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First two coronavirus cases confirmed in Austria

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
First two coronavirus cases confirmed in Austria
Photo: Johann Groder/ EXPA / APA / AFP

Two people have been tested positive for the coronavirus in Austria, the authorities reported on Tuesday. These are the first cases in the country after the outbreak of the virus in northern Italy.

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The two 24-year-olds have been quarantined in a hospital in Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol province, which borders Italy, according to Tyrol Governor Guenther Platter.

One of them is from Lombardy, one of the Italian regions hit with the outbreak, but it is not yet clear how the two contracted the virus. Both are suffering a fever but are in a stable condition.

Italy, which borders Austria, has seen a huge jump in cases in recent days. Seven people in Italy have so far died after catching the virus, all of whom were either elderly or had pre-existing conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, the epidemic has peaked at its epicentre in China, where it has killed more than 2,600 people and infected over 77,000 others. But the situation has worsened elsewhere with nearly 2,700 other cases and more than 40 deaths globally.

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