India reports first coronavirus death
A 76-year-old man who recently died had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus
March 12, 2020
India reported its first ever coronavirus death on Thursday as a 76-year-old man who recently passed away had tested positive for the infection.
The man "has been Confirmed for #COVID19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation & other measures as per protocol are being carried out," B Sriramulu, health minister for Karnataka state, wrote on Twitter.
The disease, recently classified as a 'pandemic' by the World Health Organisation, has killed more than 4,000 people around the world and infected more than 120,000.
It originated from the wet markets of Wuhan, China and has spread to Europe, America, Canada, Pakistan, India, Middle East and other regions of the world.
Read more: Coronavirus outbreak: Trump suspends 'all travel from Europe' to US for a month
The far-spreading infection forced US President Donald Trump to announce on Monday that the country was suspending all travel from Europe for 30 days to help curb the spread of a coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, whose administration has come under sharp criticism for its response to the public health crisis, also announced several steps aimed at blunting economic fallout posed by coronavirus.
“We are marshaling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people,” Trump said in a prime-time televised address from the Oval Office. “This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.”
