Italy is now ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing China as the country with the most deaths from the disease. 

As of Thursday, Italian officials reported 3,405 coronavirus deaths while China’s death toll stood at 3,248. 

Over the last two days, Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak began in December, has reported no new cases for the first time. 

Both Italy and China’s Hubei province imposed total lockdowns to stop the spread. But Italy has a large elderly population, and those 65 and older are highly susceptible to the coronavirus infection. 

Thirty-four new cases were reported elsewhere in mainland China Thursday. Authorities say people who came from other countries were infected with the virus.   

South Korea reported 152 new cases Thursday, a setback after reporting fewer than 100 new cases for four days in a row.  South Korea is the hardest-hit Asian country outside China.  

Another hard-hit country, Germany, reported a jump of 2,800 new cases Thursday. Officials there say the coronavirus could strike as many as 10 million Germans unless proper precautions are taken, including social distancing.  

Spain has closed all hotels and turned a four-star inn in Madrid into a makeshift hospital. 

In France, one of the world’s most anticipated entertainment events, the Cannes Film Festival, has been postponed from May until possibly July. 

Prince Albert of Monaco is the first head of state with a confirmed case of coronavirus. 

New Zealand and Australia are closing their shores to all foreign visitors. 

In North America, Mexico reported its first coronavirus death Thursday.  

Two U.S. representatives, Republican Mario Diaz-Balart and Democrat Ben McAdams, are the first members of Congress to test positive for coronavirus. Both are in self-quarantine.  

Late Thursday, a federal judge in Seattle rejected an appeal by the American Civil Liberties Union to free nine illegal migrants who the ACLU says are at risk for coronavirus because of their age and other health problems.  

The judge said that he was fully aware of the seriousness of the outbreak but that there was no evidence of the virus at the holding center and that conditions were adequate. 

And opera fans will have to do without their Puccini and Wagner for a while. New York’s Metropolitan Opera is canceling the rest of its season because of the outbreak. 

Read More