Coronavirus live updates: Worldwide death toll surges past 11,000

NEWS /EUROPE

Coronavirus live updates: Worldwide death toll surges past 11,000

Italy announces another 627 deaths pushing its total to 4,032 while the worldwide tally on fatalities surpasses 11,000.

6 minutes ago

The death toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 5,000 in Europe, the new epicentre of the pandemic, with Italy, Spain and Germany reporting a steep rise in infections, as worldwide fatalities surged past 11,000 on Saturday.

Italy announced another 627 deaths on Friday, the biggest day-to-day increase in the country's four-week epidemic, a day after surpassing China's death toll. The total number of deaths in Italy has now reached 4,032.

Spain's death toll has also increased to more than 1,000, while in Iran, the number on fatalities hit another grim milestone of more than 1,400, as the country marks the beginning of the Persian New Year. 

An estimated 235,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and close to 10,000 have been confirmed dead, according to the World Health Organization.

But the data collected by the Johns Hopkins University in the United States showed that more than 260,000 have already been infected in 166 countries, while 87,000 have recovered, mostly in China where the outbreak first erupted.

The same Johns Hopkins coronavirus monitor showed that the death toll has now surpassed 11,300 worldwide as of mid-Saturday, with the possibility of breaching 12,000 by the end of the day.

Here are all the latest updates:

Saturday, March 21

10:35 GMT - Mauritius reports first death from coronavirus

Mauritius has confirmed its first death from the coronavirus, while the number of confirmed cases have risen, a health ministry official said.

"Mauritius has registered its first death linked to COVID-19. Actually some 13 patients have been tested COVID-19 positive. Their state of health is stable and they are being treated in isolation," Kavish Pultoo, adviser on information matters at the Ministry of Health, told Reuters news agency.

10:30 GMT - Georgia's PM asks president to declare emergency

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said he had asked the country's president to declare an emergency situation due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Gakharia said the measure, which is due to be approved by parliament after the president's approval, would be introduced for one month.

Georgia reported 47 cases of coronavirus as of Saturday. One patient recovered.

10:25 GMT - Coronavirus cases reach 52 in Palestinian territories

Palestinian Minister of Health Mai Kaileh confirmed four new cases of coronavirus in the Palestinian territories, bringing the total to 52.

Kaileh told Palestinian news agency WAFA that three of the new cases were for Palestinians students from Ramallah who returned home from the United Kingdom and the fourth a physician from Hebron who contracted the disease while working at the Israeli Hadassah Ein Karem hospital.

Most of the cases are in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and its area towns, including the 17 recoveries. The other six were in Ramallah, along with the three new cases, two in Tulkarm, two in Nablus, one in Salfit and one in Hebron.

A Palestinian groom leaves with his bride her family house in Beit Jala in the Occupied West Bank [Mustafa Ganeyeh/Reuters]

10:05 GMT - Angola announces first two cases of coronavirus

Angola's Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta confirmed the country's first two cases of coronavirus.

"Today we received results confirming two cases of patients infected with COVID-19," Lutucuta said at a briefing on national broadcaster TPA.

10:01 GMT - Vietnam to suspend all inbound flights

Vietnam will suspend all inbound international flights to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, the government said in a statement.

"(Vietnam) will suspend all the flights carrying foreign passengers to minimize the number of people coming to the country," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said, without giving a time frame.

Vietnam's coronavirus cases rose to 92 as of Saturday, with no death, according to the health ministry.

09:57 GMT - Coronavirus cases rise to 271 in India

India's health ministry says the country has the total of 271 confirmed cases, including 22 recoveries and four deaths in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.

India is due to impose a national curfew on Sunday.

09:30 GMT - Iran reports 123 new deaths, raising total to 1,556

Iran says the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus reached 20,610 in the country, while the death toll was 1,556 after 123 new deaths were registered.0

9:19 GMT - Philippines confirms 45 new coronavirus cases, total 307

The Philippines' health ministry reported 45 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing Saturday's tally to 77.

With the latest addition, confirmed cases in the Philippines' totalled 307. It announced 32 new cases earlier in the day and the 19th death related to the coronavirus.

The government has placed more than half of the country's population under strict home quarantine to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

09:13 GMT - Bangkok shuts malls, schools, restaurants

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang signed a shutdown order effective from Sunday to April 12, affecting establishments in the Thai capital.

The order will see the closure of restaurants, department stores, markets, schools, barbers, sports stadiums, golf courses, and massage parlours, among others.

The announcement makes exceptions for takeaway sections in restaurants, supermarkets, drug stores, and fresh food markets which are considered "important to sustain life".

09:03 GMT - Indonesia confirms 81 new cases, 6 more deaths

Indonesia has announced 81 new coronavirus cases and 6 more deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 450 and deaths to 38, a health ministry official told reporters.