(Reuters) – Global markets suffered record falls on Thursday as alarm over the coronavirus intensified and governments from Ireland to Italy unveiled measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide.
People wearing protective face mask walk in a virtually deserted San Carlo square, on the third day of an unprecedented lockdown across of all Italy imposed to slow the outbreak of coronavirus, in Turin, Italy, March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
(Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser)
DEATHS/INFECTIONS
More than 127,000 people have been infected globally and over 4,700 have died, according to a Reuters tally of government announcements.
Mainland China had 15 new infections, down from 24 cases a day earlier, bringing the total to 80,793. The death toll touched 3,169, up by 11 from the previous day.
EUROPE
Poland has reported its first death from coronavirus. So far 47 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country.
Greece reported its first fatality, a 66 year-old-man who had returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt at the end of February.
Italy’s death toll from the coronavirus epidemic shot past 1,000 as the economic impact worsened. The total number of infections rose to 15,113.
The number of confirmed cases across the UK rose 29% to 590 over the past 24 hours. Ten people have died.
The death toll in France rose to 61 from Wednesday’s 48. The country will close all nurseries, schools and universities from Monday.
Turkish schools will be closed for one week and universities for three weeks from March 16 and sports events will be held without spectators until end-April.
Austria will deny entry to people arriving from Italy, ban indo