Virus spreads to Mideast, mkts across world tank
BEIJING/NEWDELHI: Fears of a global coronavirus pandemic deepened on Monday with a growing number of deaths in Iran, new infections in four Middle East countries, and the worsening of the outbreak across Europe.
The number of fatalities in China — where the virus emerged late last year — also continued to soar, with 150 more confirmed deaths, taking its official death toll to nearly 2,600. The total number of infected across the world, according to information collated by researchers, reached close to 80,000 on Monday.
Indian equity index Sensex plunged about 807 points on Monday as renewed fears of the outbreak turning into a pandemic triggered massive sell-offs in markets. The 30-share BSE gauge settled at 40,363.23, dropping 806.89 points or 1.96%.
Chinese authorities insist they are making progress in
containing the virus, citing slowing infection rates thanks to unprecedented travel lockdowns and quarantines in or near the outbreak’s epicentre.
In what underscored the precarious situation still in the central China city of Wuhan, authorities rescinded an announcement that some travel restrictions will be eased and allow some people will be allowed to go out.
But the spread of the virus in other parts of the world has accelerated over the past week, with Iran, South Korea and Italy emerging as the worst new hotspots. Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Kuwait also announced on Monday their first cases of the virus, bringing the total number of countries with infections above 30, news agency AFP reported.
In Iran, the confirmed death toll climbed on Monday by four to 12 — the highest number of fatalities for any country outside China. There were also concerns the situation in Iran may be worse than officially acknowledged, with the semi-official ISNA news agency quoting a local lawmaker in hardest-hit Qom city that 50 people had died there. The Iranian government denied there had been 50 deaths and pledged transparency.
Even so, authorities have only reported 64 infections in Iran, an unusually small number that would mean an extremely high mortality rate. In China, 2,592 people have died out of 77,000 infections. The worst-hit country outside of China is South Korea, which has seen a rapid rise in infections since a cluster sprouted in a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week.
More than 200 infections and two more deaths were reported in South Korea on Monday, bringing the total cases to more than 830. Eight people have died from the virus in South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in over the weekend raised the country’s virus alert to the “red” level.
As part of the containment efforts, school holidays were extended nationally and the start of the new K-league football season, scheduled for this weekend, was postponed.