Coronavirus in Europe: The only countries without deadly infection

While coronavirus has spread across Europe – with Italy the hardest hit – there are some countries that have so far escaped the infection.

Just two countries in Europe are yet to get coronavirus.

Montenegro and Turkey are the only countries to not have confirmed the deadly infection, as it quickly takes hold across the continent.

Yesterday Albania was included in that list but it has since had two cases confirmed.

In Turkey 2000 patients have been tested but all of them are negative.

“If the coronavirus reaches Turkey, it will probably be carried by passengers travelling from abroad,” Turkey’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

“Cases may be seen (eventually) in Turkey, but it is in our hands to prevent its spread.”

He said if the country had not closed its border with Iran last month, about 50,000 people a week could have entered from Iran.

Italy’s total known number of COVID-19 cases has soared past that of South Korea, becoming the country with the second-highest number of infections after China.

The country now has 9172 cases, jumping from 7375. That is 1694 more than South Korea, up from a difference of 62 yesterday.

The whole of Italy is now in lockdown with virus ‘red zones’ being enforced, after the death toll jumped by 97 in a single day. There have been 463 deaths.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced restrictions on public gatherings would be extended to cover the whole country, rather than just the epicentre of the outbreak in the north.

Meanwhile, there are still more than 80,000 cases in China.

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Montenegro and Turkey are the only two countries in Europe without coronavirus. Picture: John Hopkins

Montenegro and Turkey are the only European countries not to have coronavirus cases. Picture: Supplied

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In France they are banning events of more than 1000 people to limit the spread of the virus and recruiting recently retired medics and medical students to help deal with the growing numbers of infections.

The country reported 1209 cases. the second largest number of cases in Europe after Italy.

So far, 19 people in France have died.

In Germany, the health minister is also urging event organisers to consider postponing any gatherings with more than 1000 people. There have been 1176 cases there and two deaths.

And in Greece, the Health Ministry has announced that all sports events in the country will take place without spectators for the next two weeks.

The ministry also says that recreation and support centres for the elderly will shut down for two weeks and no school trips will take place during that period.

Greece has had 73 cases of coronavirus and no deaths.

In Britain, the health secretary has outlined emergency plans to deal with the impact of the outbreak, pledging to do “all we can” to contain the virus.

The plans, which will likely go through parliament by the end of the month, are expected to include measures to allow some court proceedings to be conducted via telephone or video. Volunteers who leave their main jobs to help health care systems will also be given employment safeguards.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he wanted “to ensure government is doing everything in its power to be ready to delay and mitigate this threat”.

Some 321 people in the UK have tested positive for the virus, according to the latest data. Four people have died.

– With AP