Dozens of countries are working to contain a coronavirus outbreak as the global death toll as surpassed 3,000, including two in the United States.

South Korea reported about 600 new cases Monday, while the leader of a religious group linked to a majority of cases there apologized. Officials have asked prosecutors to consider murder charges against the group’s leadership for failing to cooperate with government efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Monday with Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the administration’s response efforts, along with pharmaceutical executives.

The United States has about 80 confirmed cases, including the second death reported late Sunday in the western state of Washington.  Health officials said the virus may have been circulating undetected among the community for weeks.

Monday brought the first two reported cases in Indonesia, with health officials saying they had links to an infected Japanese national.

Cases have been confirmed in at least 60 nations, with the virus infecting more than 89,000 people since it emerged in December.

Italy has been the hardest-hit nation in Europe and saw its number of cases surge to about 1,700 on Sunday.  Officials there said they expected that number to rise.

Also Sunday, Paris’ Louvre, the world’s most popular art museum, closed its doors to visitors after its unionized staff refused to work because of coronavirus fears.

The World Health Organization says the majority of the coronavirus patients are adults with symptoms that include fever, dry cough and shortness of breath.

It says 80% experience mild illness, 14% severe disease and 5% of those infected with the virus become critically ill.  The WHO says those who experience the most severe cases are people older than age 60 and who have other health problems.

Source: VOA

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