The latest: COVID-19 outbreak worldwide (Updated March 27)

20:17, March 27, 2020

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  The latest: COVID-19 outbreak worldwide (Updated March 27)

  Spains death toll has surpassed Chinas and the countrys hospitals have been badly hit. (Handout photo: Comunidad de Madrid )The World Health Organization (WHO) said the global number of reported cases of COVID-19 rose to 465,915, with 21,031 confirmed deaths as of 5:06 am (BJT) on Friday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned: "Almost half a million people have already been infected, and more than 20,000 have lost their lives. The pandemic is accelerating at an exponential rate.”Current status (data as of 9:30 am BJT, March 27):The United States has surpassed China to become the country with the most COVID-19 cases in the world. The nationwide tally grew over 10,000 cases in less than five hours. Health workers in New York City are increasingly concerned about the ravages of the illness in their own ranks, and that the lack of testing and protective gear is making it not a matter of if they get it, but when.The Chinese mainland reported 55 new confirmed COVID-19 cases by the end of Thursday, 54 of which were imported from abroad. Infections originating overseas became a top concern as the total number of imported cases rose to 595. Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday announced a temporary suspension of entry by foreign nationals holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits.Italy became the first Western developed nation to idle most of its industry to halt the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed over 8,000 lives in the eurozone’s third-largest economy.The British government decided it will offer self-employed people 80 percent of wages for at least three months, up to 2,500 pounds ($3,034 US) a month, a move to help them get through the challenging time amid the coronavirus outbreak.Canada opposes a plan by the US to send troops to its northern frontier to catch border jumpers who may be carrying COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

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  The latest: COVID-19 outbreak worldwide (Updated March 22)

  The global death toll from COVID-19 increased by 1344 to 11,184 in the past 24 hours as of 00:00 CET on Saturday, according to the daily situation report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).A man wears a scarf on his face to protect against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at Lincoln Park where the playground is closed in Los Angeles on March 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP)The report showed a total of 266,073confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported as of Saturday, an increase of 32,000infections compared to the previous day.Current status (data as of 10:00 am BJT, March 22):Sources: People’s Daily, Xinhua, BBC, Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies.Italy reported 6,557 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, raising the total to 53,578.Spainon Saturday reported a spike in new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the country total to 1,328fatalities. The number of infections across the country also shot up to 24,926.The number of COVID-19 cases in the USreached 24,148 with 285 deaths.Germany confirmed a total of 75deaths from coronavirus as ofSaturday and the number of cases had risen to 21,828.Irans Health Ministry announced 20,610 coronavirus cases in the country as of Saturdaylocal time,and 1,556 people have died.France on Saturday reported 112 new COVID-19 deaths, and infection cases rose by 1,847 to 14,459.South Koreareported 98 new coronavirus cases,bringing the total national infections to 8,897, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Sunday local time.There have been 6,284confirmed COVID-19 cases and 72deaths inSwitzerlandas of Saturday.The number of people in theUKwho have died after contracting the coronavirus rose to 178and the number of people tested positive reached 4,145on Saturday.TheNetherlandshas itself recorded 136deaths and 3,631cases in total as of Satu...

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  The latest: COVID-19 outbreak worldwide (Updated March 25)

  A student pours alcohol on his hands before entering the campus as a precautionary measure against the spread of a new virus at a school in Manila, Philippines, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (File photo: AP)The World Health Organization (WHO) said the global number of reported cases of COVID-19 rose to375,498 with 16,362 confirmed deaths by 5:53 am on Wednesday (BJT). WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris warned that the US has the "potential" to overtake Europe as the new epicenter of the virus.Current status (data as of 10am BJT, March 25):China’s national health agency said on Wednesday the Chinese mainland did not see an increase in domestic cases, but recorded four new deaths. All of the 47 new confirmed cases were imported from abroad. Wuhan, former epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak, started resumption of its public transit system and the first buses hit the road in the early hours on Wednesday.The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 50,000 as of 3 pm US Eastern Time on Tuesday (1900 GMT), according to a running count of Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ian Lipkin, known as the US virus hunter’, revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. "If it can hit me, it can hit anybody," he warned.India announced a 21-day national lockdown of its 1.3 billion people on Tuesday to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the world’s second most populous country.French Director General of Health Jerome Salomon on Tuesday announced that 1,100 people diagnosed with the COVID-19 have died, an increase of 240 in one day. "We are facing an unprecedented, serious and rapid virus circulation. Stay at home to avoid more deaths, more critical cases," Salomon said, adding that the effects of movement restriction could be assessed within days.