The death toll from the novel coronavirus has passed 3,000 worldwide, as outbreaks in Italy and Iran continue to worsen and dozens of countries reported their first cases of the highly infectious illness.
The virus, formally known as Covid-19, has infected more than 88,400 people since the outbreak began last December in Wuhan, China.
The vast majority of cases and deaths are still in mainland China, concentrated in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital – however, despite travel bans, mass quarantines and emergency measures in China, it continues to spread.
The virus has reached every continent except Antarctica, with outbreak clusters in Italy and Iran rapidly spreading to nearby countries. Case numbers are rising in Canada, the United States, South Korea, and other newly-infected places.
The first cases have also reached Latin America and Africa; in the latter, the virus has been reported in Egypt, Nigeria, and Algeria, raising concern of a possible spread across the continent.
Italy and Iran outbreaks
Iran and Italy are at the heart of the outbreaks in the Middle East and Europe. In the past 10 days, 37 countries have confirmed their first cases, mainly in these regions.
Iran now has 978 cases and 54 deaths, since announcing its first case of novel coronavirus on February 19. Neighboring countries including Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, and others have closed borders with Iran or implemented travel restrictions.
