Italians urged to have faith even as cases top 4,000 across Europe

President Sergio Mattarella urged Italians to trust the country's capacity to curb the COVID-19 epidemic, avoid anxiety and abide by all rules in containment measures.

Across Europe, the virus continues to take its toll, with more than 30 countries having reported over 4,000 cases of infections as of Thursday. On Friday, the number of cases in Germany rose to 534, up 134 from that of Thursday.

Italy is the country worst hit in Europe by the outbreak. As of Thursday, it has confirmed 3,296 cases of infections and 148 deaths, according to the Civil Protection Department coordinating the emergency task force.

Mattarella said in a video published on the presidential website on Thursday that Italy has an excellent public health system, which is operating with efficiency and with the generous self-sacrifice of its staff at all professional levels.

"With no imprudence but also with no alarmism, we can and we should have confidence in the abilities and resources we have at our disposal," he said.

Despite the concern caused by the outbreak across the world, he said Italians "must absolutely avoid an unmotivated and often counterproductive state of anxiety".

He also urged Italians to scrupulously abide by all rules imposed or recommended by the government and health authorities to contain the epidemic.

Italy has shut all schools and universities, banned fan attendance at sporting events and suspended all cultural events.

On Friday, the Vatican said that a patient in its health services had tested positive for the coronavirus, the first in the tiny, walled city state surrounded by Rome

The United Kingdom reported its first death from the virus late on Thursday after the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust confirmed that a patient with preexisting medical conditions who had tested positive had subsequently died.

The news came on the same day that the total number of cases across the UK reached 115, a rise of 30 on the previous day's total. Earlier in the day, the government's chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, said it was "highly likely" that some of the newly diagnosed cases would have no connection with previously identified overseas-linked cases.

On Thursday, the European Parliament decided its plenary session initially scheduled for next week in Strasbourg, France, will instead take place in Brussels, as the health risks are considered "significantly higher" if lawmakers gather in the city in France's east.

France has confirmed 423 cases of novel coronavirus as of Thursday, while Brussels had 50 confirmed infections.

In Russia, Moscow's authorities announced on Thursday a "high alert regime" and imposed extra measures to prevent a potential further spread of the coronavirus.

According to a document from Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's office, Russians who return from any states with possible "unfavorable" signs of coronavirus infection should self-isolate themselves at home for 14 days.

The city government would also consider a "Plan C", entailing a declaration of a state of emergency that would shut down all but the most essential business and organizations, halt transportation and ban the movement of people into and out of Moscow.

Russia has reported six confirmed cases of infection. In each case, the virus was picked up outside the country.

Serbia has also confirmed its first case of the virus, its Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar said on Friday.