Europe takes action to curb spread of virus

In the Middle East, the total number of deaths in worst-hit Iran has risen to 92, the nation's Health Ministry reports, with 15 new fatalities announced on Wednesday. The total number of cases in the country has increased by 586 to 2,922. The number of cases reported worldwide of the coronavirus reached more than 91,000, with 3,100 reported deaths.

An official in Brussels has tested positive for the coronavirus, the European Commission, told AFP.The man, a member of staff at the European Defence Agency, had recently returned from a trip to Italy, media network Euractiv reports. All meetings at the EU headquarters in the city have been canceled until March 13.

The European Central Bank said on Wednesday that it is restricting all nonessential travel by its employees through April 20 as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom the total number of cases has jumped by 36 to 87 as of Wednesday.

The UK government predicts that around a fifth of the country's workforce could be off at the same time when the infection reaches its peak. It revealed that police may be forced to focus on maintaining public order if the disease spreads.

The novel coronavirus is likely to be spreading undetected in the UK already, with health officials on the brink of moving into the phase of "delaying" rather than trying to "contain" transmission, the chief medical officer has said.