Europeans scale up response to outbreak

BRUSSELS－European countries are stepping up their efforts to curb the novel coronavirus outbreak as the World Health Organization said that more than 3,000 people had been confirmed with COVID-19 in the region.

The measures include the possible establishment of a quarantine zone in Italy's north and continentwide calls for people to avoid physical contact as part of information campaigns.

Poland confirmed its first novel coronavirus infection, Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said on Wednesday. The man is in hospital in Zielona Gora, in western Poland, and his condition has been described as good.

Italy, Europe's worst-affected country, said on Tuesday it may set up the new quarantine area, dubbed a red zone, in one of the hard-hit northern regions to try to contain the outbreak after yet another jump in the death toll and reported cases.

As of Tuesday, Italy has reported over 2,500 infections and 79 deaths, with 27 of the latter logged for the latest 24-period, according to the Civil Protection Agency.

The outbreak has greatly disrupted daily life in Italy's most affluent regions, with schools closed and many public events canceled.

Italy's National Health Institute chief Silvio Brusaferro urged Italians to adopt lifestyles that can help interrupt transmission channels, including frequent hand-washing and refraining from hugging each other.

The French government announced on Tuesday a series of containment measures, including more cash for hospitals and the requisition of face mask stocks. France has reported 212 cases of infections and four deaths as of Tuesday.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday morning that 260 million euros ($290.59 million) would be allocated to the country's public and private hospitals to better address an eventual epidemic.

"Hospitals in France are ready (for a peak of the virus outbreak)," Veran said. "We are making sure to provide all the necessary equipment to hospitals and city health professionals."

Limited face masks

Hours later, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Twitter that the authorities will requisition all face mask stocks and production in the coming months.

"We will distribute them to health professionals and to French people infected with the coronavirus," Macron said. From Monday, face masks will be sold only on a doctor's prescription.

France has already ordered around 120 schools to close. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said that more schools could close and confirmed that he had ordered a freeze on all school trips.

With more infections expected in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute, or RKI, a federal government agency responsible for disease control and prevention, set the risk level for Germans' health to "moderate" on Tuesday. Germany's confirmed cases increased to 240 on Wednesday, up from 196 on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are dealing with a virus that has already spread to most parts of the world and is likely not to disappear," said Lars Schaade, vice-president of the RKI.

Schaade said that hospitals and doctors would need to separate the flow of infected and noninfected patients. He also urged German citizens in areas where many new infections were reported to reduce social contacts and postpone or cancel planned trips.

The United Kingdom is also to launch a public information campaign this week to tell people how to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the number of infections is likely to rise considerably from the 51 cases confirmed as of Tuesday.

The campaign will focus on regular hand-washing, people sneezing into tissues, and keeping surfaces clean. Meanwhile, the government is making contingencies for up to a fifth of the UK work force to be on sick leave if the virus fully breaks free.

Because of anticipated staff shortages, the nation's police force may only respond to serious crimes. The government also expects many nonurgent hospital procedures to be canceled, so medics can focus on treating people with the disease.

Earle Gale in London, Xinhua and Agencies contributed to this story.