Italy and Iran Report 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases in One Day
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading worldwide. As the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassed 100,000 the previous day, infections are emerging in various locations.
According to major U.S. foreign media such as The Washington Post (WP), on the 7th (local time), two additional deaths occurred in western Washington State, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. to 19. With the increase in COVID-19 patients centered in eastern New York State and western Washington State, the total number of infections reached 442. Among the infected, 70 are passengers and crew of the U.S. cruise ship 'Grand Princess,' passengers of the 'Diamond Princess' cruise ship that caused a cluster infection in Japan, and those who visited Wuhan, China. The remaining 372 were confirmed positive after testing on the U.S. mainland.
In particular, concerns are growing as the first presumptive positive case has been reported in Washington D.C., the "heart of America." A presumptive positive case refers to a person who tested positive in state, county, or city-level tests but has not yet received a confirmed diagnosis from the CDC.
There are a total of three reported COVID-19 cases in Washington D.C. and nearby areas, including a presumptive positive patient in their 50s. One person showing COVID-19 symptoms while visiting Washington D.C. is currently hospitalized after being tested at a hospital in nearby Maryland, and there are also cases among Marines at Fort Belvoir in nearby Virginia.
New York State declared a state of emergency as confirmed cases rose to 89. The number of states that have declared a state of emergency or disaster in the U.S. has expanded to nine, including California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Washington, and Pennsylvania. The number of states with confirmed COVID-19 cases also increased from 26 to 31 the previous day.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is expected to continue rising. Since comprehensive testing is being conducted on all 3,533 passengers and crew of the U.S. cruise ship Grand Princess, the number of confirmed cases is likely to increase.
Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington D.C., announces the first suspected positive case of COVID-19 (Washington AP=Yonhap News)
Argentina reported the first death on the South American continent.
The situation in Europe is also worsening day by day. In particular, Italy's number of new confirmed cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time. As of 6 p.m. on the 7th, Italy's cumulative confirmed cases reached 5,883, an increase of 1,247 from the previous day. The death toll also rose by 36 to 233, making it the highest number of deaths outside China.
As the spread intensified, the Italian government designated 11 regions, including Milan and the entire Lombardy region, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto (which includes Venice), and Piedmont, as "red zones" and issued lockdown orders. Entry and exit to these areas are prohibited except for family meetings or essential work purposes, and residents of these areas face restrictions on traveling to other regions.
Nicola Zingaretti, leader of the center-left Democratic Party, which is part of Italy's coalition government, announced on Facebook that he had contracted COVID-19, saying, "I also got infected."
In France, confirmed cases reached 949, with 16 deaths. Switzerland reported 228 confirmed cases.
In the Middle East, COVID-19 cases have surpassed 6,000, centered on Iran. Iran, the most severely affected country, reported 1,076 new confirmed cases the previous day, bringing the total to 5,823. For two consecutive days, Iran has recorded over 1,000 new infections daily. The death toll increased by 21 to a total of 145.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Middle East region (excluding Turkey and Pakistan, including Egypt) reached 6,218. Among regions excluding Iran, Egypt stands out. On the 6th, 12 Egyptian crew members of the Nile River cruise ship 'River Anuket' tested positive for COVID-19, followed by confirmation of infections among 33 passengers on the 7th. Due to this cluster outbreak on the cruise ship, Egypt's confirmed cases increased from 3 to 48.
COVID-19 is rapidly spreading even in Southeast Asia, which had seemed relatively calm. Vietnam, which had no confirmed cases since the 13th of last month, reported four additional confirmed cases in Hanoi alone. Indonesia reported two new cases on the 6th after the first two infections were confirmed on the 2nd, and Singapore also confirmed eight additional cases. Thailand's cumulative confirmed cases rose to 50.
In Japan, as of the previous afternoon, a total of 1,157 people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19, an increase of 44 from the previous day. The death toll stands at 13.
However, China, identified as the origin of COVID-19, shows clear signs of stabilization. On the 8th, the National Health Commission of China announced that the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases as of midnight was 44. This is the first time the number of new confirmed cases in China has fallen below 50. Following the previous day's drop below 100 new cases, the trend of stabilization appears to be continuing. The number of new deaths was limited to 27.
Accordingly, as of this day, China's cumulative confirmed cases totaled 80,695, with 3,097 deaths.
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