Europe is new Covid-19 pandemic epicentre

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The World Health Organisation has declared Europe the new epicentre for the coronavirus. (Photo courtesy: News.com.Au)

(TibetanReview.net, Mar14’20) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has on Mar 13 called Europe the new epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, having reported more cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined. Meanwhile, China, whose central city of Wuhan was the original epicentre and the source of the pandemic’s outbreak, reported only two-digit cases and deaths on Feb 13, marking slight increases from the previous day’s single-digit figures.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of WHO has called it “a tragic milestone” that 5,000 people had died worldwide from the pandemic while more than 132,000 cases had been reported from 123 countries and regions.

The global increases of cases and deaths have continued to be rapid. According to data compiled by the scmp.com as of Mar 14 at 4:15 AM, the total number of confirmed cases across the world had touched 141,477, with 5,399 deaths, including 80,824 cases and 3,189 deaths in mainland China. A total of 71,998 people had recovered.

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Italy, the worst affected country outside China, saw another huge daily jump in both confirmed cases and deaths. Its total confirmed cases touched 17,660 and the deaths 1,266, compared to 15,113 and 1,016 respectively the day before. At 250, it was also the largest single-day increase in the number of deaths in the country from the global pandemic.

Iran, the second worst affected country outside China, had a total of 11,364 confirmed cases and 514 deaths, compared to the previous day’s totals of 10,075 and 429 respectively.

Meanwhile, the situation continued to improve in South Korea whose confirmed cases reached 8,086 and the deaths 72, compared to the totals of 7,979 confirmed cases and 67 deaths the day before.

But Spain saw another day of big increases with the total number of confirmed cases reaching 4,231 and the deaths 120, compared to the previous day’s totals of 2,965 and 84 respectively.

And France also saw another day of relatively big increases with the total number of confirmed cases reaching 3,661 and the deaths 79, compared to the previous day’s totals of 2,876 and 61 respectively.

Germany also saw a rather large increase in confirmed cases with the total reaching 3,062 while the number of deaths totaled 8, compared to the previous day’s totals of 2,369 and 3 respectively.

Other countries and territories with confirmed cases and deaths as of Mar 14 at 5:15 AM Hong Kong time included the United States (1,681, 41), Switzerland (1,009, 6), the Netherlands (802, 10), the United Kingdom (798, 10), Sweden (775, 1), Japan, (714, 21), the Diamond Princess cruise ship (696, 7-unchanged), Norway (621, 1-unchanged), Austria (504, 1), Belgium (314, 3-unchanged), Australia (197, 3), Greece (190 1), Canada (152, 1), Hong Kong (137, 4), India (82, 1, since risen to 83, 1),Thailand (82, 1), San Marino (73, 5), Ireland (70, 1), Indonesia (69, 4), Egypt (67, 1-unchanged), Lebanon (66, 2-unchanged), the Philippines (64, 6), Iraq (61, 6-unchanged), Taiwan (53, 1), Poland (49, 1), Luxembourg (34, 1), Argentina (31, 2), Algeria (25, 1-unchanged), Albania (23, 1), Bulgaria (23, 1), Panama (14, 1), Morocco (6, 1), Ukraine (3, 1), Guyana (1, 1), and Sudan (1, 1).

Other countries and regions with 10 or more confirmed infections, but no death, as of Mar 14 at 5:15 AM Hong Kong time included Denmark (801), Qatar (262-unchanged), Singapore (200), Bahrain (195), Malaysia (158-unchanged), Israel (147), the Czech Republic (94-unchanged), Saudi Arabia (86), the UAE (85-unchanged), Kuwait (80-unchanged), Brazil (77), Iceland (65-unchanged), Slovenia (57-unchanged), Romania (48), Vietnam (48), Portugal (41), Finland (40-unchanged), Russia (34), Chile (33), Occupied Palestinian territory (31), Belarus (27), ), Mexico (61), South Africa (24), Georgia (23-unchanged), Costa Rica (22-unchanged), Peru (22), Grand Princess cruise ship off San Francisco (21-unchanged), Slovakia (21), Pakistan (20-unchanged), Serbia (19-unchanged), Oman (18-unchanged), Ecuador (17-unchanged), Croatia (16-unchanged), Hungary (16), Latvia (16), Estonia (13-unchanged), Azerbaijan (11), Brunei (11-unchanged), Macao (10), and Senegal (10).

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Meanwhile in China, the National Health Commission said Mar 14 that the mainland had 11 newly confirmed cases and 13 deaths at Mar 13 end, compared to eight and seven respectively the day before.

Of the mainland’s total confirmed cases of 80,824 as of Mar 13 end, 12,094 were still being treated, 65,541 had been discharged after recovery, and 3,189 had died, reported the official Xinhua news agency Mar 14.

Mainland China also reported 17 new suspected cases, taking the total of such cases to 115.

Mainland China also had 95 imported cases, compared to the previous day’s total of 88.

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In India, the number of deaths from the global pandemic had increased to two. While a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi (Karnataka state) who had recently returned from a month-long pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia died on Mar 12, a 68-year-old woman in Delhi who had tested positive passed away on Mar 13 night. The women got the infection from her son with a history of traveling abroad. Both the patients had diabetes and hypertension.

Of India’s 83 confirmed cases, Delhi accounted for seven, Uttar Pradesh 11, Karnataka six, Maharashtra 14 and Ladakh three. Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab had one each. Kerala had the most number at 19. Seventeen are foreigners, made up of 16 from an Italian tourist group and a Canadian.

The government has declared the pandemic a notified disaster for the purpose of providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund.

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