Cases in Europe, Iran and US grow rapidly as countries ramp up containment measures

Global deaths and infections from the coronavirus have surpassed those inside China for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak.

Worldwide infections have grown to more than 87,000, according to the Johns Hopkins university tracker, while cases inside China, stood at 80,860 as of Monday, according to the Chinese National Health Commission.

Deaths outside China have risen to more than 3,241, according to Johns Hopkins, while deaths inside China stand at 3,208 as of Monday (excluding four in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan).

A graph produced by Johns Hopkins university illustrated the dramatic rise of global cases. The angle of the yellow global curve appears to show that infections outside of China have grown even more rapidly than they did inside China at the start of the infection there.

A graph from the Johns Hopkins University CSSE coronavirus tracker shows global Covid-19 infections outstripping those in China (in yellow). Correct as of 00:50 GMT, Monday 16 March. Photograph: Johns Hopkins University CSSE

The most substantial infection centre outside China is in Italy, where there are nearly 25,000 confirmed infections and more than 1,800 deaths.

Elsewhere in Europe, which the World Health Organization described as being at the centre of the pandemic, France has 4,500 cases and 91 deaths, Germany has 11 deaths and more than 5,700 infections, the Netherlands has 20 deaths and 2,270 infections, Switzerland has 14 deaths and 2,200 infections, and the UK has 21 deaths and 1,144.

The next worst affected country is Iran, where there are just under 14,000 confirmed cases and 724 deaths. There are fears that the country’s fragile health services and economy are struggling to cope with the outbreak, and on Friday, satellite imaging appeared to show mass graves dug in the city of Qom to bury coronavirus victims.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker as of 01:15GMT, Monday 16 March. Photograph: Johns Hopkins University CSSE

In the US, which rapidly escalated its response to the virus over the weekend with Donald Trump declaring a national emergency, cases have jumped to 3,500, with at least 57 deaths recorded. There has been substantial criticism of the Trump administration, and the president himself, who only two weeks ago when the country had 15 infections suggested the number would be down to zero before long.

Trump also accused Democrats of using the coronavirus as “their new hoax”, promised a vaccine much sooner than scientifically possible.

The Centers for Disease Control in the US advised against gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks and the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to 0.25%.

Jack Ma (@JackMa) The first shipment of masks and coronavirus test kits to the US is taking off from Shanghai. All the best to our friends in America. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/LTn26gvlOl

Other measures to step up containment in the US and around the world include:

From Tuesday New York City will limit restaurants, bars and cafes to only offer take-out and delivery. Nightclubs, movie theatres and other entertainment venues would close.

Several Las Vegas hotels and casinos said they would suspend operations.

Washington state announced restaurants and bars would be limited to take-out only until the end of March, and entertainment and recreational facilities such as gyms would also close.

Australia’s Reserve Bank said it was prepared to start quantitive easing to boost the economy, which could involve buying government bonds and other financial assets from banks and pensions funds. The country’s share market closed 9.7% down on Monday.

New Zealand imposed a 500-person limit on gatherings, while the PM, Jacinda Ardern, said the virus impact could be greater than that of the global financial crisis.

Turkey reported 12 new cases, bringing its total to 18 – the biggest jump since it reported its first case last week.

British over-70s will be asked to self-isolate for up to four months, in order to protect them from the virus.

Luxembourg on Sunday followed its neighbours France and Belgium in closing bars and restaurants to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

Louis Vuitton owner LVMH has said its cosmetics unit would manufacture large quantities of hand disinfectant gel to help stave off a nationwide shortage across France as the coronavirus continues to spread.

South Africa declared a national disaster and introduced a series of drastic measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Play Video 4:31 How to stop the spread of coronavirus – video explainer

While many countries have been late to respond to the threat, South Korea, which has a more than 8,000 confirmed infections has quickly controlled the spread of the virus, through rapid testing and quarantine measures in the worst affected areas. It has recorded three days where recoveries have outstripped new infections.

Despite the country’s progress, it has identified a new cluster of cases, near Seoul. At least 40 members of a protestant church tested positive, including the pastor, after services on 1 March and 8 March, despite government calls to cancel mass gatherings.

The vice health minister, Kim Gang-lip, said that continuing new infections are a reminder that the country should not forget “the lessons we’ve learned” and that new outbreaks implied that the virus was still “spreading across the country”.

As in other countries, the elderly have been the most vulnerable. The country’s centre for disease control said 70.6% of deaths were in their 70s and above. Another 18.7% of fatalities were in their 60s. The centre said no death in Korea had been reported in a patient under 29.