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The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, now sits at 79,4361, with 28 countries reporting documented illnesses, the World Health Organization reported today (February 24). The disease has killed 2,618 people in China and 23 people in other countries.
As more countries report new cases, South Korea, the country second hardest hit by the disease, has changed its national threat level to “red alert” and is prepared to implement lockdowns of affected cities and travel restrictions. Cases there had topped 600 with six deaths as of yesterday, NPR reports, with many new cases among members of a secretive Christian sect, according to the Los Angeles Times. It is the first time the country has issued a red alert since the outbreak of H1N1 swine flu in 2009.
Iran also reported a rapid rise in cases, with the outbreak ...
