World
Europe Toils to Contain Virus as Confirmed Cases Inch Upward
- Infections have spread out from most-affected nation Italy
- Major events canceled, including tourism fair, motor show
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In less than two weeks, the coronavirus has spread in Europe from a handful of cases in northern Italy to thousands across the continent, with pockets of infection from Spain to Belarus.
Cases in Germany rose by more than a fifth to 240 on Wednesday to cover virtually the entire nation, while neighboring Poland registered its first case and France and Switzerland have banned large gatherings. In Italy -- Europe’s epicenter of the disease where more than 2,500 people have contracted the virus and 79 have died -- authorities have quarantined entire towns and local media reported that schools will be shut down until mid-March.