COVID-19 pandemic March 11: Italy surpasses 10,000 infections with 631 deaths

According to Reuters, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Italy increased to 10,149 on March 10 compared to 9,172 cases the previous day. The head of the Italian Civil Protection Agency said that 1,004 people recovered and 877 people needed intensive care on March 10 compared to 724 recoveries and 733 intensive care cases the previous day.

South Korea also added 242 new infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases nationwide to 7,755, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Australia spends $1.56 billion to fight COVID-19

The Australian government announced on March 11 that it will disburse 2.4 billion Australian dollars (about 1.56 billion USD) to set up fever clinics and free medical consultation facilities for people in the form of remote consultation via video calls.

The free consultation centres will benefit people who are self-isolating at home or in quarantine centres, Health Minister Greg Hunt said, adding that the centres will be open from March 13.

The Australian Government has earmarked $205 million to set up 100 fever clinics across the country and says people with mild or moderate flu symptoms can use the clinics instead of going to hospital emergency departments.

The US has more than 1,000 positive cases of SARS-CoV-2

As of March 10, the US has recorded more than 1,000 positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is the clearest sign that the COVID-19 epidemic has spread widely in communities on both the West and East coasts as well as the central region of the country.

According to the New York Times, as of the evening of March 10, the US had at least 1,004 COVID-19 patients in 37 states and the capital Washington, DC, and at least 31 people had died.

The first case of COVID-19 in the US was confirmed on January 21 in Washington state.

China 24 new infections, 22 deaths

Data released by China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on the morning of March 11 showed that by the end of March 10, the country had recorded 24 new infections, an increase of 5 cases compared to the previous day. Of the 24 new infections, 10 were imported into China from other countries.

In Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic, only 13 new infections were recorded on March 10. This was also all the new infections in Hubei province on March 10.

The NHC also recorded 22 more deaths across China, all in Hubei, with Wuhan accounting for 19 of the cases.

* Panama has its first death, Japan has 59 new infections

According to Reuters, Panama's Ministry of Health has also just confirmed the first death from COVID-19 in the country.

Meanwhile, Japan has 59 new cases - the largest increase in infections in one day since the outbreak in the country. The total number of infections in Japan to date is 1,278 cases (including 696 cases on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 citizens returning from China) and 19 deaths (including 7 cases on the Diamond Princess cruise ship) .

* Bolivia, Turkey confirm first COVID-19 cases

Bolivian Health Minister Anibal Cruz said on March 10 that the country had recorded its first two cases of COVID-19.

On the same day, the Turkish Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country, a Turkish citizen with a high fever and cough who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The patient is currently in stable condition and his family is under medical supervision, according to Reuters.

* UK health minister has COVID-19, had contact with Prime Minister

The Times reported on March 10 that Nadine Dorries, the British health minister, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after falling ill on March 6. Dorries, who has been in isolation and recovering, had contact with hundreds of people in the British parliament last week and attended a reception with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

* Europe pledges to take all necessary measures to avoid economic instability

French President Emmanuel Macron said on March 10 that EU leaders had agreed to take all measures to avoid financial and economic instability caused by the outbreak and spread of COVID-19. Macron made the statement after a video conference with other EU leaders.

* US admits number of military personnel infected with COVID-19 may be higher than official number

The Pentagon admitted on March 10 that the number of service members and related individuals infected with COVID-19 may be higher than the official number announced after a service member serving in the US tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 last weekend. This is also the fourth US service member infected with COVID-19 globally.

The announcement is another example of the health risks to U.S. service members even as Washington tries to limit the spread of the coronavirus among more than 1 million troops on active duty around the world, including those stationed in countries with major outbreaks such as Italy and South Korea, Reuters reported.

In a related development, New York will begin closing schools, churches and other crowded places in the city's suburb of New Rochelle for two weeks to prevent a local outbreak of COVID-19.

The closure is expected to last from March 12 to 25 after New Rochelle County reported more than 100 COVID-19 cases out of a total of 173 in New York state.

On the other hand, President Donald Trump said on March 10 that he did not need to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 because he was still healthy, did not have any symptoms and doctors were still closely monitoring his health.

Earlier, among those traveling with Mr. Trump on Air Force One on March 10 was Republican representative Matt Gaetz, who announced hours later that he would self-quarantine because he attended a conference where someone tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Reuters.

According to Tuoi Tre