In this Feb 14, 2013 file photo, Iranian Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar gives an interview to The Associated Press, in Tehran, Iran. (VAHID SALEMI/AP)

CAIRO / SEOUL / WASHINGTON / WELLINGTON / TOKYO / SYDNEY / KABUL - Iran said on Thursday its death toll from coronavirus had risen to 26, the highest number of fatalities from the virus outside China, and the total number of infected people now stood at 245, including several senior officials.

The outbreak prompted authorities to call off Friday prayers in several cities including Tehran, state TV later reported.

Those infected include Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president for women and family affairs, and the country’s deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi. Ebtekar’s case was said to be mild and she has not been hospitalized

Those infected include Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president for women and family affairs, and the country’s deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi. Ebtekar’s case was said to be mild and she has not been hospitalized.

“In the last 24 hours, we have had 106 (new) confirmed cases ... The death toll has reached 26,” Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, calling on Iranians to avoid “unnecessary trips inside the country”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said “some 20,000 coronavirus test kits and some other material” would be delivered to Iran on Friday from China.

The death rate among confirmed cases of the virus has been much higher in Iran than elsewhere. The World Health Organization has said this was likely due to the country’s surveillance systems not yet picking up mild cases.

Authorities, including President Hassan Rouhani, said on Wednesday that Iran had no plans to quarantine any “cities and districts” despite the sharp rise in numbers in a short time.

505 new cases in South Korea

South Korea reported 505 additional coronavirus infections in its largest daily increase on Thursday. And as the United States issued a new warning against travel to the Asian nation, and their militaries postponed a joint drill.

South Korea and the United States will postpone joint military drills until further notice, defense officials in Seoul said on Thursday

The new cases take total infections to 1,766, the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) said, for the largest daily jump since the first confirmed infection on Jan. 20. South Korea also reported a 13th death.

Of the new cases, 422 were in the southeastern city of Daegu, the location of a church at the center of South Korea’s outbreak, the KCDC said in a statement.

The South Korean military has also reported at least 21 infections, and has confined most troops to their bases.

The US State Department raised its travel advisory level, urging citizens to “reconsider travel” to South Korea.

Flight attendant infected

A Korean Air flight attendant who worked on flights between Seoul and Los Angeles subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus, South Korea’s disease control agency and sources said on Thursday.

“She took a flight after showing symptoms, and we are investigating people who had contact with the employee on the flight,” the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement on Thursday.

The flight attendant, described as being in her 20s, later tested positive for the virus, and she is currently in hospital.

The crewmember had been on a Korean Air KE958 flight from Israel to Incheon on Feb. 15-16, the KCDC said. The passengers on that flight included a South Korean religious group that 31 coronavirus cases have been traced to.

Korean Air said crewmembers who were on the same flights with her have self-quarantined for 14 days, but referred other inquires to KCDC, as the authority in charge.

REAED MORE: S. Korea virus infections top 1,260, deaths in Japan rise to 7

Delta Air Lines Inc said on Wednesday it would temporarily cut flights to and from South Korea. From Saturday through April 30, Delta is suspending service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seoul-Incheon. Delta will also reduce to five times weekly its services between Seoul and Atlanta, Detroit and Seattle through April 30.

Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency on Thursday recommended national tour operators suspend tours to South Korea, Iran and Italy until the outbreaks of coronavirus there are brought under control. 

People wait in line to buy face masks from a store at the Dongseongro shopping district in Daegu on Feb 27, 2020. (JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

Japanese woman sees relapse

A woman working as a tour-bus guide in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time, Osaka’s prefectural government said on Wednesday, the first person in the country to do so amid growing concerns about the spread of the infection.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that the government would ask all elementary, junior high and high schools to close from March 2 until spring break, typically around the end of March

The second positive test comes as the number of confirmed cases in Japan rose to more than 190 by Thursday from around 170 the day before.

In Hokkaido, a man in his 80s has died after contracting the new coronavirus, commercial broadcaster TBS said on Twitter on Thursday, bringing the virus-related death toll in the country to eight.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that the government would ask all elementary, junior high and high schools to close from March 2 until spring break, typically around the end of March.

He was speaking at a meeting of the government’s task force to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Osaka has decided to close all public kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools from Feb. 29 to March 13 in a bid to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, Kyodo reported on Thursday.

An Osaka city official said the municipal government was holding a meeting late afternoon on Thursday to discuss measures concerning the virus but that he was not aware of the reported decision.

Japan’s health ministry on Wednesday defended its cautious approach to coronavirus testing as domestic cases increased.

Japan has another 704 cases from a cruise liner quarantined near Tokyo early this month and 14 from returnees on charter flights from Wuhan, China, public broadcaster NHK said.

Saudi Arabia bans religious visits

Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended entry to the kingdom for the Umrah Islamic pilgrimage and visits to al Masjid Al Nabawy in Medina, the ministry of foreign affairs announced on Twitter on Thursday amid fears over the spread of the new coronavirus.

All foreigners with tourist visas from countries with confirmed coronavirus infections will be denied entry, it said.

A woman wearing a face mask walks on a sunny day in Yokohama on February 18, 2020. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

The kingdom is suspending entry to citizens from the Gulf States, as well as travel of Saudis to the Gulf States who are using the national IDs to travel, excluding Saudis abroad who want to return, and Gulf citizens in Saudi Arabia who wish to leave, the statement said.

The statement provided no timeframe for their expiry. It was unclear if the haj pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin in late July, would be impacted.

Saudi Arabia has had no cases of the coronavirus but it has been spreading in some neighboring countries.

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Emirates airline said it would no longer carry to Saudi Arabia passengers with Umrah pilgrimage visas or tourists from nearly two dozen countries until further notice, in compliance with a Saudi government directive to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Holders of Saudi tourist visas traveling a number of other countries will be barred from boarding Emirates flights with Saudi Arabia as the final destination, the airline said on its website.

The ban takes effect on Thursday.

Pakistan’s health minister said the country had identified two cases of coronavirus, the first in the country

Pakistan confirms first cases

Pakistan’s health minister said the country had identified two cases of coronavirus, the first in the country.

Both cases are being treated and are stable, Pakistan health minister Zafar Mirza said on Twitter. “No need to panic, things are under control,” Mirza said.

Pakistan on Thursday shut schools in several areas and suspended flights to and from Iran to try to stop the spread of new coronaviru, officials said.

Iraq reports 1st case in Baghdad

Iraq reported the first case of coronavirus in the capital Baghdad on Thursday, its sixth in total.

A man contracted the virus after a trip to Iran, the health ministry said in a statement. He was in “good health” in a Baghdad hospital, it added.

Iraq on Wednesday banned public gatherings and barred entry by travelers from Kuwait and Bahrain because of the spread of the new coronavirus, prohibiting travel to or from a total of nine countries.

Afghanistan ups virus curbing efforts 

The Afghan health authorities and other non-governmental organizations have strengthened efforts on prevention and control of the COVID-19 after first positive case was detected.

 "Fortunately the number of coronavirus cases in Afghanistan is not increasing, the situation is under control," Afghan Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz told local media on Thursday.

"But it does not mean that new or suspected ceases would not be detected," Feroz told local media.

As of Feb. 26, Afghan Ministry of Public Health has confirmed 10 suspected cases, seven in Herat, two in neighboring Ghor province and one in southern Helmand province, according to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Israel confirms coronavirus in man who returned from Italy

Israel on Thursday confirmed that a man who had recently returned from Italy had tested positive for coronavirus and said it was barring entry to non-Israelis who had visited Italy in the past two weeks.

The man returned from Italy four days ago and tested positive after developing symptoms, according to the Health Ministry.

The ministry said it has tracked down individuals he had been in contact with since his return and ordered them to stay in home isolation for 14 days.

Before this case, two Israeli passengers from the virus-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess who tested positive have been treated in an Israeli hospital.

Middle East cases rise

Kuwait reported a jump in coronavirus cases to 43, from 26 previously, with all the cases linked to Iran. The United Arab Emirates, which has 13 cases and hasn’t given an update since Saturday, said it’s setting up a medical facility to quarantine patients.

Malaysia announces US$4.7b stimulus package

Malaysia’s interim prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday announced a 20 billion ringgit (US$4.7 billion) stimulus package to counter the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

The economic stimulus includes tax breaks and rescheduling of loans for companies affected by the virus outbreak, and cash aid for some, he said.

State linked companies and public agencies will also accelerate investment projects for 2020, Mahathir said.

Pakistan shuts schools, suspends Iran flights 

Pakistan on Thursday shut schools in several areas and suspended flights to and from Iran to try to stop the spread of new coronavirus, after reporting its first cases of the infection, officials said.

The South Asian nation reported its first two cases on Wednesday.

Both people had recently traveled to Iran as part of large groups of pilgrims from Pakistan’s Shi’ite Muslim community. Health officials have said both were “stable.”

Lebanon confirms 3rd case

Lebanon confirmed the country’s third case of coronavirus on Thursday, after a man arriving from Iran on Feb 24 tested positive, the health ministry said, according to news agency NNA.

The patient was taken from his home by the Lebanese Red Cross and into quarantine at a Beirut hospital after early symptoms appeared, the ministry statement said. His condition appeared to be stable, it said.

The previous two cases in Lebanon had been tied to an earlier flight from Iran that arrived last week carrying 150 passengers.

Australia warns against global outbreak

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Thursday that there is every sign the world is about to be gripped by a pandemic of coronavirus, as Australia kicked off emergency measures to restrain the spread of the disease.

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Thursday that there is every sign the world is about to be gripped by a pandemic of coronavirus, as Australia kicked off emergency measures to restrain the spread of the disease.

Australia will extend a travel ban on foreigners arriving from China by at least another week, Morrison told a televised news conference in Canberra, although there was as yet no need to stop mass gatherings, such as football games.

“The advice we have received today is...there is every indication that the world will soon enter a pandemic phase of the coronavirus,” Morrison said.

“And as a result we have agreed today and initiated the...coronavirus emergency response plan,” he added.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the activation of Australia’s emergency plan would see the federal government work with local states to ensure hospitals are ready for a surge in patients.

The Australian state government of New South Wales (NSW) also told individuals and businesses to prepare for a possible COVID-19 pandemic.

Australia has 23 cases of coronavirus, although there has been no community transmission of the virus.

New Zealand prepares for 'serious impact'

The coronavirus outbreak will have a serious impact on New Zealand’s economy in the short term, and the government may need step in if it leads to a global pandemic, the country’s finance minister said on Thursday.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said if the virus outbreak becomes a global pandemic that in turn creates a worldwide downturn or recession, then it may be necessary to consider immediate fiscal stimulus to support the economy.

With Xinhua, Bloomberg inputs