Italy has reported its first two deaths from the deadly coronavirus that is spreading across the globe.

An elderly Italian man became the first European national to succumb to Covid-19 on Friday.

He died in a hospital in the northern city of Padua, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said, adding that the 78-year-old had been in the hospital for 10 days for an unrelated illness.

A second person, a woman in the northern region of Lombardy, also died from coronavirus, Italian news agency ANSA said on Saturday.

So far there are 29 active cases of the virus in Italy.

Last weekend, France reported the first death in Europe from the virus — a Chinese tourist who had been visiting Paris.

Scramble to contain the outbreak

Earlier on Friday, officials had ordered schools, public buildings, restaurants and coffee shops in ten towns in northern Italy to close after a cluster of 15 other cases emerged.

All cases were located in the Lombardy region, where a 38-year-old man fell ill with the virus after meeting someone who returned from China in late January. Five doctors and nurses and several patients were infected at the hospital in Codogno where he was treated.

People walk down an empty street in the vollage of Codogno, Italy amid the coronavirus scare

Three other people, who all visited the same cafe in the Lombardy region, also tested positive for the virus.

Hundreds of people have quarantined and are being tested for the virus, Italian health officials have said. Over 150 co-workers of the 38-year-old, as well as 70 medical staff at Codogna hospital, are among those being tested.

The new cases represent the first acquired through secondary contagion in Italy and brought the total number of confirmed cases up to 17.

COVID-19 spreads globally

The COVID-19 virus has now infected more than 77,000 people worldwide, with China, where the virus originated, by far the worst affected. China has reported some 2,345 deaths, mostly in the central province of Hubei.

And while Beijing said new Covid-19 infections had dropped to 397 on Saturday — down from 889 a day earlier, South Korea reported a major jump in cases, with 229 new infections since Friday, taking the total number to 433.

The country, which now has the third-largest number of cases after China and Japan, also reported a second death from the virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death in China On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus reaches neighboring countries In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Millions under lockdown China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 A global health emergency? More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus reaches Europe On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First cases confirmed in Germany On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares global health emergency On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 First death outside China The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Bad ending to a cruise Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Italy under quarantine Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Economic woes European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 WHO declares outbreak as pandemic As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Public life on hold in Europe On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 International travel severely restricted As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Germany imposes partial lockdown In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Virus strikes at top as UK locks down On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Grim milestone for the US On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 Spain's surging death toll Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 More than a million On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.

Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19 UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27. Author: Richard Connor



Most of the cases center around the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu. More than 120 members of the church have been infected.

Officials believe that the tally could move significantly higher, as over 1,000 members of the Shincheonji church reported feeling flu-like symptoms.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun called the situation an emergency. The cities of Daegu and Cheongdo have been designated special care zones.

Samsung Electronics, meanwhile, suspended for two days operations at a plant in Gumi, 200 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Seoul after a worker was diagnosed with the virus.

Tehran responds to new cases

Iran is also struggling to contain the virus within its borders. Authorities there announced 13 new cases as well as five deaths from the COVID-19 virus on Friday.

An Iranian official, a district mayor in Tehran, was also tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, according to state television.

Most of the other 28 cases are linked to the holy city of Qom, but people are infected in other cities too.

Lebanon also reported its first case — a 45-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Qom.

Authorities in Israel confirmed its first case — a passenger on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship. The infected person had initially tested negative on arrival in Israel.

Africa must 'urgently invest in preparedness'

Meanwhile, World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday called on African countries to urgently invest in preparedness to deal with their own possible virus outbreak.

He said the UN body had identified 13 vulnerable countries in Africa because of their direct economic and travel links to China.

The WHO has shipped more than 30,000 sets of personal protective gear to six countries and will dispatch further kits to other African nations in the coming weeks, he added.

Watch video 02:18 Share Ukraine coronavirus unrest Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Y90C Coronavirus: Clashes in Ukraine as China evacuees arrive

Economic hit for China

After China on Friday reported a 92% drop in new car sales in the first half of February, the President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, Jörg Wuttke, told DW that the economic impact of the outbreak could be massive.

Supply chain disruption could have greater effects than those seen after the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, he warned.

"The [Chinese] economy is going to take a major hit in the first quarter...Transportation is 80% down. Hotels and restaurants are all closed...there is not much activity if any at all. Manufacturing is partially coming back...but the first quarter is basically gone."

Nevertheless, he was optimistic that international investors would retain their interest in the country.

"China is the place to be. There is no second China," he said.

Meanwhile, Hubei provincial government admitted that the coronavirus incubation period could be as long as 27 days. A 70-year-old man in the province was infected with the virus but did not show symptoms until almost a month later — much longer than the 14 days previously described.

The man, only identified by his family name, Jiang, on January 24 drove his car back to a city in northwestern Hubei from eastern Ezhou, where he was visiting his sister, who had been infected, according to the Hubei government website. He had a fever on February 20 and tested positive for coronavirus a day later, the statement said.

A longer incubation period could complicate efforts to contain the spread of the epidemic.

Watch video 03:50 Share 'There's no second China,' says trade expert Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Y9mx German trade expert: 'There's no second China'



School shuts in Japan

Japan confirmed four new coronavirus infections on Saturday, as a high school where an infected person taught was closed for two days. The teacher, a woman in her 60s in Chiba prefecture, went to work while showing symptoms. She first showed symptoms on February 12 and was hospitalized on February 19, according to local media. Her school is set to close for two days from February 25.

The second case was a woman in her 30s in the same prefecture, who has been hospitalized but is not showing any symptoms, according to a Chiba government official.

The additional two cases are a man in his 60s and another man in his 50s in Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan. Ninety-nine people in Japan have so far tested positive for coronavirus — not including the more than 630 cases on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is docked at a port near Tokyo. Japan has seen three deaths.

lc, kp, kmm/mm (dpa, AP, AFP, Reuters)

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