* Cambodia's Heath Minister Mam Bunheng announced on Saturday that a Cambodian man had infected with the COVID-19, becoming the first local person to contract the virus. It was the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Cambodia. According to Bunheng, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen had ordered all schools in the Siem Reap City to be shut down temporarily.
* Singapore recorded eight new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 138, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday. Four of eight new cases were linked with the new contagious cluster involving a private dinner function at the Joy Garden restaurant in west Singapore. So far 21 cases were reported from this cluster.
* Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to declare a "state of public health emergency" after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the local spread of novel coronavirus disease in the country, his spokesman said on Saturday. Earlier, the DOH raised the COVID-19 alert system to code red sub-level 1 after the wife of a patient who was previously reported as the fifth case of the COVID-19 in the country also tested positive.
* The Republic of Korea (ROK) confirmed 483 more cases of the COVID-19 on Saturday, raising the total number of infections to 6,767. One more death was reported, lifting the death toll to 44.
* Governor of the US state of New York declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the northeastern state rose to 76. As of Saturday night, more than 420 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States with 17 deaths.
* Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday a quarantine on the entire Lombardy region and a number of northern provinces as the coronavirus continued to spread throughout the country. Italy's current confirmed cases of coronavirus reached 5,061 on Saturday, excluding 233 deaths and 589 recoveries, according to the Civil Protection Department.
* The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced on Saturday that the novel coronavirus disease in Iran has claimed 145 lives, official IRNA news agency reported. Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the ministry, said the total number of the cases now stands at 5,823, out of whom 1,663 have recovered.
* Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country at a meeting with all ministries and departments concerned on Saturday. Modi directed the officials to identify locations for sufficient quarantine facilities and be prepared in case the disease spreads further. India confirmed three more cases of the COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the total number of the cases to 34.
* People from China and ROK were moving forward their travel plans to Japan on Saturday as the Japanese government will start quarantine all arrivals from the two countries from Monday. The number of the COVID-19 cases in Japan had risen to 1,137 as of 7:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, an increase of 63 cases from a day earlier.
* The total number of the COVID-19 cases in Australia reached 72 as of Saturday evening with six new patients tested positive in the state of New South Wales (NSW). According to NSW Health, screening continues at the Sydney International Airport. As of midnight Saturday, a total of 23,814 passengers have been assessed, and a total of 77 were sent for testing.
* Latin American authorities have taken measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as the first death from the virus was reported and more cases confirmed. A 64-year-old man infected with COVID-19 died in Argentina on Saturday, becoming the first death related to the virus in South America, the Argentine health ministry said. A total of at least nine cases have been reported in Argentina by Saturday.
* The Chinese government has decided to donate US$20 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support it in carrying out international cooperation in fighting the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
* Canadian province of British Columbia confirmed six new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total to 58 in the country, according to provincial Chief Health Officer Bonnie Henry.
* Egypt announced on Saturday that 33 new cases tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the number of confirmed cases in Egypt to 48.
* Greek authorities confirmed 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the country's total to 66.
* France confirmed on Saturday a total of 949 cases of coronavirus infection, up 336 from the previous day, and 16 deaths, according to Health General Director Jerome Salomon.
* Slovenian Health Minister Ales Sabeder issued a decree on Saturday banning all public indoor events for 500-plus visitors, as the country's confirmed coronavirus cases increased by four to 12.
* Four Russian nationals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of COVID-19 cases in Russia to 14, the country's coronavirus control and prevention task force said Saturday.
* Sixty new COVID-19 infections were detected Saturday in Belgium, bringing the total number of infections to 169 in the country, said health authorities.
* The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) gave the nod to six local and foreign enterprises to operate in the country, creating over 2,600 local employment opportunities, according to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) on Saturday.
* More than 800 residents have fled home in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua as rebels threaten to launch attacks on the military and the police there, a police officer said on Saturday.
* The Israeli political crisis is deepening over the weekend as the two main rivals remain entrenched in their positions. Days after a third consecutive election ended in similar results to previous elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz spoke Saturday night. Each ruled out the other, making a unity government look like an unlikely solution to the country's lengthy political deadlock. Alone, each party cannot garner the majority needed to form a coalition.
* Rafic Hariri Hospital announced on Saturday that the number of COVID-19 cases in Lebanon has risen to 28, LBCI local TV channel reported. The hospital assured that all cases are stable except for three patients who are in a critical condition.
* As many as 22 civilians lost their lives and 70 others got wounded on Saturday in an accident on the Damascus-Homs highway, state news agency SANA reported. The accident happened when a fuel tanker hit two passenger buses and 15 other cars on the Damascus-Homs highway, said the report.
* EgyptAir, the flag carrier of Egypt, announced on Saturday that it will suspend flights to Kuwait as of the day until further notice.
* A total of 920 illegal migrants were detained in February at Kapshtice border, southeastern Albania for illegal border crossing, Albanian State Police said on Saturday. Albanian police have also taken additional security measures at the borders with Greece.
* The United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Saturday called for de-escalation of the military activities and resuming the political process between the warring factions in the impoverished Arab country.
* The death toll from mudslides following unusually heavy rainfall in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, rose to 40, local authorities reported on Saturday.
* Dozens of Turkish military vehicles entered Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday, as the cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey is entering its second day, a war monitor reported.
