The first novel coronavirus case has been recorded in Latvia, the country’s Ministry of Health informed the LETA news agency on Monday, Trend reports citing TASS.
"The Ministry of Health and the Center for Disease Prevention and Control confirm that the first patient in Latvia has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus disease," the statement reads.
A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 12 million, in late December. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, describing it as an epidemic with multiple locations. Besides China, major coronavirus outbreaks have been reported in Italy and South Korea. A total of 71 countries, including Russia, have reported confirmed coronavirus cases.
According to the latest reports, the death toll in China, which, according to WHO estimates, accounts for the majority of novel coronavirus cases, has climbed to 2,900, 44,400 patients have recovered, while the total number of infected people has exceeded 80,000.