Eight more patients have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total in the Netherlands to eighteen. The first patient was diagnosed just four days ago.
Companies have been sending workers home, a hospital in Gorinchem has been closed, and dozens of Dutch people remain in quarantine in the United Arab Emirates as the Netherlands responds to the viral outbreak.
The National Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM) reports that they are reviewing the source of all patients infections.
“Almost all new persons diagnosed with the new coronavirus are travellers from northern Italy or are family contacts from a previous patient,” said a statement on the RIVM website. So far, almost 1700 people in northern Italy have tested positive for coronavirus.
The newest Dutch cases are in Houten, Dalen, Nieuwendijk, the Tilburg region and Helmond.
European Union on high alert
Meanwhile, there are 2100 total cases throughout Europe. 20 of the 27 EU countries have reported cases of the viral infection. The only countries holding out are Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Malta and Cyprus. Non-EU countries Serbie, Ukraine, and Albania also have no infections yet, NOS reports.
The European Commission has raised the risk of coronavirus virus infection from moderate to high. Iran has the most deaths after China, with 66 deaths from 1501 infected people.
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