Daily COVID-19 updates on March 18

Countries around the world were rolling out more measures to combat the growing threat of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours as the novel coronavirus has killed at least 7,400 people worldwide.

The global death toll from COVID-19 increased by 475 to 7,426 in the past 24 hours as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Tuesday, according to the daily situation report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, WHO is committed to working together with the travel, transport and tourism sectors on emergency preparedness and response, according to the report.

The report showed a total of 179,112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported as of Tuesday morning, an increase of 11,526 infections compared to the previous day, among which 11,487 new cases were reported outside China.

Also, eight additional countries and regions reported their first confirmed cases, while 88 countries and regions have seen local transmission of COVID-19.

In the European region, now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, 8,507 more cases were reported as of Tuesday morning, bringing the cumulative number of infections to 64,189, including 3,108 deaths.

European leaders voted Tuesday to endorse a temporary restriction on travels to the European Union territory for at least 30 days in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

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The number of new coronavirus cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus, jumped dramatically on Tuesday, with more than 3,500 new cases, pushing the cumulative total to over 30,000, according to new data released by the Civil Protection Department.

The number of deaths in Italy reached 2,503 and that of the recovered individuals rose to 2,941, compared to 2,158 and 2,749, respectively, a day earlier.

Minister of University and Research Gaetano Manfredi on Tuesday proposed letting this year’s crop of medical school graduates rush into the field as much as nine months ahead of schedule, and to allow them to shorten residencies and to skip mandatory exams usually required before they go into the field.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 6,000 by 19:00 local time (2300 GMT) Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. A total of 105 deaths have been reported across the country.

The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday said it is helping countries and communities respond to and prepare against the coronavirus, including Libya where it seeks a halt in the fighting for delivery of humanitarian aid.

Some countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are already in crisis due to conflicts, natural disasters and climate change, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“They are home to millions of people who already need our emergency assistance.”

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are determined that crucial, life-saving work for the world’s most vulnerable communities must be sustained, said Haq.

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Source: MTI