Health News Roundup: Cuban doctors head to Italy battle coronavirus; Japan confirms 14 coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Thailand reports 188 new coronavirus cases, brings total to nearly 600

Thailand reported 188 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, its largest daily increase, taking the total to 599 cases, a senior health official said. The majority of the new infections are connected to a previous cluster of cases from a boxing stadium, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a Public Health Ministry spokesman, told a news conference adding one patient had recovered.

Californians ordered to stay home; New York pleas for urgent help to fight coronavirus

Nearly 40 million Californians have been ordered to stay at home as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and New York's mayor on Friday renewed his pleas for U.S. President Donald Trump to mobilize the military for additional medical personnel and supplies. The pandemic has already upended life in much of the country, shuttering schools and businesses, prompting millions to work from home, forcing many out of jobs and sharply curtailing travel.

Italy deaths jump by almost 800 from coronavirus

Italy recorded a jump in deaths from coronavirus of almost 800 on Saturday, taking the toll in the world's hardest-hit country to almost 5,000. Italy on Thursday overtook China as the country worst affected by the highly contagious virus.

Coronavirus deaths in Italy overtake China as economic damage mounts

The world's richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy on Thursday as coronavirus cases ballooned in the new epicenter Europe, with the number of deaths in Italy outstripping those in mainland China, where the virus originated. With over 242,000 infections and nearly 10,000 deaths, the epidemic has stunned the world and drawn comparisons with painful periods such as World War Two, the 2008 financial crisis and the 1918 Spanish flu.

Japan confirms 14 coronavirus cases at the medical center: Kyodo

Japan's Oita prefecture confirmed two new coronavirus infections at a medical center on Sunday, bringing the total at the facility to 14 and making it a suspected cluster, Kyodo newswire said. Two female nurses who work at the Oita Medical Center, one in her 20s and another in her 50s, were confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus although they showed only mild symptoms, Kyodo said.

India starts 14-hour curfew to curb coronavirus spread

India launched a 14-hour long curfew on Sunday to limit the fast-spreading coronavirus epidemic in the country, where 315 people have so far been found to have contracted the disease. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address to the nation last week urged citizens to stay indoors from 0130 GMT to 1530 GMT - a move that he said would be a crucial test for a country to assess its abilities to fight the pandemic.

China sees a continued rise in imported coronavirus cases

China on Sunday reported 46 new cases of coronavirus, the fourth straight day with an increase, with all but one of those cases imported from overseas, according to the country's National Health Commission. While China has drastically reduced the number of reported domestically transmitted cases - the one reported on Sunday was the first in four days - it is seeing a steady rise in imported cases, mostly from Chinese people returning from abroad.

Cuban doctors head to Italy battle coronavirus

Communist-run Cuba said it dispatched a brigade of doctors and nurses to Italy for the first time this weekend to help in the fight against the novel coronavirus at the request of the worst-affected region Lombardy. The Caribbean island has sent its "armies of white robes" to disaster sites around the world largely in poor countries since its 1959 revolution. Its doctors were in the front lines in the fight against cholera in Haiti and against Ebola in West Africa in the 2010s.

Spain warns the 'worst is yet to come' as coronavirus deaths surpass 1,300

The Spanish government said on Saturday it would do whatever was needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic and warned that "the worst is yet to come" after the national toll surpassed 1,300 deaths and reached close to 25,000 cases. The second-worst outbreak in Europe showed no sign of slowing as the death toll jumped by more than 300 from the previous day. Intensive care units are filling up in some hospitals.

South Korea's new daily coronavirus cases fall to 98

South Korea reported 98 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, maintaining a downward trend in daily infections, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The daily tally brought national infections to 8,897 while the death toll remained unchanged at 104. It marked the 11th day in a row the country has posted new infections of around 100, compared with the peak of 909 cases recorded on Feb. 29.

(With inputs from agencies.)