Coronavirus continues to spread across globe

ROME

The deadly coronavirus continues to spread around the world, with six confirmed cases in northern Italy and one casualty in South Korea, the latest reports said Friday.

While the treatment of three people – two Chinese nationals and an Italian – continues in Italy, six others were diagnosed with novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in the northern Lombardy region.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza said these people would be put under quarantine at a medical facility.

Additionally, the Yonhap news agency reported that coronavirus claimed another life in South Korea, where there are over 200 registered cases.

The latest reports suggest that some crew members of a Montenegrin cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, which went into quarantine on Feb. 4 in Tokyo, contracted the virus.

Israel on Friday announced that one person evacuated from the ship contracted the virus, marking the first registered case in the country.

With two new cases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there are now at least 11 people suffering from the virus in the Gulf country.

There are 750 suspected and 18 confirmed cases in Iran, where the death toll of coronavirus has already climbed to five, and neighboring Turkey announced stepped-up measures to keep the virus from crossing the border.

There are no known cases of coronavirus in Turkey.

On Friday, Chinese authorities announced that the death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak reached 2,238.

The country's National Health Commission said there are 75,465 confirmed cases of the virus.

More than 18,260 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the illness.

Coronavirus has spread to more than 25 other countries including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak an international health emergency.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas