Honduras issues country-wide red alert over coronavirus fears

Honduras issued a country-wide red alert for two weeks starting on Saturday to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the Central American country which reported its third case earlier this week.

The government said the measures, which were recommended by the health ministry, are intended to avoid the coronavirus spreading as quickly in Honduras as it has in other countries that have not acted faster. Measures include a strictly enforced ban on gatherings of more than 50 people and the creation of dedicated health units that provide specialized care to those affected, it said in a statement.

So far, 145,594 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 5,419 have died, according to a Reuters tally.