Poland confirms first coronavirus death

WARSAW -- Poland has recorded its first death from the novel coronavirus outbreak in the western city of Poznan, its deputy mayor said Thursday.

The 57-year-old female teacher, who had recently been hospitalised in critical condition with pneumonia, was put into an artificial coma and on a ventilator but "unfortunately she died not long ago," Poznan deputy mayor Jedrzej Solarski told reporters.

Poland currently has 46 other confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the health ministry.

The woman's husband and daughter are among those hospitalised with coronavirus but their conditions are not critical. Other family members, including the woman's two sons, have not been infected. 

"What we feared over the last few days has come about. We have our first death from the coronavirus," Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters.

"I offer my condolences to her close ones." (AFP)