Portugal confirms first coronavirus

Lisbon, Mar 2 (AFP) Portugal on Monday confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, a 60-year-old man who had travelled back from northern Italy, which is the European hotspot for the virus. A second person hospitalised in Portugal with coronavirus symptoms, a 33-year-old man, was awaiting final test results after initial exams suggested he might be ill with the virus as well.

The second suspected case was a person who had returned from eastern Spain, where several COVID-19 cases have been confirmed. Portugal's government said it would extend screening measures to people arriving from Italy, in line with similar precautions already imposed on travellers from China.

Deaths from the coronavirus surpassed a grim milestone Monday, with more than 3,000 people killed globally. Over 89,000 people have been infected across 68 countries and territories, the lion's share in China where the virus emerged in late December. (AFP) AD.