Coronavirus update: Cases in Iran surge to 4,747, 12 new infections on Egypt cruise ship

The total number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Iran rose more than 1,000 in the last 24 hours to 4,747, a spokesperson for the Iranian Health Ministry announced on Friday. The death toll in the country currently stands at 124, up from 107 on Thursday.

On other coronavirus-related headlines, 12 people on a Nile cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement. The ship is reportedly heading to the southern city of Luxor.

Meanwhile, "We must avoid visiting our elderly relatives as much as possible," French President Emmanuel Macron said and warned that the epidemic could last for weeks.

Flight to safety

Risk aversion continues to dominate the financial markets on Friday. As of writing, the 10-year US Treasury bond yield, which touched a fresh record low of 0.696% earlier in the day, was down 13.2% on the day at 0.799%. Reflecting the dismal market mood, Germany's DAX and the Euro Stoxx 50 are both erasing around 3.5%.