Coronavirus pandemic: WHO says Europe new epicenter and not China after Italy records 250 deaths in a day

Confirmed cases in Europe being reported daily have exceeded those of China at the peak of the spread of the disease

UPDATED MAR 20, 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Europe the epicenter for the coronavirus pandemic after confirmed cases and the number of deaths surged exponentially.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, urged countries to use aggressive means, community mobilization and social distancing to combat the virus. "Do not just let this fire burn," he said after reports suggested Europe's count of affected individuals and deaths had escalated.

Italy has officially taken the worst hit. The total confirmed cases rose to 17,660 from 15,113 (approximately a 17 percent hike) and the death toll increased drastically, all within a 24-hour time frame on Friday. 250 deaths occurred in a single day, the highest to be recorded by any country so far.

Lombardy in Northern Italy is the most affected region in the country and has ordered a complete shutdown of public transport, factories, and offices. Earlier this week, the Italian government called for a nation-wide lockdown, shutting bars, restaurants, shops and restricted non-essential travel in a move to tackle the spread of the virus in the country. The measures implemented so far don't seem to be doing much to slow the death count, which the Civil Protection Agency said had risen by 25 percent in a day to 1,266.

Giulio Gallera, Lombardy's health chief said the government's regulations proved insufficient for the region that has now accounted for about three-quarters of the country's casualties.

"We are asking for an exception to be made for Lombardy," Gallera said in a statement to RAI 3 television. "If we can resist for at least eight days, maybe we will see things turn around."

A deserted square in front of Milan's Central Station on March 08, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced overnight a "national emergency" due to the coronavirus outbreak and imposed quarantines on the Lombardy and Veneto regions, which contain roughly a quarter of the country's population. Italy has the highest number of cases and fatalities in Europe (Getty Images)

Spain is second in line as the worst-affected, reporting a 50 percent hike in casualties. Infections rose to 4,231 and deaths totaled 120 on Friday. A state of public emergency will be declared from Saturday, March 14 lasting for two weeks, said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The virus has spanned over most of Europe, and controls are being introduced at various bordering parts of the continent. Ten countries enforcing border control include Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Belgium.

According to WHO, the global index for the COVID-19 virus shows 132,500 diagnosed individuals across 123 countries and at least 5,000 deaths. Dr. Ghebreyesus has called this "a tragic milestone", and declared Europe the epicenter of the pandemic, as the reported cases and the deaths combined, have surpassed the numbers of the rest of the world.

"More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic," he added.

The number of confirmed cases and deaths in France are 2,897 and 79, respectively. There are 3,062 cases in Germany with five deaths. The UK has reported 798 cases and 11 fatalities.

The cases being regularly reported in Europe have surpassed China at its peak, with each country adopting a different strategy to control and deal with the virus. The Chinese government dealt with the infection in its worst-affected city of Wuhan, Hubei by imposing a mass quarantine, the biggest one to date.

While the data retrieved daily is based on verified cases, scientists believe that large outbreaks could evidently go undiscovered as many countries don't have the equipment to spot the disease.