After facing sanctions and the risk of war amid tensions with the United States, Iran's Shiite theocracy now has an enemy in the new coronavirus that infiltrated its leadership in plain view of state-controlled media and despite repeated denials of any looming threat.

The outbreak of the new virus in Iran has been dramatic — the head of Iran's task force to stop the illness, known as COVID-19, was seen coughing, sweating and wheezing across televised interviews before acknowledging he was infected. Then days later, a visibly pale official sat only meters (feet) away from President Hassan Rouhani and other top leaders before she too reportedly came down with the virus.

Around 1,000 people were in quarantine in Germany's most populous state Friday, as the number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Europe's biggest economy rose above 50.

Pakistan has suspended all flights to Iran and closed land borders with its neighbour, officials confirmed on Friday, after Islamabad detected its first two coronavirus cases, both people who had recently travelled to the Islamic Republic.

Nigeria on Friday announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa.

New Zealand confirmed its first coronavirus case Friday, saying a recent arrival from Iran who travelled to Auckland via Bali had tested positive.

Lithuania confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus in a woman who returned from Italy, the government said on Friday. 

The number of new coronavirus cases in the world rose to 82,560, including 2,813 deaths, across 50 countries and territories by 1700 GMT on Thursday, according to a report gathered by AFP from official sources.

In the 24 hours since the previous count at 1700GMT on Wednesday, 1,296 new contaminations were identified. 

Facebook on Thursday canceled its annual F8 developers conference, the biggest annual event for the US tech giant, over fears about the possible spread of the novel coronavirus.

The World Health Organization declared Thursday that the new coronavirus epidemic was at a "decisive point" as countries across the globe battled to contain the deadly outbreak.

President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France was preparing for a jump in the number of coronavirus cases, adding "we are going to have to deal with it as best we can."

"We are facing a crisis, an epidemic that is coming," Macron said while visiting staff at the La Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris, where the first French person carrying the new coronavirus died Tuesday.