South Korea virus cases spike, Italy and Iran take drastic stepsItaly became the first European country to report one of its nationals had died from the virus. CODOGNO, Italy: South Korea reported a sharp jump in coronavirus cases on Sunday, while Italy and Iran took drastic containment steps as worldwide fears over the epidemic spiralled higher. Already one of the worst-hit nations outside of China, South Korea reported 123 new cases Sunday, taking its fast-rising total to 556. Among dozens of cases, Italy on Friday became the first European country to report one of its nationals had died from the virus -- a 78-year-old retired bricklayer in the region of Veneto. China reported another 97 deaths in its daily update on Sunday, taking its total to 2,442, plus another 648 new infections.

Source: Bangkok Post February 23, 2020 09:00 UTC