By Yusuf Ozcan, Baris Seckin, Hasan Esen, Askin Kiyagan, Senhan Bolelli and Atila Altuntas
PARIS (AA) – The number of novel coronavirus cases in Europe continues to rise, with more countries on the continent confirming their first cases
-France
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said Thursday that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 38.
According to French media, the National Assembly asked a lawmaker who travelled to China to stay at home for 14 days as a precautionary measure.
-Italy
In Italy, the worst-hit country in Europe, the number of coronavirus cases has risen to 650, according to local media.
The death toll in Italy has risen to 17, according to the latest figures released by the country’s head of civil protection.
-Netherlands and Northern Ireland
The Netherlands and Northern Ireland reported their first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus Thursday.
-United Kingdom
Health authorities said the number of novel coronavirus cases in the U.K. had risen to 16.
-Austria
Landlocked Austria, which borders Italy to the south, confirmed two new cases of the virus Thursday, bringing the total to five.
– Spain
Spanish authorities said the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country had reached 23.
– Sweden
Sweden’s Public Health Agency said Thursday that the novel coronavirus was detected in five more people.
The agency said the total number of confirmed cases had risen to seven.
The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan city in China's Hubei province last December.
The global death toll is nearly 2,800, with China being the worst hit, with more than 78,000 cases and over 2,700 fatalities.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency and said the global risk level remains high.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut
