If the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread around the world, it seems to slow down in China, the first focus of the disease. Beijing on Friday released 327 new cases, the lowest number in the country since Jan. 24, and 44 deaths.

The coronavirus epidemic is now spreading far beyond China, where the spread of the epidemic is slowing, while drastic measures are increasing worldwide, Saudi Arabia deciding to suspend the entry of pilgrims and the Japan to close its schools. If China was until recently the only global center of coronavirus, the risk has increased with the emergence of new source countries such as South Korea, Iran and Italy.

78,824 identified in China since the beginning of the epidemic

South Korea alone reported more than 500 additional infections on Thursday. Iran has announced 106 additional infections, bringing the total to 245, including 26 dead. In Europe, Italy saw the number of cases drop to 650 Thursday, against 400 Wednesday, including 17 dead.

Beijing on Friday released 327 new cases, the lowest number in the country since Jan. 24, and 44 deaths. A total of 78,824 cases have been recorded in mainland China since the start of the epidemic.

Elsewhere in the world, each day is punctuated by announcements of first cases. Last country to date, the Netherlands announced the case of a patient who had gone to Italy.

"A decisive moment"

The fight against the epidemic "can only be resolved in perfect European and international cooperation", underlined, alongside Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Naples, French President Emmanuel Macron whose country saw on Thursday the number of its Coronavirus contamination cases increased from 18 to 38, including two deaths.

"We are at a decisive moment," said WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressing that in the past two days, the daily number of new infected people in the world had been higher than that recorded in China, where the virus appeared in December. "If you act aggressively now, you can stem this coronavirus," he said.

Nearly 79,000 people have so far been infected in China, including 2,788 fatally. The coronavirus also affects around 50 other countries, with more than 4,000 infections and more than 60 deaths.