Editor’s note: Revised Mar 14, 0100 UTC to update total infections/fatalities and include newly confirmed first cases in Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, the Cayman Islands, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Kosovo, Sudan, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Revised again Mar 14, 1900 UTC to include previously unreported cases in Saint Lucia and Suriname.
COVID-19 was documented in *36* more nations this week, as coronavirus has now affected at least 128 out of 195 countries (65%) across the globe.
On Wednesday Mar 11, the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic:
“We have made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a presser. “In the last two weeks the number of COVID-19 cases outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled. In the coming weeks we expect to see the number of infections, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher.”
In total, 144,863 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide as of Mar 14, 0100 UTC, along with 5,398 deaths.
While mainland China still has the greatest number of cases and deaths, fatalities continue to grow internationally. Italy, Iran and Spain have reported 1,266/514/133 deaths, respectively. India reported its first COVID-19-related death on Mar 13 in a 76-year-old man with preexisting conditions who had visited Saudi Arabia, CNN reported. A total of 82 cases have been reported in India, the world’s second most populous nation (1.37 billion people).
In the last three weeks, *99* nations have confirmed their first COVID-19 case:
- 27 countries confirmed first cases week of Feb 22 to Feb 28
- 36 countries confirmed first cases week of Feb 29 to Mar 6
- And the following *36* countries confirmed first cases this week (Mar 7 to Mar 13):
ALBANIA 🇦🇱 (23 cases, 1 death)
The first COVID-19 cases in Albania were reported on Mar 8 in a group of six people, including two men who traveled back from Italy, Reuters reported. One of the men subsequently infected four members of his family, according to Reuters. The country also reported its first death related to the virus on Mar 11, a 73-year-old patient who had underlying conditions and was being treated for pneumonia.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 🇦🇬 (1 case)
The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed its first case of coronavirus on Mar 13, Loop News Barbados reported. According to the country’s prime minister, the female patient was diagnosed after arriving from the United Kingdom on March 10.
ARUBA 🇦🇼 (2 cases)
An American and an Aruban national are the island’s first two confirmed cases of coronavirus, CNN reported. According to the island’s prime minister, travelers from Europe will be barred entry beginning Sunday through Mar 31.
Note: Aruba is officially a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is not included in the above count of 35 countries. It is included here because the presence of the coronavirus demonstrates the continued spread through the Caribbean.
BANGLADESH 🇧🇩 (3 cases)
Three cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Bangladesh on Mar 8, Reuters reported. Two of the patients returned from a trip to Italy and the third case is a relation of one of the two travelers, according to Reuters. The United States has mobilized $2.5 million to assist the country in infection control, the Daily Star reported.
BOLIVIA 🇧🇴 (3 cases)
Bolivia’s first two cases of COVID-19 were documented on Mar 11, Anadolu Agency reported. A third was diagnosed on Mar 12. Two female patients age 60 and 64 were confirmed to have the virus after returning from Italy. But according to Reuters, one of the patients was turned away from as many as four hospitals who refused to treat her.
BRUNEI 🇧🇳 (37 cases)
Coronavirus was first reported in the small country of Brunei on Mar 9 in a 53-year-old male patient who had returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Star reported. Three days later, the country documented 10 additional cases, all of which were linked to the original patient, who had attended a religious event called the tabligh in Sri Petalingan, Malaysia.
BULGARIA 🇧🇬 (23 cases, 1 death)
Twenty-three cases of COVID-19 and one death have been reported in Bulgaria in the last five days. The country’s first four cases were documented on Mar 8, as per Reuters, but an additional wave of cases were diagnosed including 16 new cases on Mar 12, Novinite.com reported. A 66-year old woman from Sofia who had underlying heart condition was Bulgaria’s first fatality on Mar 12, according to Balkan Insight.
BURKINA FASO 🇧🇫 (2 cases)
The country of Burkina Faso documented its first two cases of COVID-19 on Mar 10, Anadolu Agency reported. The patients are a husband and wife, the latter of which had recently returned from a trip to France, the country’s health minister said.
CAYMAN ISLANDS 🇰🇾 (1 case)
Health officials in the Cayman Islands have announced its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 on Mar 12, local media reported. According to Loop Cayman, the male patient was removed from a ship after a cardiac event and was hospitalized in isolation and is “relatively asymptomatic outside of a mild cough.”
Note: The Cayman Islands are officially an autonomous British Overseas Territory (UK) and are not included in the above count of 35 countries. They are included here because the presence of the coronavirus demonstrates the continued spread through the Caribbean.
CHANNEL ISLANDS 🇬🇧 (Jersey 2 cases, Guernsey 1)
Three cases of coronavirus have been reported in the United Kingdom’s Channel Islands. The first case was reported Mar 9 on the island of Guernsey and was related to travel from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, local media reported. The second case and third case were reported on the island of Jersey on Mar 10 and Mar 11 and were each related to travel from northern Italy.
Note: The Channel Islands are officially part of the United Kingdom and are not included in the above count of 35 countries. They are included here because the presence of the coronavirus demonstrates the continued spread through Europe.
CÔTE D’IVOIRE 🇨🇮 (1 case)
On Mar 11, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) confirmed its first case of coronavirus and the sixth country in West Africa. According to Reuters, the 45-year-old male citizen had recently traveled to Italy and is hospitalized in stable condition.
CUBA 🇨🇺 (4 cases)
Cuba’s first three cases of COVID-19 was confirmed on Mar 11 in three Italian tourists visiting the town of Trinidad. According to NBC News, Cuban citizens are being urged to make their own PPE masks.
CYPRUS 🇨🇾 (14 cases)
Cyprus confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus on Mar 9, including a doctor who worked at a Cyprus hospital before being diagnosed, Reuters reported. The 64-year-old heart surgeon returned from the UK and later tested positive. In response, the country’s health ministry closed schools, banned large church gatherings, and temporarily closed admissions to the same hospital. In addition, on Mar 10, a German tourist became the first confirmed case in Northern Cyprus, The Local reported.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 🇨🇩 (2 cases)
A Congolese man traveling from France was diagnosed at the first COVID-19 case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Business Insider, the man was quarantined at the airport in Kinshasa. The arrival of COVID-19 means the DRC is now battling five infectious disease outbreaks: Ebola, HIV/AIDS, Cholera, Measles, and Coronavirus.
ETHIOPIA 🇪🇹 (1 case)
Ethiopia has reported its first case of coronavirus on Mar 13 in a Japanese citizen who traveled from Burkina Faso to the country on March 4, according to CNN. The 48-year-old patient is in isolation and is reportedly in stable condition, CNN reports.
FRENCH POLYNESIA / TAHITI 🇵🇫 (1 case)
A politician in Tahiti was confirmed as French Polynesia’s first case of COVID-19 on Mar 12, The Guardian reported. The female patient, who is French Polynesia’s representative in the French National Assembly, was diagnosed after returning from Paris on Mar 7 and is in home self-isolation in Papeete, Tahiti.
Note: French Polynesia is officially a overseas collectivity of the French Republic and its sole overseas country and is not included in the above count of 35 countries. It is listed here because its infection is the first confirmed case in the Pacific Islands and demonstrates the continued spread of the virus globally.
GABON 🇬🇦(1 case)
Gabon’s first case of coronavirus was diagnosed Mar 13 in a 27-year-old man who had returned from France on Mar 8. According to Reuters, the virus continues to spread throughout West Africa. After Nigeria’s first case on Feb 28, seven other West African nations have confirmed the virus: Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Gabon.
GHANA 🇬🇭 (2 cases)
According to Reuters, Ghana’s health ministry confirmed its first two cases of COVID-19 on Mar 13. Two patients who had returned recently from Norway and Turkey were diagnosed and isolated.
GUADELOUPE 🇬🇵 (1 case)
A woman traveling from France by ship has been diagnosed with COVID-19 on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe on Mar 12. According to St Lucia News, the 36-year-old female patient had traveled throughout France, and the ship reportedly had passengers from northern Italy, where the virus is rampant.
Note: Guadeloupe is officially an overseas region of the French Republic and is not included in the above count of 35 countries. It is listed here because the presence of the coronavirus demonstrates the continued spread through the Caribbean.
GUATEMALA 🇬🇹 (1 case)
Guatemala has reported its first case of coronavirus in a male patient on Mar 13, the country’s president said. According to Breaking Belize News, the Guatemalan man had arrived from Italy and had flown with a group of eight others, including five people who traveled on to El Salvador.
GUINEA 🇬🇳 (1 case)
According to Reuters, a European Union delegation employee has been diagnosed with coronavirus in Guinea, the country’s first infection. The female patient reportedly self-isolated after returning to Guinea from Europe.
GUYANA 🇬🇾 (1 case, 1 death)
Guyana reported its first coronavirus infection and death on Mar 12 in a 52-year-old Guyanese female with diabetes and hypertension. According to the New York Carib News, the patient had arrived from the United States on Mar 5 and died a day after seeking medical attention and before being diagnosed with the virus.
HONDURAS 🇭🇳 (2 cases)
Two cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Honduras on Mar 11. According to Belize Breaking News, а рrеgnаnt wоmаn who traveled from Ѕраіn has tested positive and has been hоѕріtаlіzеd. In addition, a 37-уеаr-оld Ноndurаn wоmаn traveling from Ѕwіtzеrlаnd tested positive and ѕеlf-іѕоlаted аt hеr hоmе.
JAMAICA 🇯🇲 (8 cases)
The first case of coronavirus in the Caribbean nation of Jamaica was confirmed on Mar 11. According to The Daily Mail, a British woman who has joint citizenship was visiting the island to attend a funeral and later tested positive for the virus. A second case was reported in an employee of the US embassy in Jamaica, according to Trinidad and Tobago News Day.
KAZAKHSTAN 🇰🇿 (4 cases)
Two cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in Kazakhstan on Mar 13, CNN reported. The cases were both Kazakhstan nationals who had recently returned from Germany, according to the country’s health minister.
KENYA 🇰🇪 (1 case)
Kenya’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on Mar 12, according to Bloomberg News. The 27-year-old female national had returned from the US via London, Kenya’s health secretary said.
KOSOVO 🇽🇰 (2 cases)
The first two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Kosovo on Mar 13, Balkan Insight reported. Both patients had traveled from Italy earlier in the month — a 22-year-old Italian in Klina, and a 77-year-old man from Vitia.
MALDIVES 🇲🇻 (9 cases)
The Maldives, a small archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, reported its first two cases of COVID-19 on Mar 7 in two staff of a hotel resort. Reuters reported that the two cases were likely linked to an Italian tourist who left the island and later tested positive in Italy. Maldives implemented travel restrictions on several islands to prevent spread.
MALTA 🇲🇹 (12 cases)
A 12-year-old Italian girl who lives in Malta was the country’s first case of COVID-19 on Mar 7, Reuters reported. The girl was hospitalized for treatment and the Malta health minister said she “is doing well.”
MOLDOVA 🇲🇩 (6 cases)
Moldova’s first coronavirus case was documented on Mar 9 in a 48-year-old woman who arrived from Milan, Balkan Insight reported.
MONGOLIA 🇲🇳 (1 case)
A French national working in Mongolia was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Mar 9 and is the country’s first case. According to Reuters, the patient is a 57-year-old man who traveled from France through Moscow to Mongolia.
PANAMA 🇵🇦 (27 cases, 1 death)
The first COVID-19 death in Central America was reported in Panama on Mar 11, after the country’s first confirmed case occurred Mar 10. According to National Post, Panama responded on Mar 11 by closing all public and private schools until at least April 7, following Peru, which did so earlier the same day.
PARAGUAY 🇵🇾 (6 cases)
On Mar 8, Paraguay reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19, Reuters reported. The country later closed all public schools and large-scale public events for 15 days beginning Mar 10, according to Reuters.
REUNION ISLAND 🇫🇷 (5 cases)
According to Bloomberg News, the French territory of Reunion Island confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Mar 11. The patient was an 80-year-old man who arrived from Paris.
Note: Reunion Island, which is located off the East coast of Madagascar, is an overseas department and region of the French Republic and is not included in the above count of 35 countries. It is listed here because the presence of the coronavirus demonstrates the continued spread of the virus through Africa.
SAINT LUCIA 🇱🇨 (1 case)
Saint Lucia is the latest Caribbean island to report its first case of COVID-19. According to Saint Lucia News Online, a 63-year-old female patient arrived from the United Kingdom on March 7 was later diagnosed.
SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES 🇻🇨 (1 case)
The Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Mar 11. According to St Lucia Online, the patient is a Vincentian female who had returned to the island from the United Kingdom on March 7.
SUDAN 🇸🇩 (1 case, 1 death)
Sudan documented its first case and first death from coronavirus on Mar 13, the New York Times reported. According to the Times, a male patient was in his 50s and had visited the United Arab Emirates and died in the country’s capital of Khartoum. No cases have been reported in South Sudan.
SURINAME 🇸🇷 (1 case)
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Suriname on Mar 13, according to the country’s vice president. A traveler from the Netherlands was confirmed to have the virus, Reuters reported.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 🇹🇹 (1 case)
According to the country’s health minister, Trinidad and Tobago confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Mar 12. The 52-year-old patient traveled from Switzerland on Mar 9 and self-isolated even before he began experiencing symptoms, Trinidad Express reported.
TURKEY 🇹🇷 (5 case)
Turkey’s first case of coronavirus was reported on Mar 11 in a citizen who had returned from abroad. According to Al Jazeera, the specific country the infected patient visited was not disclosed by health authorities, who instead urged all Turkish citizens to avoid traveling out of the country.
URUGUAY 🇺🇾 (4 cases)
On Mar 13, Uruguay’s first four cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. Reuters reported that all four patients had traveled from Milan, Italy between Mar 3 and Mar 6.
VENEZUELA 🇻🇪 (2 cases)
Two confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Venezuela on Mar 13, according to the country’s vice president. Al Jazeera reported that one patient is a 41-year-old Venezuelan who traveled from the United States, and the second traveled from Spain. In response, the country shut down all schools starting Monday.
