The crisis continues to unfold across the globe as the World Health Organization uses the term "pandemic" for the first time. Sweeping travel bans accelerated around the globe Thursday, walling regions apart, keeping people inside their homes, and slowing the engines of commerce to try to slow the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. * As of Thursday, there are more than 129,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,750 people have died, WHO said, with the numbers expected to climb. * China has seen nearly 81,000 infections but some 61,000 of them have already recovered. Over 3,000 virus victims have died in China, the world's hardest-hit nation. * In Italy, the European country hardest hit by coronavirus, total number of cases, rose to 15,113 from a previous 12,462, an increase of 21.7% and the death toll has jumped in the last 24 hours by 189 to 1,016, a rise of 23%, the Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday. * Iranian Health ministry announced today that in the past 24 hours 75 people had died and more than 1,000 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the death toll to 429 and confirmed cases to 10,075. * Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's communications director Fábio Wajngarten tested positive and Bolsonaro's office says measures are being taken to protect the president's health. * Greece has announced a 15-day shutdown of courts, theatres, cinemas, gyms, cultural centers and nightclubs, as cases of the new virus climbed to 117 on Thursday. Officials say 34 infected people have been hospitalized and three are in intensive care. One person died earlier Thursday — Greece's first death from the new virus. * Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday the state's first death from coronavirus. * Britain likely has between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected with coronavirus, the government's chief scientific adviser said on Thursday. The number of confirmed cases across the UK rose 29% percent to 590 over the past 24 hours. Ten people have died since the outbreak. * Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said religious leaders have agreed to cancel weddings, baptisms, funeral services and other ceremonies in the coming weeks, the measures were part of efforts to enforcing “social distancing” that also includes closing middle schools and high schools beginning Monday to help prevent spread of the new coronavirus. Austria has 302 confirmed cases. * Argentina has temporarily stopped issuing visas to travelers from countries hardest-hit by the coronavirus outbreak, including the United States, China and countries in Europe. The decree also suspends visa issuance to people from South Korea, Japan, Iran, Britain. Argentina has so far registered 21 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death. * Bolivia has barred flights to and from Europe, in a bid to stem the spread of the virus within the region. The Interim president Jeanine Anez on Thursday said all schools would be suspended until the end of the month and public gatherings of more than 1,000 people banned. Bolivia has three confirmed cases of the coronavirus so far. * India has 74 confirmed cases of coronavirus and a single death. * The Czech Republic government declared a state of emergency Thursday due to coronavirus and was renewing border checks at its borders with Austria and Germany. People will be banned from crossing in at any other place. * Ireland is closing all schools and cultural institutions until March 29, in a major escalation of its response to the new coronavirus. So far 43 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Ireland and one person has died. * US Congress is shutting the Capitol and all House and Senate office buildings to the public until April in reaction to the spread of the new coronavirus. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that many foreign travelers from most of Europe will be banned over the next 30 days amid the growing outbreak, which has sickened more than 1,000 people and killed at least 33 in the United States. *Norway on Thursday recorded its first death from coronavirus, PM Erna Solberg told broadcaster NRK. The total number pf confirmed cases had risen to 621 as of Wednesday. * Princess Cruises has announced, due to the new coronavirus, it will voluntarily pause global operations of its 18 cruise ships for 60 days, affecting trips departing March 12 to May 10. Under normal operations, the company handles more than 50,000 passengers a day.
