths
48,155 Total Recovered
13:18 - Reuters reports that the book fair in Leipzig has been canceled due to the coronavirus. This is one of the most important book fairs in Europe.
13:13 - South Korea reports three more deaths, with the total death toll rising to 31 in the country.
13:09 - France has closed more than 120 schools in areas where a large number of infections have been reported.
So far, 191 infections and three deaths have been reported in that country.
13:05 - In just one day, the number of infected people in Iran has jumped by 832 and now the total number of infected is 2336. A total of 77 people have died.
12:54 - The UN postpones its annual meeting on gender equality in New York due to the spread of coronavirus. This, in turn, has led to the cancellation of hundreds of events across New York.
German politicians announced Tuesday that they are seeking a package of measures to help the economy with the damage caused by the coronavirus epidemic, which should include tax breaks, among other things.
"It is high time for the Ministry of the Economy to form a crisis headquarters. The OECD has already warned of the possibility of a recession due to the coronavirus epidemic," Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) President Christian Lindner told Dpa news agency.
Lindner rebuked Economy Minister Peter Altmaier for not recognizing the gravity of the situation. As one measure, Lindner called for the immediate abolition of the so-called solidarity surtax, which all taxpayers have been paying since the 1990s to rebuild the former East Germany.
Iran has confirmed 11 more deaths. There are a total of 77 deaths from coronavirus.
11:35 - The number of infected people in Italy is slowing down. While the number has increased by up to 50 percent day by day, 258 new cases have been reported today, up only 16 percent.
To date, a total of 1835 cases have been reported in Italy. 52 people died, and 149 have recovered.
China is evacuating its citizens from Iran amid more and more infected people in China.
11:30 - A million people could be tested for coronavirus in the US by the end of the week, CNN reports.
10:52 - Japan has announced that the number of coronavirus infected has increased. There are now 980 cases in that country.
10:49 - Due to fears of COVID-19 coronavirus infection spreading, another WTA tennis tournament to be played in China has been canceled.
Following the cancellation of the 125K tournament scheduled to take place in April in Xi'an last month, it has been decided that the Anning tournament of the same category, which was scheduled to take place from April 27 to May 3, will not be held.
Despite these cancellations, the WTA expects all other events on the calendar to be held, including all of China's largest tournaments - Zhengzhou, Jiangxi, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, Tianjin and Zhuhai - scheduled for September and October, as and the WTA "masters" the top eight players of the season, scheduled to take place in Shenzhen from November 1-8.
10:45 - AM Gibraltar has confirmed the first case of coronavirus infection.
10:41 - Another 33 infections have just emerged in Germany. A total of 188 people are now infected in the country.
10:32 - Ukraine reports first coronavirus case, Reuters reports. An infected man traveled to northern Ukraine via Romania to Ukraine.
10:30 - 23 members of the Iranian parliament are infected with a coronavirus, the deputy speaker of parliament confirmed.
10:27 - Japan's Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto said today in an interview with MPs that Tokyo has a contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone this year's Games until the end of the year.
"The contract states that the Games will be held during 2020. This can be interpreted as a postponement permit, although we are doing everything we can to keep them running according to the original plan," Hashimoto said.
This year's Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9, but the spread of the coronavirus epidemic that has emerged in neighboring China has put the games in jeopardy, though IOC President Thomas Bach said last week his organization and further "fully committed" to the plan to hold the Games according to the original plan.
Any delay in the Games would be very costly for Japan, which has already invested 1.35 trillion yen (about 11 billion euros) in preparation for them.
10:20 - Beijing orders all travelers arriving to Beijing from areas with large numbers of infected to be quarantined for two weeks.
9:55 - The Guardian reports that British supermarkets are developing plans to stop panic shopping caused by the rapid increase in coronavirus infections. Some British supermarkets have reported signs of panic. Customers were massively buying bottled water, canned food, pasta and cleaning products. Read more.
9:45 - According to BBC reports, two more have died in South Korea. A total of 31 people have died in this country. South Korea reported 374 new infections today, while the total number of infected people has risen to 5,186 people.
According to CNN, five people have been infected with a coronavirus in the Czech Republic. Two patients are Czechs who were in the north of Italy, one person is an American student studying in Milan, and the fourth is a young Ecuadorian who traveled with him to the north of Italy. A fifth returned from Italy on Friday.
9:28 - Seven new cases reported in Malaysia. There are now a total of 36 infected. Five new cases have been reported in Ecuador.
9:27 - In Croatia, another case of coronavirus infection has been confirmed. It is the ninth case of a virus infection in Croatia, and the infected person is from Varaždin. This is a driver who went for goods to the affected areas of Italy.
For the time being, the Varaždin hospital could not obtain information about his health status. Croatian Health Minister Willi Beros will visit the hospital this afternoon.
9:25 - French police fired tear gas at a group of people trying to block the entry of a cruiser into Reunion Island. There are about 2000 people on the cruiser, and locals fear that some of them may be infected with the coronavirus, although no cases have been confirmed on the cruiser so far.
About 30 protesters hit the police with stones and bottles, and police responded with tear gas.
9:20 - "The crisis in Daegu and in the north of Gyeongsang Province has peaked and the whole country has entered a war against that infectious disease," said South Korean President Moon.
According to Google, some Dublin staff were told to work from home after one of their colleagues had flu-like symptoms.
8:53 - The Shincheonji sect has handed over a list of 310,000 members to South Korean authorities. The authorities will review them all.
8:43 - According to Chinese media, another Wuhan doctor has died. Dr. Mei Zhongming was a colleague of Li Wenliang, a doctor who died from coronavirus a few weeks after he first tried to warn of the epidemic.
8:15 - South Korea declares war on the coronavirus after 600 newly infected people.
7:59 - The Pope has had a cold for several days, and given the fact that he shook and hugged people in St. Peter's Square five days ago, many wondered what was wrong with him. Since his cold has been gone for days, he has fever and cough, and he has taken a test for coronavirus and the result is negative, Il Messaggero reported.
The Pope's spokesman declined to comment on the news, the Guardian reports. Read more.
China's state-run media reports that Apple will be hit hard by the effects of coronaviruses. They say a factory in Shanghai that produces 40 percent of their phones is currently operating at 25 percent of capacity because only a quarter of their workers have returned to work. The second plant operates at only 22 percent.
7:47 - In Australia, four new infections have been reported and a total of 35 people are infected. In India, the sixth case of infection has been confirmed. Five new cases have been reported in the UK and now there are 40 infected.
7:46 - Two members of the Korean religious sect Shincheonji, which is at the center of the infestation in South Korea, visited Wuhan as the infection spread and became infected with the disease.
The virus was transmitted to South Korea, and more than half of those infected in South Korea are part of the sect.
7:44 - 4,812 people are infected in South Korea. So far, 29 people have died and 125,851 people have been tested. 16,260 coronavirus tests were only done yesterday.
Morocco has confirmed the first two cases of coronavirus, the BBC reports.
7:40 - Japan's two largest airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines, will offer refunds to people who had to cancel flights because of a coronavirus.
7:38 - A 30-day alien quarantine has ended today in Pyongyang. Air Koryo National Airlines will set up a special flight for anyone who does not want to stay in the country but return home.
7:35 - WHO Regional Director for Africa said he expects sub-Saharan African countries to be able to test for coronavirus in a few weeks.
7:30 - The head of the World Health Organization sent a new serious warning yesterday. He said we were in completely unknown territory. The WHO has not yet declared an epidemic, but they have left that option open.
"We have never seen a respiratory pathogen that spreads so easily and quickly among humans, but which can be restrained by the right measures," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Coronavirus Response Group Established
The European Commission on Monday set up a coronavirus response group to look at medical risks as well as the consequences for transport and mobility in the European Union and its economy.
"We need not panic, but the situation is likely to get worse," Crisis Commissioner Janez Lenarcic told a news conference in Brussels.
In the meantime, the EU Council Presidency announced that it has fully launched the Union's crisis response mechanism, the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR), which should enable swift and concerted political decision-making in difficult and complex crises.
The second of ICPR's three tiers, the information sharing mechanism, was already activated on Friday.
2100 New Coronavirus Cases Reported
The new level calls for crisis meetings to be held, amongst others by the European Commission, the European Council, representatives of affected members and other relevant parties, on which proposals are prepared and then decided by the members.
The European Central Bank (ECB) said it was "prepared to take appropriate and targeted measures" as the onset of the disease created "risks to the economy and the functioning of the financial markets," ECB President Christine Lagarde said.
In 18 EU member states, 2100 cases were confirmed earlier Monday with 38 deaths, said Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides.
Eighteen members have initiated a joint process for the procurement of protective medical equipment, she added.
No EU countries have so far announced the introduction of border controls within the Schengen Free Movement Zone.
European finance ministers will discuss the situation at a teleconference, Eurogroup President Mario Centeno announced on Monday to agree national responses.
Some companies, however, have taken matters into their own hands, such as British Airways, Ryanair and Lufthansa, canceling or reducing the number of flights to European countries with the highest number of infections.
Number of Infected in Europe Steadily Increasing
The number of people infected in Europe is steadily increasing and Portugal is the last country in the series to report its first case of a new coronavirus, Covid-19.
In Germany, the number of infected has risen to 150, the official institute for disease control announced on Monday. The Robert Koch Institute assessed the risk of the epidemic as "moderate," and institute leader Lothar Wieler said the situation continued to be "extremely dynamic."
In Italy, the first case of infection in Rome has been reported and is a police officer in contact with a person from Lombardy, the province most severely affected by the occurrence of the coronavirus.
Italy now has 2036 infected, 20 percent more than the previous day, Italy's Civil Protection said. 52 people died and 149 were healed, with 34 dead and 83 cured on Sunday. There are 908 patients in hospitals, of which 166 are in intensive care units. Most cases occur in the northern regions of Lombardy, 1077, in the region of Emilia Romagna 324, in Veneto 271 and 51 in Piedmont.
The number of infected has also increased in Northern Europe and by Monday evening, four were infected in Denmark, seven in Finland, three in Iceland, 25 in Norway and 15 in Sweden.
France confirmed 191 cases of infection, 61 more than Sunday. The number of confirmed cases in Spain climbed from 81 to about 120 on Monday
The first cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed by Andorra and the Czech Republic.
More New Infections Worldwide Than in China
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that the number of new coronavirus infections worldwide is significantly higher in the last 24 hours than in China.
"In the last 24 hours there have been almost nine times more cases of Covid-19 reported outside China than in China," WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva.
In China, where the virus appeared in late December, the number of cases continues to decline, he noted, saying that 206 new infections were reported to the WHO on Sunday, the lowest number since January 22. Outside the province of Hubei, the focus of the epidemic, only eight cases have been reported. Outside China, 8,739 were reported infected in 61 countries, of which 127 died.
The death toll in the world of coronaviruses on Monday has exceeded 3,000 and the disease continues to have serious consequences worldwide.
Outside Europe, Morocco reported the first case of coronavirus infection on Monday, with the patient recently arriving from Italy, as well as the first in Tunisia.
Algeria reported four new cases of infection on Monday, and there are now five in the country.
Cases of Coronavirus in Africa
Coronavirus infections in Africa have also been reported by Senegal and Egypt and Nigeria on Friday. The patient is an Italian working in Nigeria and has recently returned from Milan.
Experts fear the rapid spread of coronavirus in Africa in densely populated large cities such as Lagos, Cairo and Algeria.
South Korea reported 600 new infections and three more deaths Tuesday morning, with a total of 4812 reported in the country, with 34 dead.
South Korean authorities have reported that Lee Man-hee, the leader of the religious sect of the Shincheonji Jesus Church, from which the infection spread, was negative for a coronavirus test.
In Iran, the number of infected people has increased to 1501 and 66 people have died.
The first cases were also reported in Armenia, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia.
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 2, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 3, 2020:
22:12 - There are 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US. Of those, 48 came to the United States from other countries where they had contracted the infection, and 52 were infected in the US, in 11 states.
22:04 - Canada has at least 27 cases of coronavirus infection. Among them are three new cases reported by the Province of Ontario. There are a total of 18 confirmed cases in Ontario. Among the three new cases are a woman in her sixties who traveled to Egypt, one woman of about seventy years who also traveled to Egypt and one man of about sixty years who traveled to Iran.
21:35 - Kathy Lofy, a Washington State health official, said contagion cases have been confirmed in two counties - King and Snohomish. She said that the coronavirus was actively spreading in the two districts, but that it could be spreading elsewhere.
21:23 - At least 48 schools in Washington state are closing because of fears of the spread of coronavirus, CNN reports.
21:21 - German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz announced on Twitter that coronavirus was one of the main topics of conversation with French counterpart Bruno Le Maire. He said the effects of coronovirus on their countries were discussed. "We are closely monitoring the situation and will take decisive action if necessary," Scholz said.
20:42 - The number of deaths from coronavirus in the US has jumped dramatically. Washington State, which reported the first death in the US, has now announced that five more have died from the virus, Reuters reports. In doing so, the total death toll in the US has increased to six.
20:31 - The number of cases of coronavirus infection in France has increased to 191. Yesterday, that number was 120. Three people in France died of coronavirus.
19:55 - Here are today's key events:
The death toll worldwide exceeded 3000. The death toll in Italy jumped from 41 to 52.
New cases have been reported in a total of ten countries, including Senegal, Jordan, Tunisia, Iceland and the Czech Republic.
Another person died of coronavirus in the US.
WHO called the virus unique, saying that we have never had a virus that spreads so easily among individuals in history.
Today, flights to the affected countries are canceled by British Airways, Lufthansa and Ryanair.
19:14 - British Airways has started canceling flights due to a coronavirus epidemic.
Some flights between the US and the UK are canceled, as well as flights to Italy, France and Germany. Both Ryanair and Lufthansa announced today that it would suspend some flights to countries where the epidemic occurred.
18:30 - Italy's coronavirus death toll rises to 52, BBC reports.
The total number of cases recorded jumped to 2000, compared to 1694, which was confirmed yesterday.
The 149 people who were infected were healed.
17:58 - Senegal and Armenia record first case of coronavirus.
17:30 - Saudi Arabia confirms first coronavirus case.
16:55 - In the last 24 hours, there have been nine times more cases of coronavirus outside China than in China, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization.
He added that WHO was most concerned about the situation in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan.
"We are in completely unknown territory. This virus is not the flu. We have never seen a respiratory pathogen that spreads so easily and quickly, but it can be limited by the right measures," he added.
16:40 - Two new cases in Iraq have been confirmed, while in Hong Kong the number of infected has risen to 100.
16:20 - Tunisia confirms their first coronavirus infection.
16:15 - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday sent a first team of doctors and several tonnes of drugs to Iran, which has been severely affected by the new coronavirus epidemic.
On Monday, Tehran released new data on 66 dead from the virus and about 1,500 cases of infection, the highest number of patients after China.
The aid and WHO team will arrive on a UAE military aircraft, said Robert Blanchard of the WHO office in Dubai at a press conference at Al-Maktoum International Airport.
7.5 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies will be deployed this year to prevent and control infections and to support medical personnel in Iran, he specified. Tests, surgical gloves and masks were also sent.
15:58 - The first case of infection in Jordan has been confirmed.
15:40 - Here's where the coronavirus has spread worldwide:
89,198 Total Confirmed Cases Worldwide
Confirmed Cases by Country
80,026 Mainland China
4,335 South Korea
1,694 Italy
978 Iran
706 Others
256 Japan
130 France
130 Germany
106 Singapore
98 Hong Kong
86 US
84 Spain
47 Bahrain
45 Kuwait
43 Thailand
41 Taiwan
36 UK
29 Australia
29 Malaysia
27 Switzerland
24 Canada
21 United Arab Emirates
19 Norway
19 Iraq
16 Vietnam
14 Sweden
14 Austria
10 Israel
10 Lebanon
10 Netherlands
10 Macau
8 San Marino
8 Croatia
7 Greece
6 Ecuador
6 Oman
6 Finland
5 Mexico
4 Denmark
4 Pakistan
3 Qatar
3 Czech Republic
3 Georgia
3 Algeria
3 Iceland
3 Philippines
3 Romania
3 India
3 Azerbaijan
2 Indonesia
2 Belgium
2 Russia
2 Brazil
2 Egypt
1 Afghanistan
1 Nepal
1 Lithuania
1 Cambodia
1 Ireland
1 Nigeria
1 Armenia
1 Dominican Republic
1 North Macedonia
1 Luxembourg
1 Monaco
1 Belarus
1 New Zealand
1 Estonia
1 Sri Lanka
9,172 Total Cases Outside of China
3,043 Total Deaths
45,175 Total Recovered
15:20 - The first cases of infection were reported in Czech Republic. Three people were confirmed to be infected.
At the same time, in the UK the number of infected people has increased to 40.
14:50 - Two more coronaviruses have died in France, Le Parisien reports. Patients from the Oise department have died.
"On Monday, according to the latest available information, two more people died at Coronavirus Hospital in Compiegne Hospital," Mayor Philippe Marini confirmed.
14:42 - Two additional cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Singapore, bringing the total number of infected to 108.
14:33 - First case of coronavirus reported in Moscow.
14:30 - US confirmed coronavirus infection rate increased to 89.
14:10 - Coronavirus infection deaths in South Korea Increase to 26.
14:00 - Several schools have been closed in Washington because of testing for suspected cases of coronavirus.
13:55 - New figures released at EU level. 2100 people are infected. Read more
13:45 - Ursula von der Leyen said wrong when she spoke about changing the risk of coronavirus, AFP reports. Specifically, she was wrong to say that the coronavirus threat level was raised to high instead of moderately high.
13:30 - Japanese authorities confirm five more cases of coronavirus infection on Hokkaido.
13:08 - First case of coronavirus infection registered in Portugal.
13:05 - In Germany, the number of infected people has increased to 158.
13:00 - A boys' high school in south-west London is closed after a staff member became infected with a coronavirus while traveling in Italy.
"Wimbledon College has made the decision to temporarily close because few staff are self-isolating because of close contact with a confirmed contagion case," said physician Yvonne Young, a consultant at the State Agency for Public Health of England (PHE).
12:15 - The European Union has raised the level of coronavirus threats from moderate to high.
- AFP news agency (@AFP) March 2, 2020
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference today that the risk of coronavirus in the European Union has been raised from 'moderate' to 'high'.
Her announcement came after the virus spread throughout much of Western Europe. European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides says 38 deaths and 2,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in 18 EU Member States.
"This is not a time for panic or misinformation," Kyriakides added.
11:46 - There are 12 new deaths due to a new strain of the virus in Iran, bringing the number of deaths from coronavirus to 66 in that country.
11:40 - The entire government of the Lombardy region of Italy is being tested for a coronavirus after a councilor became ill with the disease.
11:32 - In Ecuador, there are five new cases of coronavirus infection.
11:30 - In Wuhan, fewer and fewer infected people begin to close makeshift hospitals. Read more
11:00 - About 20 new infections reported in the US over the weekend.
10:40 - First cases of coronavirus infection confirmed in Iceland and Indonesia.
10:34 - First case of coronavirus infection reported in Rome.
10:30 - The youngest person in South Korea to be infected with coronavirus is a 45-day-old child whose parents are also infected. The baby was positive for a new strain of the virus on February 29.
10:25 - The number infected in Germany has increased to 150.
10:23 - Two new cases of coronavirus infection reported in India.
10:20 - Czech Prime Minister Andrei Babis says the country will suspend flights from South Korea and northern Italy due to the epidemic.
10:13 - In Andorra, a small country between France and Spain, the first case of coronavirus has been reported.
10:05 - Coronavirus infections have also been reported in the third French department - Morbihan. Departments are the administrative areas of that country. The other two departments where the new virus has emerged are Oise and La Haute Savoie. So far, 130 people have been infected with the coronavirus in France.
9:55 - The European headquarters for Nike in the Netherlands will be temporarily closed on Monday and Tuesday after it was discovered that one employee had been infected with a coronavirus. The sick worker is now in home isolation, where he should stay for 14 days, reports Reuters.
9:50 - First flights to Zagreb canceled. Read more
9:41 - British PM Boris Johnson to hold an emergency meeting today over the coronavirus situation.
9:40 - A council member advising Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hamnei has died after falling ill with a new coronavirus, Iranian state radio reports, AP reports.
9:30 - South Korea confirms 123 new cases of coronavirus infection.
9:18 - The first case of social spread of a virus has been reported in Australia. He is a healthcare professional who has not traveled to areas where there is a coronavirus outbreak in the last three months and became infected after working at a medical facility.
9:16 - 10 more cases of coronavirus infection confirmed in Kuwait.
9:15 - South Korea's primary and secondary schools will not work for at least two more weeks, CNN reports.
8:10 - The leader of a sect from South Korea has apologized for infecting 2000 people. Read more
7:40 - Another case has been confirmed in Croatia. It's about a person from Rijeka who is a family member of the existing patients.
7:04 - In the Chinese province of Hubei, fewer and fewer are infected. Read more
7:00 - A second person has died in the United States, with the first infection reported in New York. Read more
END OF UPDATES FOR MARCH 1, 2020. UPDATES HAVE RESUMED BEGINNING MARCH 2, 2020:
*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.
UPDATED: March 8, 2020 16:45 CET (Central European Time)
