Rome, Thursday

Italy shut all schools and universities Thursday in a bid to stop the deadly coronavirus from spreading, as Germany warned the outbreak had turned into a global pandemic.

More than 90,000 people have been infected and around 3,200 have died worldwide from the virus, which has now reached some 80 countries and territories.

Cinemas, theatres and museums are also closed across the country while its Serie A football league will be played in empty stadiums.

In the US, California declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the state reported its first coronavirus death, making it the third state to declare an emergency in response to the disease.

And in Africa, South Africa confirmed its first case of COVID-19 : a 38-year-old man, who’d travelled to Italy with his wife, and had flown home on Sunday in a group of 10 people.

On Tuesday, suffering from a headache, a cough and sore throat, the man consulted a private doctor.

The South African authorities say they’ve sent a tracer team to the eastern province of KwaZulu Natal, to identify people who might have been in contact with the man, and the doctor who first treated him. Both have been in self-isolation since Tuesday.

For weeks, Africa has been braced for the virus to spread here. That delay has given governments valuable extra time to build up their testing and treatment capabilities.

The vast majority of global deaths and infections are in China, where COVID-19 first emerged late last year, but figures from Beijing on Wednesday showed just 119 new cases over the previous 24 hours —the lowest daily number since January.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has so far stopped short of declaring a pandemic, but fear of the virus’ spread has prompted panic buying, hoarding and theft, along with warnings over shortages of protective gear.

Deadliest outbreak

Italy ordered schools and universities shuttered until March 15, ramping up its response as the death toll in the country rose to 107, the deadliest outbreak outside China. 

As the virus continues its march across the world, governments are scrambling to tighten prevention efforts.

UK health officials moved into the second phase of their response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical adviser to the government, told MPs it was “highly likely” there was now some “community transmission” within the UK.

Measures will be ramped up to slow the spread of the virus and could involve “changes to society”, he said.

Meanwhile, Africa’s largest carrier Ethiopian Airlines has once again refused to cancel flights to China.

 Ethiopian Airlines’ boss Tewolde Gebremariam said stopping flights to China was not the solution to fighting the spread of coronavirus. -Agencies