Italian COVID-19 Deaths Pass China's Total; Cases Surge in Europe
In France, officials also expect to extend the country’s 2-week lockdown, Agence France-Presse reported. There are 4,461 patients hospitalized, 1,122 of them in intensive care, Le Monde reported, noting that 108 more deaths were reported, raising the fatality count to 372.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s COVID-19 total passed the 10,000 mark, with the addition of 2,801 more cases yesterday, according to the latest total from the Robert Koch Institute. The country has now reported 10,999 cases, 20 of them fatal.
Spain’s health minister yesterday reported 3,431 new cases, pushing its total to 17,147, El Pais reported. Officials also added 169 more deaths, lifting the fatality count to 767. The outbreak has overwhelmed Spain’s health system, and the health ministry announced a plan to enlist 50,000 retired health professionals and medical and nursing students to help. Italy had earlier announced a similar measure.
In other European developments, Russia reported its first death, which involves a 79-year-old woman from Moscow who had underlying health conditions, Reuters reported, noting that the country has recorded 147 cases.
Totals Rise in Iran, other Mideast Nations
CIDRAP reports that Iran, the country with the world’s third highest case count, yesterday reported 1,046 new cases, lifting its total to 18,407, according to the health ministry. It also reported 149 additional deaths, raising its fatality count to 1,284.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean regional office (EMRO) said yesterday that 20,759 cases in the region have been reported in 22 countries, the vast majority in Iran. The next three hardest-hit countries are Qatar (452), Pakistan (302), and Bahrain (269).
One of the latest countries to detect its first case is Djibouti, according to WHO EMRO. The patient is a traveler from Spain who arrived on a military flight; other passengers on the same flight will be quarantined.
Africa and Americas Developments
The WHO’s African regional office yesterday said Gambia, Mauritius, and Zambia have detected their first cases, raising the region’s total to 633 illnesses from 33 countries, 17 of them fatal. The three countries with the most cases include Egypt (210), South Africa (150), and Algeria (82).
In the Americas, the WHO’s Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) yesterday called on countries to take urgent steps to shore up their health systems and protect their healthcare workers. As of Mar 17, 37 countries in the region had reported 5,944 cases and 19 deaths. The United States accounts for the majority of the cases.
PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, MD, said three scenarios are unfolding in the Americas regions: clusters related to imported cases, outbreaks in group settings such as nursing homes, and community transmission.
Nicaragua yesterday reported its first known case, in a man who had visited Panama, Reuters reported. Also, El Salvador announced its first, a citizen who had recently visited Italy.
