Coronavirus increases Iran’s isolation; strains Korea, Italy

Iran’s coronavirus death toll rose to 16 on Tuesday, the most outside China, increasing its international isolation as countries as far apart as South Korea and Italy stepped up emergency measures to curb the epidemic's global spread. India is preparing to evacuate a large group of its citizens, who are stuck in China's coronavirus-hit Wuhan city, by a special IAF plane, which is expected to land there with relief medical supplies on Wednesday.

"We are working on our plan for operating the relief flight tomorrow," said an Indian Embassy message sent to the Indians who have enrolled to go by the special flight. About 90 to 100 Indians were expected to board the flight. India has also expressed its willingness to evacuate citizens from the neighbourhood countries.

Believed to have come from wildlife in Wuhan city late last year, the flu-like disease has infected 80,000 people and killed close to 2,700 in China. The frequency of cases, however, has eased in the past few days.

Urging countries to learn from China's expertise, the head of a joint Who-china mission of experts said the world is "simply not ready" to rein in the new coronavirus outbreak.

"You have to be ready to manage this at a larger scale... and it has to be done fast," Bruce Aylward told reporters in Geneva, insisting countries everywhere have to "be ready as if this hits us tomorrow".

Beyond mainland China, however, it has jumped to about 30 countries and territories, with some three dozen deaths. Spreading infections in Iran, Italy and South Korea are of particular concern. Iran's deputy health minister, Iraj Harirch, has been infected with the virus, a ministry official said on Tuesday, amid a major outbreak in the Islamic republic.

Italy witnessed its 11th coronavirus victim — a 76-year-old woman succumbed to the virus the northern of Treviso. Jpmorgan has restricted business travel to and from Italy to prevent the spread of coronavirus, according to a memo sent to Europe, West Asia and Africa employees. The Wall Street bank said all trips to Italy would require line management approval.

In Austria, a hotel in the Alpine city of Innsbruck was placed under lockdown after an Italian receptionist working there contracted the virus, media reports said.