February 24, 2020
6:33 p.m.
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Despite the precautionary measures, the coronavirus is spreading around the planet. Cases of contamination have jumped in recent days in South Korea, Iran and Italy. The anxiety is growing, the WHO evoking a risk of “pandemic”.
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The epidemic of coronavirus accelerated this Monday across the globe, the WHO evoking a risk of “pandemic”, against a backdrop of tumbling financial markets worried for the world economy. “We need to focus on containment (of the new coronavirus epidemic, editor’s note), while doing everything we can to prepare for a possible pandemic“said the director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO has notably judged”very worrying (…) the sudden increase “ new cases in Italy, South Korea and Iran.
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However, it has observed a decline in China, the country of origin of the disease, since the beginning of February. In Europe, Italy, which now has six dead, has become the first country on the continent to set up a cordon cordon around ten cities in the North.
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The next few days will be crucial.
Moon Jae-in
The President of South Korea
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Two months after the appearance of the new coronavirus, five countries have announced first cases of contamination: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Oman which suspends its flights with Iran. South Korea and Iran are on the front line, with the highest number of contamination and death cases outside China, respectively. Hong Kong has decided to ban from Tuesday the arrivals of non-residents from South Korea and called on Hong Kong residents to refrain from unnecessary travel.
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Battle of figures in Iran
Less than a week after the detection of the new coronavirus, Tehran announced four new deaths, bringing the number of victims of the epidemic in the Islamic Republic to 12, where a WHO mission is expected. With 64 people infected in Iran, this mortality rate of one in five seems much higher than that seen so far in China (around 3%).
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A deputy from Qom, the city where the first cases of coronavirus were announced, accused the government of “not telling the truth” about the extent of the epidemic. According to an Iranian news agency, the deputy would have mentioned the figure of “50 dead” for the city of Qom alone, an assessment “categorically” denied by a deputy health minister.
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Over 30 countries affected
Worried about the contagion in Iran, Armenia, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan have closed their borders or restrict trade with this country. At least 200 people have been quarantined in Pakistan, on the Iranian border. In total, more than thirty countries are now affected, with a toll that far exceeds 30 deaths outside of China. South Korea alone, with a daily record of 231 new cases of contamination in the space of 24 hours, now has more than 800 infected patients, including seven fatally, more than Japan where the liner Diamond Princess was up to ‘now the first source of contamination outside of China.
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In China even, where the coronavirus appeared in December in the metropolis of Wuhan, the epidemic left another 150 dead according to the latest daily report announced Monday morning. While the authorities have been more optimistic over the last few days about the evolution of the disease, this figure represents a marked increase compared to the number of deaths announced the day before (97). In total, nearly 2,600 people died in China, out of 77,000 cases of contamination. The number of new cases of contamination, however, fell to 409 against 648 announced Sunday. WHO has judged that the situation in this country is generally improving.
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The European Union mobilizes an additional 232 million euros
The European Commission announced on Monday that it has mobilized more than € 230 million in additional funds to help fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus internationally.
- 114 million will be paid to WHO as part of its call for comprehensive readiness;
- 15 million will go to partner countries in Africa, to strengthen their resilience and preparedness plans;
- 100 million will finance research into vaccines and treatments, 45 of which are a contribution from the pharma industry;
- 3 million will ultimately support member states’ efforts to provide protective equipment to China and repatriate their citizens
It would also be up to the Member States to decide on a possible return of border controls within the Schengen area, but it is not particularly desired by the European executive for the moment.
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