Chinanews.com, March 21, according to a comprehensive report. According to the real-time statistics released by Johns Hopkins University in the United States, as of 9:13 Eastern Time (21:13 Beijing Time), worldwide A total of 284,566 confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia and 11,868 deaths were reported.

Among them, outside China, Italy, Spain, Iran, and Germany have confirmed more than 20,000 cases. Italian experts said that the virus spread in the country may precede the outbreak in China. The epidemic in Africa has spread to 40 countries with more than 1,000 confirmed cases. In recent days, passengers on multiple cruise ships have been diagnosed, and the global cruise industry has suspended a wide range of flights.

Workers spray disinfectant in public areas in Venice, Italy.

More than 20,000 confirmed cases in four countries outside China

Experts: Italian virus spreads before outbreak in China

As of 6:00 pm on the 20th local time, the number of confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in Italy increased to 47,021, with a total of 4,032 deaths. Lombardy Region President Adiario Fontana held a press conference and stated that the central government has approved the deployment of troops in the Lombardy Region and the execution of the city closure order.

Professor Giuseppe Remuzzi, head of the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacology in Italy, said in an interview with the US media that the new crown virus may have spread in Italy before the outbreak of the new crown virus in China.

Asked by the US National Public Radio (NPR) why Italy behaved unprepared after the outbreak on February 21, Remuzzi said he learned from GPs as early as December or November last year At that time, they remembered seeing a "very strange and extremely severe pneumonia of unknown cause", especially in the elderly. "This means that the virus spread in Italy before we noticed the outbreak in China, at least in the northern Lombardy."

In addition, the Iranian Ministry of Health announced on the 21st that Iran has newly confirmed 966 new cases of coronal pneumonia, a total of 20,610 cases have been confirmed, of which 1,556 have died and 7,635 have been cured. Iranian President Rouhani said Iran has adopted social alienation measures, including travel restrictions, to combat the new crown pneumonia epidemic. These measures will last two to three weeks because he expects the epidemic to ease by that time.

According to the latest data reported by the German media NTV on the 21st, more than 20,000 confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in Germany have been reported. At present, Germany has implemented strict epidemic prevention measures such as closing schools, public facilities, restaurants and bars.

The Spanish Ministry of Health announced on the 21st that the country has a total of 24,926 confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia, with nearly 5,000 new cases per day. In response to the shortage of beds, the Spanish army has begun to set up tent hospitals in Oviedo, Gijon and other places.

40 confirmed cases in Africa

Economy and tourism hit

With the discovery of new coronary pneumonia cases in Angola, as of 17:30 on March 21, Beijing time, new countries have been diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia in 40 countries on the continent, with a total of 1003 cases, including 25 deaths and 104 cures.

Currently, the top three countries with confirmed cases in sub-Saharan Africa are still South Africa, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. These three countries and Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and other countries have all locally transmitted cases, triggering medical experts' potential for the outbreak. Worries about outbreaks in some countries.

Some countries have taken measures to prevent and control imported cases abroad. Nigeria shuts down international airports in 3 states; Senegal suspends all international flights; Guinea cancels all flights from severely affected countries; Gabon closes land, sea and air borders and cancels all domestic and international flights; Uganda, Botswana and other countries restrict entry of high-risk countries; The airline suspends all international routes until the end of May; Africa's largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, has suspended flights to about 30 countries.

The spread of the epidemic has impacted Africa's economy and tourism. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa released a report that Africa's economic growth in 2020 may drop from the previously expected 3.2% to 1.8%. In addition, tourism orders in Zimbabwe and Namibia have fallen by 70% and 30% respectively since February, and 95% of hotels in Tanzania's tourist destination Zanzibar have also closed.

On March 20, the poster of Incheon International Airport in South Korea printed the words "No Exit Mask". As of 0:00 on the 20th local time, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in South Korea reached 8,652. The South Korean government said it will require European immigrants on long-term visas to be quarantined for 14 days starting on the 22nd. Photo by China Press Agency

New cases in South Korea increase to three digits in a single day

More than 1,000 people diagnosed in Australia

In Asia, the number of new cases per day in South Korea increased to three digits again; the current collective infection in Japan; the largest increase in new cases in the Philippines in one day; and the number of confirmed cases in Australia has exceeded one thousand ...

South Korea ’s Central Epidemic Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters reported on the 21st that as of 00:00 that day, South Korea had added 147 new confirmed cases of new coronavirus (COVID-19) infection compared to 00:00 the day before, with a total of 8799 confirmed cases. South Korea ’s Central Disaster Security Headquarters said that in order to prevent the epidemic from being imported from abroad, the government will arrange 1,000 temporary living facilities for isolation from European immigrants.

On March 21, Governor of Japan's Oita Prefecture, Masahiro Hirose, said at a press conference that a collective infection of new crown pneumonia occurred in a local hospital. According to reports, at the National Hospital Institution Oita Medical Center, a total of 5 people, including doctors, nurses, and patients who have been transferred to the hospital, are infected with new coronary pneumonia. At present, the medical institution has suspended outpatient clinics, and has performed testing on a total of more than 600 medical staff and hospitalized patients in a number of new coronaviruses.

On the afternoon of the 21st local time, the Philippines reported an additional 77 new cases of new coronary pneumonia, the largest increase in a single day. The total number of infections in the country reached 307, with 19 deaths. To reduce the spread of infection, Philippine President Duterte ordered a blockade of Luzon for a month and imposed restrictive quarantine measures on residents. Duterte also called for schools to close, ban large-scale assemblies, and suspend public transportation.

The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand issued an announcement on the 21st, saying that Thailand has added 89 new confirmed cases of new pneumonia, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases has reached 411. At the same time, many Thai provinces announced the closure of most of the land border checkpoints.

The number of new crown virus infections in Australia is also on the rise and currently exceeds 1,000. Australian Prime Minister Morrison reiterated on the 20th to call on every Australian to contribute his own strength and maintain social distance.

Multiple cruise passengers confirmed

Global cruise industry suspended

As the epidemic continues to spread, Italy ’s largest cruise line, the Italian company Costa Cruises, has previously announced that it will suspend operations on all routes worldwide until April 3. In addition, several major cruise companies in the world, including Costa ’s parent company Carnival Group and Royal Caribbean Cruises, have announced that they have suspended operations in the world or some regions due to the outbreak of the new crown virus.

On the 20th, officials from Marseille, France, said that an Italian cruise ship "Coste Dazzle" with thousands of people docked at the port of Marseille, the southern port of the country, and more than 600 passengers on board will disembark. Earlier, 36 passengers on the cruise ship had been confirmed with new coronary pneumonia.

In the "Ruby Princess" cruise ship docked in Sydney, three of the passengers tested positive for the new crown virus. It is worth noting that about 2,700 passengers on the ship had already disembarked home. The New South Wales Department of Health contacted all passengers urgently with the news and asked them to isolate themselves for 14 days.

On the 18th, the cruise ship Brema, carrying at least six patients with new crown pneumonia, docked at a Cuban port, and most of the people took a charter flight back to Britain that night. It is understood that the "Breima" cruise line belongs to the British Fred Olsen Shipping Company, carrying more than 1,000 passengers and crew, mainly British passengers. The cruise ship had previously been denied access to ports in Caribbean ports due to a new crown pneumonia epidemic. The Cuban government announced on the 16th that the cruise ship is allowed to call at its port.

According to CNN reported on the 21st, today, more than 30 cruise ships are still at sea, carrying thousands of passengers. With the stagnation of the global cruise industry and growing concerns about the epidemic, these cruise ships are trying to find port calls.