The death toll from the coronavirus in Iran continues to rise as the worst-affected country in the Middle East prepares for scaled-down celebrations of Norouz, the Persian New Year.
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COVID-19: Russia Confirms First Death; Pakistan Closes Shrines
March 19, 2020 09:02 GMTUPDATED March 19, 2020 12:37 GMT
A staff worker and a visitor in face masks walk behind a Biohazard sign at the Botkin Infectious Diseases Hospital in St. Petersburg on March 19.
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The global coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 220,000 people worldwide, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Russia
Russia has recorded its first death from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The country's coronavirus task force in Moscow
said on March 19that a 79-year-old woman, who had several health problems, died while being treated for the coronavirus.
The task force cited Svetlana Krasnova, the chief doctor at Infections Hospital No 2 in Moscow, as saying that the woman had diabetes, atherosclerosis, and heart problems linked to hypertension.
Russia has confirmed 147 coronavirus cases of the corona virus.