Coronavirus pandemic: Uzbekistan confirms first case of deadly virus

Uzbekistan on Sunday confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19, in the Central Asian country. The patient is an Uzbek citizen who arrived from France, the country's Healthcare Ministry said in a statement.

It said it was taking the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Uzbekistan's state airline said on Sunday it was suspending or curbing flights to a number of cities in Western Europe, Asia, and the Middle East until the end of April.

(With inputs from agencies.)