BEIJING/TEHRAN: The number of persons suffering from the deadly novel Coronavirus surpassed 100,000 worldwide, according to the official data released on Saturday (March 7, 2020), with more than 3,000 people losing their lives in China alone. The figures showed the Chinese exports were badly hit after the deadly outbreak of novel Coronavirus brought much of the country to a halt.


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The World Health Organisation called the spread of the virus "deeply concerning" as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease - which has now killed more than 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 across 94 nations and territories. With 28 new fatalities, the death toll in China surpassed 3,070, while the deadly virus claimed at least 200 lives, with total reported cases reaching near 6,000 in Italy.


In China, where the outbreak began in December, the virus has wreaked havoc on the world's second-largest economy, shutting down businesses and disrupting global supply chains. The negative impact was shown in official data Saturday, with China's exports plunging 17.2 per cent in the first two months of the year. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged "that all countries make containment their highest priority." Colombia, Costa Rica and Malta have announced their first cases.


In the US, two deaths from the virus were reported in Florida - the first US fatalities outside the west coast states of Washington and California - taking the country's death toll to 16. The number of infections in South Korea breached 7,000 on Saturday - the highest in the world outside China. Two apartment blocks in Daegu - the fourth-largest city and the epicentre of its outbreak - have been quarantined after dozens of residents tested positive. 


Iran on Saturday reported 21 new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 1,076 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall tolls to 145 dead and 5,823 infected. The number of cases recorded in France rose to 716 with 11 deaths. Italy, meanwhile, began recruiting retired doctors on Saturday as part of urgent efforts to bolster the healthcare system with 20,000 additional staff.


In China, the number of new cases reported Saturday nationwide was the lowest in weeks. The Chinese government has hinted it may soon lift the quarantine imposed on Hubei province - the locked-down epicentre where some 56 million people have been effectively housebound since late January. For the second consecutive day, there were no new cases reported in Hubei outside Wuhan, the province's capital. But the number of infections beyond the epicentre rose for the third straight day, fuelling fears about cases being brought into the country from overseas.  There have now been 60 imported cases. Many local authorities are imposing two-week quarantines on anyone who has travelled to virus-affected provinces or countries.


The epidemic has wreaked havoc on international business, tourism, and sports events, with almost 300 million students sent home worldwide as schools and universities close. The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to drop sharply this year due to the virus, the World Tourism Organization said Friday, reversing a previous forecast for a substantial increase.


Meanwhile, the US was battling to contain an outbreak on a cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive for the virus. The Grand Princess has been stranded off San Francisco since Wednesday - when it was supposed to dock - after it emerged that two people who had been on the ship during its previous voyage had contracted the virus. One later died.


US Vice President Mike Pence said the ship will be brought to a non-commercial dock this weekend and all 3,533 passengers and crew will be tested. The Grand Princess belongs to Princess Cruises, the same company which operated the coronavirus-stricken ship held off Japan last month on which more than 700 people tested positive.


In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed officials to identify locations for sufficient quarantine facilities and make provisions for critical care as he reviewed the coronavirus situation on Saturday. Three positive cases of novel coronavirus -  two persons from Ladakh with travel history to Iran and another from Tamil Nadu who had visited Oman - were reported in India, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 34 on Saturday.


All the patients are stable. At the meeting with all ministries and departments concerned, the Prime Minister said that in view of expert opinion, people should be advised to avoid mass gatherings as much as possible and made aware of the do's and don'ts. While complimenting all departments for the work done so far, PM Modi stressed that as the coronavirus scenario evolves, India has to be prepared in its response. "All departments should work in convergence and action should be initiated for creating awareness in the community about the disease and the precautions to be taken," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.


"He exhorted the officers to identify the best practices for COVID-19 management from across the world and within the states, and ensure their adoption," it said. The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for advanced and adequate the planning, and timely response which is critical for managing this infectious disease. According to the statement, the officials were instructed to plan for early testing and evacuation of Indians from Iran where, according to reports, 145 people have died so far due to COVID-19.


In the Vatican, which reported its first case on Friday, it was announced that Pope Francis will deliver his Sunday prayer by live-stream due to the virus. The holy city of Bethlehem was in lockdown after the first Palestinian cases of the deadly coronavirus were discovered there Friday, leaving tourists scrambling to find a way out.


But Saudi Arabia reopened the area around the sacred Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, after suspending the year-long Umra pilgrimage during which worshippers circle the Kaaba seven times. However, access to the Kaaba is blocked and the Grand Mosque is being sterilised.


With the elderly among the most at-risk groups, French President Emmanuel Macron urged people to limit visits to the old and infirm as much as possible to avoid further spread. Stock markets and oil prices have collapsed as investors panic over the expected devastating damage of the coronavirus to global economic growth.


(With Agency inputs)