WHO concerns number of coronavirus cases with no clear link to China

The World Health Organisation has expressed concern at the number of coronavirus cases with no clear link to China or other confirmed cases.

This comes following Iran's announcement of two more deaths, bringing the total there to four.

BBC News reports the World Health Organisation said the window of opportunity to contain the virus was "narrowing".

Iranian health officials said the virus may already be in "all Iran's cities".

Outside China 1,152 cases of the virus have been confirmed in 26 countries and there have been eight deaths.

They include two deaths in South Korea, which has the biggest cluster of confirmed cases apart from China and a cruise ship quarantined in Japan.

Italy has also announced 16 more cases and its health minister said schools and offices would be closed and sports events cancelled in the affected regions.

China has reported 75,567 cases including 2,239 deaths.

The new virus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

[Source: BBC]