The coronavirus outbreak in Europe has been giving a headache to many countries in the region as the United Kingdom reported 116 CoVID-19 cases on Thursday.
U.K. Coronavirus Cases Pass 115, 1 Death
British chief medical officer Chris Witty announced on Thursday the first coronavirus death in the United Kingdom, along with 116 CoVID-19 cases in the country, Business Insider reported.
According to Whitty, Britain's first CoVID-19 death was an elderly woman who was receiving treatment at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in England. She was reportedly suffering from other underlying health issues.
At the moment, the British government is holding plans to ban gatherings that draw crowds of people. The government has also yet to encourage working from home as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "you can't fire your shots too early."
First Fatality Believed to Have Contracted Virus in the UK
One of the considerations that health experts in the U.K. are considering is the possibility that the woman was infected with the CoVID-19 strain in the country and not from the outside.
BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle said on Thursday that the patient was not believed to have made international travels recently. In efforts to find out more about the woman's background, authorities are tracing people she was in direct contact with.
Johnson has said that health providers are preparing for the "delay" phase of the coronavirus crisis in Britain as the country is currently on the "containment" stage.
Italy Third Most Affected Country
China remains the most impacted country in the world in terms of coronavirus deaths and infections. South Korea follows behind with the most infections recorded so far.
However, Italy comes in third as the country recorded 769 new cases on Thursday, bringing the country's total CoVID-19 cases to 3,858, the Financial Times reported.
The Italian government also reported 41 deaths the same day, bringing the total death toll to 148. All 22 regions across Italy are believed to have been penetrated by the novel coronavirus as schools closed and some businesses halted operations.
Switzerland Reports First Death
In Switzerland, a dark shadow covered the western city of Lauzanne as authorities confirmed the first coronavirus fatality in the country. The woman was an elderly who was considered a "high risk" patient due to her underlying conditions.
The 74-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital only on Tuesday but according to Vaud health providers, her health declined fast. She was already having difficulties breathing when she was hospitalized.
Switzerland has a total of 58 confirmed CoVID-19 cases.
France Announces Lawmaker's ICU Hospitalization
On Thursday, the French lower house of parliament announced that a legislator with the French National Assembly was admitted to intensive care after having been infected with the coronavirus.
The said lawmaker was not named by the government but all other government officials have been notified of the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron said "an epidemic is inevitable."
France has a total of 423 confirmed coronavirus cases and seven deaths.
Norwegian Cuts Several European Routes
Meanwhile, Norwegian recently announced service cuts between the U.S. and Europe amid increasing fears revolving around the novel virus.
22 flights in total have been slashed between March 28 and May 5, Forbes reported. Most of the U.S.-Italy flights are affected by the new announcement as Italy attempts to contain the virus' spread.
Among the routes that were canceled are Rome to and from Los Angeles, Boston to and From Rome, as well as London to and from New York. Alternative travel dates will be provided for passengers planning to travel to the said areas.
The coronavirus that started in China has already infected over 98,000 people around the world and also killed over 3,800 patients. The biggest outbreaks outside China are in South Korea, Italy, and Iran.
