COVID-19: S.Korea death toll rises to 126

ANKARA Six more people on Wednesday died due to coronavirus in South Korea, the country’s health authority said. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that with the new fatalities the death toll has climbed to 126, according to state-run Yonhap news agency. Additionally, 100 new cases were confirmed in the country, raising the tally to 9,137. Meanwhile, in Japan veteran comedian Ken Shimura tested positive for coronavirus, Kyodo news reported. Japan has reported 43 deaths from coronavirus, with 1,193 confirmed cases. According to daily Nikki Asia, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has initiated discussions on an economic stimulus package worth 56 trillion yen ($502 billion) to help families who have been affected due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Thailand, the tally of cases rose to 934 on Wednesday, with 107 new cases. There have been four deaths in the country so far. Thailand will impose a state of emergency from Thursday to stem the spread of the virus. After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 170 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. The number of confirmed cases worldwide has now surpassed 435,000 while the death toll has crossed 19,000 and over 109,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries. Despite the rising number of cases, most who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery.