Amid fears about where the next outbreak of a fast-spreading new virus would appear, infections and deaths continued to rise across the globe yesterday, emptying streets of tourists and workers, shaking economies and rewriting the realities of daily life.
Panic-buying of daily necessities emerged in Japan, tourist sites across Asia, Europe and the Mideast were deserted, and governments closed schools and banned big gatherings. Amusement parks were shut and concerts cancelled. In Paris, priests stopped placing sacramental bread in worshippers' mouths.
While the new coronavirus has extended its reach, definite geographic clusters of infections were emerging, with cases rising in Iran, Italy and South Korea. The United States recorded its first death, a man in his 50s in Washington state who had underlying health conditions but who hadn't visited an affected area.
China reported a slight uptick in new cases over the previous 24 hours to 573, the first time in five days the number had exceeded 500. They remain almost entirely confined to the province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan.
The list of countries hit climbed to nearly 60, and Ireland and Ecuador reported their first cases yesterday. More than 86,000 people worldwide have contracted the virus. Deaths have topped 2900.
