Iran’s health ministry reported 11 new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 385 fresh cases on Sunday, AFP reported. The overall toll in the country is now 54 and total number of infections is 978.
“Eleven people lost their lives” in the past 24 hours, said ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour. The government urged people to stay away from mass gatherings and limit their travel.
Meanwhile, Armenia became the latest country to confirm its first case of coronavirus on Sunday. The Armenian citizen recently returned from Iran. His condition is reportedly stable.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a Facebook post, said that around 30 people who had been in contact with the patient have also been placed under isolation.
The neighbouring country of Azerbaijan registered its first case of the COVID-19 virus on Friday, a Russian who had also arrived from Iran. Georgia also has confirmed three cases and has temporarily banned Iranians from visiting and has also suspended air links with China.
China, where the outbreak began, on Sunday reported 35 more deaths, and 573 more infected people. Barring China, South Korea has the highest number of cases and Iran the most deaths. South Korea confirmed 376 more coronavirus cases on Sunday. This takes the country’s total to 3,526 infections.
Meanwhile, the outbreak has continued to spread in other countries, with the first deaths being reported in the United States and Australia. In the US, the victim was a man in his 50s in Washington state who reportedly had an underlying health problem. In Australia, the victim was a man in his 70s who was aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he would extend a travel ban on Iran to apply to foreign nationals who had been there in the last two weeks. He also advised Americans not to travel to regions of Italy and South Korea that have been hit by the coronavirus. Trump also said he is considering restrictions on the US’ southern border. Australia has also banned travellers from Iran, which has recorded a very high death rate from the virus.
All crew members on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess, docked at a harbour in Yokohama in Japan, disembarked on Sunday, AFP reported.
A total of 138 Indians, including 132 crew and six passengers, were among the 3,711 people on board the ship when it docked at the Yokohama port near Tokyo, on February 3. The ship was placed in quarantine when a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong last month was found to be infected with the coronavirus.
“Including the captain, all crew members disembarked,” health minister Katsunobu Kato said. Around 130 people – including the captain and 98 health ministry officials who were working aboard – have tested negative for the virus, he added.
They will spend 14 days at government-designated dormitories before being allowed to leave Japan. The cruise ship will be disinfected before sailing again.
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