More than 5,000 people have died around the world after testing positive for coronavirus, AFP reports.
The spread of the virus in Europe, North America and the Middle East has drawn contrast with waning outbreaks in the hardest-hit nations in Asia. Bloomberg reports the global death toll as 5,056 with 135,000 worldwide cases.
Iran announced another 85 deaths today, pushing its total number of fatalities to 514 amid 11,364 confirmed cases. The real number of cases might be even higher, as questions have been raised about authorities’ transparency.
In Italy, the number of people who had died from the virus reached 1,000 on Thursday with some 15,000 cases confirmed.
China, where the virus emerged late last year, still accounts for more than 60% of global infections with more than 3,000 deaths and over 80,000 people testing positive for the virus.
But today it reported just eight new cases and seven deaths. More than 64,000 people have now recovered and been released from hospitals.
South Korea has reported 114 new cases and was near 8,000 overall. Officials said 177 patients were released from hospitals, making today the first day recoveries outnumbered new infections since the country’s first patient was confirmed on January 20.
Kenya has recorded its first case of coronavirus. A woman who recently travelled from the US via London became the first person to test positive in the East African country, authorities said.
The West and Central African nations of Ghana and Gabon also announced their first confirmed cases of the disease. Ghana Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu said two people who returned from Norway and Turkey tested positive and are in isolation.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that $100 million will be spent on enhancing the country’s preparedness and response plan. All foreign travel for government officials has been suspended, except for critical assignments.
Gabon’s first confirmed case of the virus was a 27-year-old who returned to the country on March 8 after staying in Bordeaux, France. Gabon has placed at least 30 people from countries hit by the virus in quarantine, but none has tested positive.
Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon and Togo in the west and central African region have also recorded cases.
This is a breaking story we will be updating.
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