• 5 new cases in Germany: This includes a 25-year-old man near Stuttgart who reportedly contracted the disease during a trip to Milan.
• 1^stcase in Romania: a person who returned from Italy 3 weeks ago. 
• 1 new case in Spain (Canary Islands): a woman who works in Italy. 
• 1^stcase in Norway: a person who had returned from China last week; currently isolated at home. 
• 147 new cases and 1 new death in Italy: a 69-year-old man who was hospitalized in Emilia Romagna and had existing respiratory problems.

The virus has spread to more than half of Italy’s regions: Lombardy: 305 cases and 9 deaths; Veneto: 87 cases and 2 deaths; Emilia Romagna: 47 cases and 1 death; Liguria: 16 cases; Marche: 3 cases; Lazio: 3 cases; Sicily: 3 cases; Tuscany: 2 cases; Piedmont: 1 case (2 retracted as false positives); Campania: 1 case; Puglia: 1 case; Alto Adige: 1 case.About 35 cases are currently in intensive care.- Lombardy governon cancelled a scheduled press conference and announced in a video that he was going to self-quarantine after his close assistant tested positive. - Schools will likely remain closed for at least another week.- British Airways cancels 22 flights from Milan; Milan has 2 confirmed cases. - Tourismhas been affected: There has been a 90% cancellation rate in Rome.- Israel is set to impose quarantine for travelers from Italy.- The United States issues a Level 2 ("Exercise Increased Caution") travel advisory to Italy. 

• 3 new cases in the United States: 2 from the Diamond Princesscruise ship and 1 who had been brought back from Hubei on Feb. 7 and was put on quarantine.

The U.S. CDC has stated that there is an imminent risk of a coronavirus pandemic and alerted the public to prepare for community spread in the United States. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDCs principal deputy director declared: "Its not a question of if. Its a question of when and how many people will be infected."  

CDC on Feb. 21: "Tremendous Public Health Threat. Likely that Community Spread may eventually happen in the United States."

The city of San Francisco declared a state of emergency despite the fact that at the moment there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the area. 

• 1 new case in France: wife of a confirmed case who is hospitalized. 
• 1^stcase in Georgia: a 50-year-old man who returned home from Iran via Azerbaijan. 
• 1 new case in Sweden: a person who developed fever and respiratory symptoms 3 days after returning from northern Italy. 
• 1 new case in Lebanon: a 45-year-old woman linked to the first case, who returned after a seven-day  visit to Iran. 
• 1^stcase in North Macedonia: a woman who had returned from Italy. 
• 2 new cases in Pakistan (1^stcases in the country). 
• 1 new case in Finland: a woman whohad travelled to Milan. 
• 1 new case in Germany (in North-Rhine Westphalia): a 47 year-old with pre-existing conditions. He had been in contact with an acquaintance who had recently returned from China. He is in critical condition.
• 3 new cases in Spain, two of which had recently returned from Italy:
• 3 new casesand 4 new discharged patients in 
• 1 new case in Canada(Ontario).
• 1^stcase in Greece: a 38-year-old woman who returned from northern Italy. 
• 14 new cases on the Diamond Princesscruise ship: 9 crew members and 5 passengers. 
• UK: Nearly 30 schools have shut for a fortnight after pupils return from half term ski trips to Italy. 
• 3 new casesand 1 new death in France: a 60-year-old teacher from the Oise region. 
• 4 new cases in Hong Kong: 2 of which are from the Diamond Princesscruise ship: - a 21-year-old woman who had a fever on board the ship on Feb. 12 and was fine afterwards.- a 16-year-old man (youngest confirmed patient to date in Hong Kong) who had runny nose on the ship on Feb. 17 and is currently hospitalized at Queen Mary Hospital.
• 1 new case in Australia: a former passenger of the Diamond Princesscruise ship; 8 out of the 23 cases in Australia had been on the ship.
• 44 new casesand 3 new deaths in Iran: - Epicenter of the outbreak is the central city of Qom.- Schools and cultural institutions have been closed for a week in over 10 provinces in order to "prepare schools" which have to be disinfected and sanitized.- More than 1750 tests - Irans Deputy Health Minister falls ill with coronavirus.- Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee said yesterday that "those regional states which have kept the number of their coronavirus-infected patients confidential will be bombarded by media reports about their conditions in the next few days."
• 284 new casesand 1 new death in South Korea: Death of a 73-year-old male. 
• 14 new cases in Kuwait: a woman returning from Iran; additional 6 citizens who had traveled to Iran; and other 7 cases when the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced that the total had increased to 25 cases. 
• 1 new case in Croatia: the brother of the first case, infected after visiting Milan. 
• 3 new cases in Bahrain: a women who had returned through indirect flights from Iran.
• 1 new case in Taiwan: a 27-year-old foreigner with only a slight throat discomfort; linked to the clustering incident in a hospital for which 53 people among patients and caregivers have been tested, resulting in 5 confirmed cases, 141 negatives, and 7 awaiting results. 
• 11 new cases and1 new death in Japan: an elderly person in Hakodate, Hokkaido. 
• 3 new cases in Thailand:Health Minister Anutin urged citizens to avoid traveling abroad if possible. "For the airlines, please reduce promotions," he said. "Even though tickets are cheap, it could be your last holiday." Health officials have been prohibited to visit at risk countries: China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Italy, Iran, and Japan. "We are entering a full war with Covid-19" Anutin said. 
• Singapore charges man with coronavirus for lying: A Chinese man infected with COVID-19 virus and his wife have been charged in Singapore for lying to health authorities probing whether they had passed the illness to others. The couple faces a fine of up to $7,150 and six-month imprisonment if found guilty.

(Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/;

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA