Another increase in the number of infections in China and the first deaths to be deplored in the United States and Australia: the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread around the world.
The epidemic is approaching 3,000 dead for more than 86,000 cases in sixty countries – including nearly 80,000 cases for 2,870 deaths in China. However, outside of Hubei, at the epicenter of the epidemic, a certain recovery is perceptible in the country, notably with the reappearance of some traffic jams in Beijing during rush hour. But the country is not finished with the virus. 573 new cases of contamination were announced this Sunday, March 1, the heaviest total for a week.
The death toll, however, went down, to 35 deaths against 47 announced Saturday. The epidemic seems to be confined every day to Hubei: all the deaths announced on Sunday except one are to be deplored, as well as all the new cases of contamination except three.
While contagion has globally decreased thanks to quarantine measures targeting more than 50 million people, other countries are in turn becoming regional sources of spread of Covid-19, foremost among which South Korea, theItaly and theIran.
The United States announced Saturday their first death on their soil, as well as theAustralia Sunday, which reported the death of a former passenger of the Diamond Princess, the liner quarantined in Japan.
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Donald Trump announced that he would receive representatives of major pharmaceutical groups on Monday to discuss the management of the epidemic. 21 cases were identified in the United States, to which are added 47 patients repatriated to the country. Several patients diagnosed in recent days had no known link to an outbreak, suggesting that the disease is spreading on American soil.
In Europe, the France, now the second focus of the epidemic on the continent, has canceled all “gatherings of more than 5000 peopleIn a closed environment, like the last day of the Paris Agricultural Show on Sunday. The decision also applies to certain outdoor events, such as the Paris half-marathon. A total of 100 people were infected with the new coronavirus in the country, two of whom died.
Its neighbor, theItaly, which has exceeded a thousand cases of contamination including 29 dead, has also taken drastic measures, such as the closure of schools in three regions, the cancellation of sporting or cultural events, including the postponement this weekend of five football championship matches (Serie A), and the quarantine for a week of 11 municipalities in the North.
The South Korea, the second most affected country after China, recorded Sunday an additional 376 cases, for a total of 3,526 contaminations, including 17 dead. The number of new infections is down significantly from Saturday, when the record figure of 813 cases was announced. But a worrying sign: the country has registered a first case of recontamination: a 73-year-old woman tested positive for the virus after having recovered from it.
TheIran for its part reported nine new deaths on Saturday, bringing the official death toll to 43, the heaviest outside of China. But the BBC’s Farsi service, citing hospital sources, said that at least 210 people had died, far above official statistics.
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