Italy resorts to tough measures

Cases rise in Iran

Iran has confirmed 6,566 infections and 145 deaths. A spokesman for Iran's health ministry, Kianoush Jahanpour, said in a televised news conference on Saturday that more than 16,000 people were currently being tested in the country, the BBC reported.

The WHO's representative in Iran, Christoph Hamelmann, said Iran was making tremendous progress at its hospitals, with facilities made available for treatment in every province.

South America has recorded its first coronavirus death, as a 64-yearold man died in Argentina, according to the BBC.

The number of new coronavirus infections in Republic of Korea continued to rise, with the total hitting 7,313, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the country confirmed 367 new cases on Saturday, the slowest one-day gain since Feb 26, which possibly offers signs of containment, the Yonhap News Agency said.

The number of coronavirus infections in Japan has surpassed 1,100, including 696 people from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is moored in Yokohama.

Japanese doctors said the coronavirus is likely to have caused meningitis in a 20-something Japanese male patient who is severely ill, the NHK said.

Cai Hong contributed to this story