"The United States became the first country to report more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, with more than 1,500 deaths due to the disease.

The US is now home to about 17 percent of the world’s coronavirus cases.

More and more states have issued stay-at-home orders as overwhelmed hospitals have pleaded for more supplies as the pandemic continues to intensify.

Confirmed cases have soared over the past few days. At the beginning of last week, March 16, the United States had reported just 4,226 people had fallen ill from the virus.

Medical workers in New York City, the country’s epicenter for the outbreak, have reported disastrous scenes from within hospitals. Mayor de Blasio said Friday that supplies to fight the virus in the city could run out in little over a week (..)"

https://nypost.com/2020/03/27/us-becomes-first-country-to-report-more-than-100000-coronavirus-cases/

The regions of Lombardy and Veneto have 12 towns under lockdown

Before Friday, Italy had reported just three cases of the virus, which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

The first man to become infected in Lombardy had met with someone who had returned from China in January.

He worked at a Unilever plant near Codogno and more than 100 of his colleagues were kept in isolation pending test results.

It comes as:

• British couple who contracted coronavirus later diagnosed with pneumonia
• Passengers taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for 14 days quarantine
• A man and woman in Italy become the first Europeans to die of coronavirus
• Experts warn ‘window’ of containment ‘narrowing’ after four Iranians die of deadly bug
• More than 40 football matches in Italy called off over coronavirus fears
• Coronavirus cases double in South Korea

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11019277/coronavirus-kills-two-italy-towns-lockdown/