Europe is now the epicentre for coronavirus pandemic says, WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said Europe is now the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

Over 5,000 people have died across the world and almost 140,000 are infected with the virus across 127 countries.

WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a conference on Friday, the death toll is a “tragic milestone.”

He said, “Europe has now become the epicentre of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic.”

Italy now has more than 17,660 cases and now 1,266 deaths, Germany has 2,369 and France has 2.860 cases.

Announcing the state of emergency, Mr Sanchez said the government would “mobilise all the resources of state to better protect the health of all of its citizens”.

The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez said the total number of cases could top 10,000 coronavirus cases next week.

Sanchez said, “Several very tough weeks… are ahead of us,” he said, adding that Spain was “only in the first phase of the fight against the virus.

“Victory depends on every single one of us. Heroism is also about washing your hands and staying at home.”

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a warning to Brits travelling to parts of Spain, they are advising against all but essential travel to certain regions.

The FCO has advised to avoid areas in Madrid, La Rioja and the municipalities of La Bastida, Vitoria and Miranda de Ebro.

Spain announced they have had an almost 50% increase of coronavirus cases in just 24 hours, Madrid and the surrounding region is now 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Spain are fearing an Italy like coronavirus outbreak as confirmed cases on Monday rocketed by 362 cases in one day.

The Spanish government has announced to launch an emergency plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Spain has cancelled events in closed spaces and are urging residents to stay at home if they believe they have picked up coronavirus.

A patient infected with coronavirus has died in Scotland, the country’s first fatality bringing the total confirmed deaths in the UK to 11.

The Department of Health announced, as of 9am 13 March 2020, a total of 32,771 people have been tested: 31,973 negative.

In the UK the number of confirmed cases in one day has soared by 208 to a total of 798 positive cases.

The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has questioned Boris Johnson’s strategy in tackling the coronavirus and said it is “concerning.”

Hunt who is the chair of the House of Commons Health select committee questioned the decision not to cancel mass gatherings after Johnson said on Thursday that many more families would “lose loved ones before their time.”

The UK government’s chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance said at a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday, “it is most likely five to ten thousand people are already infected in the UK with coronavirus.”

Sir Patrick said that we are following a similar trajectory to that of Italy, in terms of numbers and the peak could be 10 to 14 weeks away.