France fights mask hoarding; Virus deaths soar in Italy
Lori Hinnant | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
Employees wearing protective gear spray disinfectant to sanitize a passenger bus as a preventive measure against the coronavirus in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Ukrainian Chief sanitary and epidemiological doctor Viktor Liashko has just reported its first confirmed case of the new COVID-19 coronavirus, saying a man who recently arrived from Italy was diagnosed with the virus. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)
A tourist wearing a mask walks away from the Louvre museum in Paris, Monday, March 2, 2020. The Louvre Museum was closed again Monday as management was meeting with staff worried about the spread of the new virus in the world's most-visited museum. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A man sits on a bench on a promenade next to the lagoon of Venice, Italy, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. G-7 countries say they are ready to take action to cushion the economic impacts of the new coronavirus outbreak, a statement that comes after a few days of wild market swings. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
An artisan works in a glass factory at Murano island in Venice, Italy, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. G-7 countries say they are ready to take action to cushion the economic impacts of the new coronavirus outbreak, a statement that comes after a few days of wild market swings. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A disinfectant dispenser hangs at a wall besides flower vases prior the upcoming election of the Thuringian parliament in the Landtag in Erfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Germany faces several people infected with the novel coronavirus called COVID-19. The parliament of the eastern German state Thuringia will elect the new governor on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. One of the parliament members is in quarantine. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
A disinfectant dispenser hangs at a wall besides flower vases prior the upcoming election of the Thuringian parliament in the Landtag building in Erfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Germany faces several people infected with the novel coronavirus called COVID-19. The parliament of the eastern German state Thuringia will elect the new governor on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
Gondoliers chat as they wait for customers near St. Mark's square in Venice, Italy, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. G-7 countries say they are ready to take action to cushion the economic impacts of the new coronavirus outbreak, a statement that comes after a few days of wild market swings. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
An artisan works in a glass factory at Murano island in Venice, Italy, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. G-7 countries say they are ready to take action to cushion the economic impacts of the new coronavirus outbreak, a statement that comes after a few days of wild market swings. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A Carabinieri (Italian paramilitary police) officer on patrol at former military hospital Baggio, which reopened a ward to hospitalize patients recovering from the COVID-19 virus, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 2, 2020. The strain on Lombardy's health system has forced authorities to seek to bring doctors out of retirement, accelerate graduation dates for nursing students, and incorporate doctors and hospital beds from the private sector to ease the strain on public hospitals. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP)
The German cruise ship Aida Aura at the quay in Haugesund, Norway, Tuesday March 3, 2020. A German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers is moored in southern Norway waiting for the test results of two passengers who had been on land to be tested for the new coronavirus. (Marit Hommedal/NTB Scanpix via AP)
The German cruise ship Aida Aura at the quay in Haugesund, Norway, Tuesday March 3, 2020. A German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers is moored in southern Norway waiting for the test results of two passengers who had been on land to be tested for the new coronavirus. (Marit Hommedal/NTB Scanpix via AP)
The German cruise ship Aida Aura at the quay in Haugesund, Norway, Tuesday March 3, 2020. A German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers is moored in southern Norway waiting for the test results of two passengers who had been on land to be tested for the new coronavirus. (Marit Hommedal/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Cruiser Aida Aura is moored in Haugesund harbour, south-western Norway, Monday March 2, 2020. Two passengers aboard the ship are reported to have symptoms of a viral infection and the ship has postponed its departure from Haugesund while waiting for the results of medical tests. (Tor Andre Johannessen / NTB scanpix via AP)
A sign is displayed at the entrance to a pharmacy in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. As the new coronavirus takes hold in Europe, the continent is facing the same complications seen in Asia weeks ago. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A sign reads: "We are out of stock of protective masks", is displayed behind the counter at a pharmacy in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. As the new coronavirus takes hold in Europe, the continent is facing the same complications seen in Asia weeks ago. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A sign reads: "We are out of stock of hydroalcoholic gel", is displayed on the counter at a pharmacy in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. As the new coronavirus takes hold in Europe, the continent is facing the same complications seen in Asia weeks ago. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
FILE --- In this Thursday, March 15, 2018 photo visitors walk past a booth in one of the exhibition halls during the opening day at the Leipzig International Book Fair in Leipzig, Germany. The Leipzig book fair 2020 which was planed to took place between March 12 and March 15, 2020 has been chancelled due to the the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
Visitors stand in line to enter the Chateau de Versailles, west of Paris, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The Chateau de Versailles remains open after management met with staff worried about the spread of the new virus. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A sign reads: "We are out of stock of protective masks", is displayed behind the counter at a pharmacy in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. As the new coronavirus takes hold in Europe, the continent is facing the same complications seen in Asia weeks ago. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
An army car enters former military hospital Baggio, which reopened a ward to hospitalize patients recovering from the COVID-19 virus, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 2, 2020. The strain on Lombardy's health system has forced authorities to seek to bring doctors out of retirement, accelerate graduation dates for nursing students, and incorporate doctors and hospital beds from the private sector to ease the strain on public hospitals. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen on a video camera screen during a press conference to brief the media on the government's coronavirus action plan, at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a press conference to brief the media on the government's coronavirus action plan, at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts during a conference to brief the media on the government's coronavirus action plan, at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
PARIS (AP) — France requisitioned protective masks and sent tens of thousands of students home from school, deaths in Italy soared and Spain isolated dozens of health workers Tuesday as the new coronavirus spread further into Europe.
With the new virus taking firmer hold on the continent, Europe faced many of the same complications seen in Asia weeks ago.
The number of virus patients dying in Italy rose to 79 — the most of any nation outside of China, where the epidemic first emerged late last year. Flights to Italy, and especially Milan and Venice, were dropped, with the Finnish and Swedish airlines suspending service for at least two weeks. The number of virus cases in Italy jumped to over 2,500.
Travelers from northern Italy, along with South Korea and Iran, now face a ban in Singapore.
Italy has closed schools in the hard-hit regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. All student outings have been canceled nationwide. In addition, a handful of schools are closed or under quarantine in Germany and even in Poland, which has no confirmed cases so far.
Hoarding was starting to become a problem. French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a tweet Tuesday that his government was requisitioning all current and future stocks of protective masks in order to ensure their distribution to virus patients and health workers.
The head of the World Health Organization, meanwhile, demanded an end to hoarding of masks, gloves and other medical supplies, which he said has caused a “severe and increasing disruption” to the global supply of personal protective equipment.
"We can't stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Around 120 French schools were ordered to close, most in Brittany and the Oise region north of Paris. Cases of patients with the new COVID-19 virus in France rose to 212, with four deaths.
France's education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, told LCI television that more schools could close and confirmed that he had ordered a freeze on all school trips. But he cautioned against rushing to a general shutdown of the education system.
“It wouldn’t make sense to confine everyone at home, to paralyze the country,” he said.
Around 100 health workers were being kept under isolation in northern Spain and at least 120 more were being closely watched after at least five doctors and nurses were infected in hospitals, said the Basque health regional minister, Nekane Murga. Health authorities in northern Spain were also speedily hiring new doctors to fend off a possible shortage of health professionals.
Spain, which has 150 cases of the virus, on Tuesday reported its first virus death.
British authorities laid out plans Tuesday to confront a COVID-19 epidemic, saying the new coronavirus could spread within weeks from a few dozen confirmed cases to millions of infections, with thousands of people in the U.K. at risk of death.
Officials hope the most drastic measures won't be needed. Britain may not be able to stop the virus, but it has one vital advantage in fighting it: a head start. The country only has 51 cases so far.
In Haugesund, southern Norway, a German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers was blocked for a day while awaiting the results of two passengers tested for the virus, Norwegian broadcaster NRK said. The Aida Aura was supposed to leave Monday but was still in Haugesund on Tuesday afternoon and passengers were being kept on board. The ship's operator later said the two German passengers tested negative and the ship hoped to be underway soon.
The Geneva International Motor Show resorted to putting automakers' product unveilings and news conferences online Tuesday after this year's show was canceled. BMW presented its sleek i4 electric concept car at a digital news conference from Munich, while competitors Daimler and Volkswagen held their own online events.
At Paris Fashion Week, Chanel's fall collection was streamed online for the many VIPs and fashion editors who stayed away. Some who showed up in person donned CC-branded face masks.
Ukraine reported its first confirmed case of the new virus in a man who had recently arrived from Italy, the epicenter of Europe's outbreak.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak