THE COVID-19 DEATH toll in Italy has now risen above 100 people, with all schools across the country closed from today until 15 March.

A total of 107 people have now died in the country with its outbreaking continuing to swell despite tough measures, including a quarantine of 11 towns with 50,000 people in northern Italy. 

The country’s new measures include a month-long nationwide ban on fan attendance at sports events, as well as advice for people to avoid greetings of kissing on the cheek or shaking hands. 

As the virus has spread, other countries have also implemented extraordinary measures, with UNESCO saying yesterday that 13 countries have closed schools, affecting 290.5 million children, while nine others have implemented localised closures.

While temporary school closures during crises are not new, UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said, “the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.”

South Korea — the country with the largest number of cases outside China with nearly 6,000 — has postponed the start of the next term until March 23.

In Japan, nearly all schools are closed after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for classes to be cancelled through March and spring break, slated for late March through early April.

Some 120 schools closed in France this week.

Four new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Republic of Ireland last night, bringing to nine the number of cases on the island of Ireland. 

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: “There is still no evidence of widespread or sustained community transmission in Ireland, as seen in some other EU countries.

“While we now have six confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, we continue our containment efforts, central to which is that the public know what to do in the event they have symptoms.”

Worldwide

In Iran, where 92 people have died from the disease, schools have been shut and major cultural and sporting events suspended.

In the United States, where the death toll rose to 11 yesterday, lawmakers in Congress reached a deal to provide more than $8 billion to fight the outbreak.

Ten of the deaths have taken place in Washington state and most of those who died were residents of Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland, a suburb east of Seattle.

At least 39 cases have been reported in the Seattle area, where researchers say the virus may have been circulating undetected for weeks.

In California, the state declared emergency over the novel coronavirus as a cruise ship was held off the coast over fears of a new outbreak.

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International travel

Countries also continue to crack down on international travel.

Israel extended its mandatory quarantine measures — already in place for travellers from Italy and some Asian countries — to cover people from France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.

More than 95,000 people have been infected and around 3,200 have died worldwide from the virus, which has now reached some 80 countries and territories.

The vast majority of global deaths and infections are in China, where COVID-19 first emerged late last year, but figures from Beijing  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.

But in Germany, health minister Jens Spahn used the term “global pandemic” — meaning it is spreading in several regions through local transmission — telling lawmakers “we have not yet reached the peak of the outbreak”.

© – AFP 2020 with reporting by Rónán Duffy