A sign reads: "We are out of stock of protective masks", is displayed behind the counter at a pharmacy in Marseille, southern France, March 3, 2020. (DANIEL COLE / AP)
WASHINGTON/MADRID/PARIS/DUBLIN/ALGIERS/STOCKHOLM/VIENNA/SANTIAGO/BUENOS AIRES/KIEV/WARSAW/MOSCOW/BERLIN/OSLO - A first case of coronavirus has been established at the Council of the European Union, a spokesman said on Wednesday, as ministers of the 27 EU member states meet there for a series of emergency meetings.
The spokesman of the Council, which hosts ministerial meetings and EU summits, said the person appeared to have been infected in Belgium.
Britain infections jump to 85
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Britain rose to 85 on Wednesday in the biggest daily jump since it was first detected in the country, health ministry figures showed on Wednesday.
The number of confirmed cases was 51 on Tuesday. Britain has not recorded any deaths from the disease.
Russia suspends export of mask
Russia has suspended the export of surgical masks and medical gear including bandages and one-use chemical protection suits, according to a government resolution published on Wednesday, amid fears over the the spread of the coronavirus.
Russia has not reported any confirmed cases of people contracting coronavirus while inside the country, though six people who got infected elsewhere have received or are receiving treatment in Russia.
It is mainly necessary to prevent a so-called 'artificial deficit' in certain medical items - masks, respirators, antiviral agents that speculators can export abroad.
Denis Manturov, Industry Minister of Russia
According to the government resolution, the suspension would not affect exports being made for humanitarian reasons or individuals taking items out of the country for their own use.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that fake news reports about coronavirus were being sent to Russia from abroad to spread panic.
He urged the government to ensure that citizens were correctly informed about the situation in Russia.
ALSO READ: WHO chief: Coronavirus is a virus with 'unique characteristics'
Spain sees first fatality
A man in the Spanish region of Valencia has died from coronavirus, marking the country's first death from the outbreak, a local health official said on Tuesday.
Tests carried out post-mortem showed the man, who died on Feb 13, was killed by the virus, regional health chief Ana Barcelo said at a press conference.
News of the death came shortly after Spain's Health Ministry announced on its Twitter page that several sporting events would be held behind closed doors, while medical conferences will be cancelled in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
The ministry said sport fixtures expected to draw crowds from zones designated as high-risk for coronavirus, such as northern Italy, would be played without spectators, having earlier referred to the measure as a recommendation.
In total, around 150 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Spain, while some 100 health workers in the Basque region have been isolated in their homes after coming into contact with people carrying the virus.
Authorities are monitoring two clusters of the infection in Torrejon de Ardoz, a suburban city close to Madrid with a population of around 130,000, and one in the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
ALSO READ: G7 to deploy all policy tools to combat coronavirus
France reported its fourth death on Tuesday. The country now has 212 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection
France reports 4th death, Evangelical service center of break
French authorities have asked people who took part in an Evangelical Lent celebration in eastern France last month to limit social contact after 10 new confirmed coronavirus infections were traced to the event.
Christophe Lannelongue, head of the eastern France health agency, said on Wednesday that he expected more confirmed cases of coronavirus infection to appear in the region following the discovery of the 10 cases in two families, all linked to a Lent church service in which some 2,000 people took part.
In Paris, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday that France will regulate the price of antibacterial gels after prices were reported to have increased heavily since the coronavirus outbreak began,
A decree regulating the price would be published during the day, Le Maire told French BFM Business radio.
A pharmacists' union on Wednesday told franceinfo radio that the price rise was unacceptable, and called for government intervention.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Olivier Veran said that President Emmanuel Macron had signed a decree to requisition all stock and production of protective face masks.
Also on Tuesday, France reported its fourth death from COVID-19 on Tuesday. The number of confirmed cases has risen to 212, with 13 regions affected.
Germany reports 44 new cases
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased to 240 on Wednesday, up from 196 on Tuesday afternoon, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said.
Fifteen of Germany's 16 federal states have now reported cases of the novel coronavirus, with the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia being most affected, according to the RKI.
A tourist pose for a photo in front of the empty Spanish Steps in downtown Rome, Italy, March 3, 2020.
(ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP)
Italy to shut schools, toll hits 79
In Italy, health authorities said on Tuesday they may set up a new quarantine red zone to try to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Europe's worst-hit country, after the death toll and the number of cases jumped.
Twenty-seven people died of COVID-19 in Italy over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of dead to 79, the Civil Protection Agency said.
The total number of cases rose to 2,263 from 2,036 on Monday.
Twenty-seven people died of COVID-19 in Italy over the past 24 hours, the Civil Protection Agency said
Italy is to close all schools and universities from Thursday to try to contain its worsening coronavirus outbreak, a government source said, as cases continued to rise in Europe’s worst hit country.
Only schools and universities in the northern regions most heavily affected by the epidemic have been closed so far.
The outbreak remains centered in the north, with Lombardy by far the worst affected, but it has since spread south and infections have now been confirmed in all but one of Italy's 20 regions.
Among the new cases announced on Tuesday were two magistrates who worked in Milan's courtroom and a newborn baby in Bergamo. It was not clear how the child contracted the virus.
Vinitaly, one of the world's largest wine fairs that is held annually in the northern city of Verona, announced on Tuesday it was postponing the 2020 edition from April to June.
Finnish airline Finnair said Wednesday it was cancelling all flights to Milan between March 9 and April 7, and is reducing the frequency of its flights to several destinations in Europe.
ALSO READ: Pope tests negative for virus; UK sets out plans to curb virus
Lufthansa to ground 150 aircraft
Lufthansa will ground 150 aircraft out of its total fleet of around 770 due to the coronavirus, the German airline said on Wednesday, confirming what company sources had told Reuters earlier.
“We are dynamically adjusting our plans to reflect extraordinary circumstances,” a Lufthansa spokesman said, adding that 25 of the 150 grounded aircraft are long-haul jets.
Egypt bars entry of Qatari nationals
Egypt has decided to bar the entry of Qatari nationals, including those who have valid residency in Egypt, amid fears over the coronavirus, the cabinet said on Wednesday.
The measure will take effect from March 6 until further notice. Qatar had on Sunday imposed a temporary restriction on entry to its territory on visitors from Egypt via intermediate points because of the virus’s spread.
Canada creates virus committee
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the creation of a new Cabinet committee on COVID-19 chaired by his deputy Chrystia Freeland to complement the Incident Response Group.
Poland, Ukraine, Argentina, Chile report first cases
Poland, Ukraine, Argentina and Chile reported their first coronavirus cases, while Ireland, Algeria, Austria and Sweden saw more confirmed cases.
Poland's Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said Wednesday the infected man is in hospital in Zielona Gora, western Poland, and that his condition is good.
Ukraine confirmed its first case in a man who recently traveled to Italy, state-run news agency Ukrinform reported on Tuesday, citing Deputy Minister of Health Viktor Liashko.
In Argentina, authorities said the first patient diagnosed with the coronavirus is a man, 43, who returned to the capital Buenos Aires on Sunday from a trip to Italy. President Alberto Fernandez called on the population to be alert, but not alarmed by the emergence of the coronavirus.
Separately, according to Chile's Institute of Public Health (ISP) on Tuesday, the country's first case involves a 33-year-old man in the city of Talca in central Chile's Maule region who recently traveled extensively through Asia and returned via Europe.
The number of cases in Sweden on Tuesday has doubled to 30 from a day earlier, the Public Health Agency announced on Tuesday
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera allayed fears of a widespread epidemic, saying his country has put in place all of the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) to head off an outbreak.
ALSO READ: Portugal registers first two cases; Germany tally at 150
In Europe, the number of cases in Sweden on Tuesday doubled to 30 from a day earlier, the Public Health Agency announced on Tuesday.
Fifteen people have been tested positive of COVID-19 infection Tuesday, and the first ever confirmed case in Sweden is "clinically healthy and shows no symptoms," according to the Agency. In Stockholm, another six people have been confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the cases to 15 in the Swedish capital.
Separately, six more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Austria on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Alpine country to 24, according to the Ministry of Health.
There are now 14 cases in Vienna, three each in Lower Austria and Styria, and two each in Tyrol and Salzburg.
Meanwhile, Irish authorities confirmed a second case of coronavirus, a woman in the east of the country who recently travelled to Italy, Ireland's Department of Health announced on Tuesday.
In Algeria, three new cases were confirmed, bringing to eight the total number of people tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Empty shelves for disinfectant wipes wait for restocking at a store in New York, March 3, 2020. (BEBETO MATTHEWS / AP)
3 more die in Seattle area
The number of people with the new coronavirus in the United States climbed on Tuesday with Washington state reporting three more deaths, as authorities worked on preventing its spread.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington state rose to 27, including nine deaths, up from 18 cases and six deaths a day earlier, the state Department of Health reported.
There are now 9 deaths reported in Washington state, while New York reported its 2nd confirmed case
The number of cases in the United States was at least 108. New Hampshire, Georgia and North Carolina were the most recent to have joined the list of states with first confirmed cases reported.
At least two schools in New York City and surrounding areas were closed on Tuesday after officials confirmed the second confirmed case in the state.
Vice-President Mike Pence said on Tuesday that US public health authorities had issued new guidance to make clear that a doctor's order was all that would be needed for any American to be tested for the novel coronavirus.
Meanwhile, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn told Congress that testing kits should be available by the end of the week that would give labs the capacity to perform about 1 million coronavirus tests.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that it would distribute 21 million N95 masks to healthcare providers.
Ecuador takes steps to tackle virus
In Ecuador's capital Quito, local authorities launched the process of disinfecting public transit systems used by some 650,000 passengers a day, including transportation units and stations.
Authorities also installed anti-bacterial gel dispensers at stations and distributed face masks to related personnel.
Ecuador has so far reported seven cases of the coronavirus.
