Global coronavirus death toll tops 3,000

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 11:59:05 +0000

BEIJING, China (AFP) – The global death toll from the new coronavirus epidemic surpassed 3,000 yesterday after dozens more died at its epicenter in China and cases soared around the world with a second fatality on US soil.

The virus has now infected more than 88,000 people and spread to over 60 countries after first emerging in China late last year.

South Korea, the biggest nest of infections outside China, reported nearly 500 new cases yesterday, bringing its total past 4,000.

A second person died in the northwestern US state of Washington as President Donald Trump, who has downplayed the risk of a major outbreak, faced criticism over his administration’s preparedness to respond to the threat.

With fears of a pandemic on the rise, the World Health Organization urged all countries to stock up on critical care ventilators to treat patients with severe symptoms of the deadly respiratory disease.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has raised fears over its impact on the world economy, causing global markets to log their worst losses since the 2008 financial crisis.

China’s economy has ground to a halt with large swathes of the country under quarantine or measures to restrict travel.

Other countries have started to enact their own drastic containment measures, including banning arrivals from virus-hit countries, locking down towns, urging citizens to stay home, and suspending major events such as football matches or trade fairs.

In a stark example of growing global anxiety, the Louvre – the world’s most visited museum – closed last Sunday after staff refused to work over fears about the virus.

China reported 42 more deaths yesterday – all in central Hubei province. The virus is believed to have originated in a market that sold wild animals in Hubei’s capital, Wuhan.

The death toll in China alone rose to 2,912, but it is also rising abroad, with the secon
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