COVID-19: Death Toll Jumps to 7,927

Martins Ifijeh

The death toll from COVID-19 yesterday jumped to 7, 927, with 196, 771 persons confirmed to be positive with the virus across the globe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This is even as the disease has now spread to 163 countries across six continents, a move that has now prompted several nations to put stringent travel measures in place to curtail it.

Among countries most affected are China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, South Korea, France, United States, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Norway.

Although new cases are reducing in China, it still remains the worse hit nation, as 3,226 deaths have been recorded and a total of 80, 881 confirmed cases so far.

Hubei is the most-affected province within China and Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, is the city most affected by COVID-19 with 67,000 positive cases in the city of over 11 million people.

The number of cases in China, however, has been on the decline starting March due to the rapid control measures and response by the Chinese government.

Italy’s COVID-19 cases have continued to surge with 31, 506 persons said to be positive to the virus, and 2, 503 deaths recorded within one month of the outbreak in the country; making it the most affected European country to be hit by the respiratory disease.

It is believed the strain of the virus is more aggressive in Italy than China where it originated from.

Travel to Italy and Italians travelling to other countries during the outbreak has been traced to have caused COVID-19 spread.

Once confined to Northern Italy, COVID-19 cases have spread to entire Italy leading to a nation-wide lock-down. The Italian government’s early measures such as closing educational institutions temporarily might have limited the spread, although the aged population continues to be a concern.

Iran, another country from where COVID-19 spread to rest of the world, currently has 16,169 confirmed cases and has reported 988 deaths. Iran has been suspected to have delayed revealing about the spread of COVID-19 in their country and under-reporting the cases.

A number of countries have traced their coronavirus to Iran. Many government officials and politicians including MPs in Iran have contracted the disease. Some of which have unfortunately died.

Amid fears of further spread, Iran yesterday, temporary released approximately 70,000 prisoners, according to Mizan news agency.

Spain has overtaken South Korea in the number of COVID-19 cases in the third week of March. Since the first coronavirus case confirmed on February 1, the Spanish COVID-19 cases got closer to 1,000 in early hours of March 9 and rose sharply to more than 11,000 on March 16.

Death toll is now over 500.

A minister in Spain has contracted coronavirus, while the King and Queen are also being tested.

Spain is currently the second most-affected European country with coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases in Germany, which borders France and Switzerland, has now crossed 9,352 with 24 persons said to have lost their lives.

Similar to its neighbour France, Germany too banned public events involving huge crowds in order to prevent spread.

South Korea is among the nations most hit by COVID-19 outside China due to its proximity to the latter. Coronavirus cases in South Korea started surging in February and crossed 8,320 on March 17. Death toll is at 84.

Cases of COVID-19 in France has reached 7, 730 with 176 deaths.

The French government has banned public gatherings involving more than 1,000 people. The popular Louvre Museum in Paris was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. The Paris city has reported COVID-19 coronavirus-positive cases, apart from other regions including Amiens, Bordeaux, and Eastern Haute-Savoie.

COVID-19 situation in the United States is grim with the cases and deaths increasing fast. The US COVID-19 cases more than doubled in three days, reaching 5, 871 with 99 deaths.

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