Uzbekistan sees increase in COVID-19 cases

By Trend

Five more Uzbek citizens have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 55, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Health.

According to the ministry, five more citizens were found to be infected, and have been quarantined on March 25.

The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology - an Uzbek woman who had returned from France, was tested to be positive. The Ministry of Health later said that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 18,900. Over 422,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 108,000 people have reportedly recovered.

Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. Several countries are working on a vaccine against the new virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic.