Madrid, Mar 26: More than three billion people around the world were living under lockdown on Wednesday as governments stepped up their efforts against the coronavirus pandemic which has left more than 20,000 people dead.
As the number of confirmed cases worldwide soared past 450,000, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that only a concerted global effort could stop the spread of the virus.
In Spain, the number of fatalities surpassed those of China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged three months ago, making it the hardest-hit nation after Italy.
A total of more than 20,800 deaths have now been reported in 182 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally.
Stock markets rebounded after the US Congress moved closer to passing a $2.2 trillion relief package to prop up a teetering US economy.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said New York, the epicenter of the US outbreak with over 30,000 cases, likely has a few "tough weeks" ahead but he would decide soon whether unaffected parts of the country can get back to work.
"We want to get our country going again," Trump said. "I'm not going to do anything rash or hastily.
"By Easter we'll have a recommendation and maybe before Easter," said Trump, who had been touting a strong US economy as he faces an election in November.
UN chief Guterres said the world needs to ban together to stem the pandemic.
"COVID-19 is threatening the whole of humanity -- and the whole of humanity must fight back," Guterres said, launching an appeal for $2 billion to help the world's poor.
"Global action and solidarity are crucial," he said. "Individual country responses are not going to be enough."
India's stay-at-home order for its 1.3 billion people is now the biggest, taking the total number of individuals facing restrictions on their daily lives to more than three billion.
Anxious Indians raced for supplies after the world's second-biggest population was ordered not to leave their houses for three weeks.
Russia, which announced the death of two patients who tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, is expected to follow suit.
President Vladimir Putin declared next week a public holiday and postponed a public vote on controversial constitutional reforms, urging people to follow instructions given by authorities.
In Britain, heir to the throne Prince Charles became the latest high-profile figure to be infected, though he has suffered only mild symptoms.
The G20 major economies will hold an emergency videoconference on Thursday to discuss a global response to the crisis, as will the 27 leaders of the European Union, the outbreak's new epicenter.
China has begun to relax its own draconian restrictions on free movement in the province of Hubei -- where the outbreak began in December -- after the country reported no new cases.
Crowds jammed trains and buses in the province as people took their first opportunity to travel.
But Spain saw the number of deaths surge to more than 3,400 after 738 people died in the past 24 hours and the government announced a 432-million-euro ($467 million) deal to buy medical supplies from Beijing.
The death toll in Italy jumped in 24 hours by 683 to 7,503 -- by far the highest of any country.
The number of French deaths was up by 231 on Wednesday to more than 1,330, and metro and rail services in Paris were cut to a minimum.
Spain and Italy were joined by France and six more EU countries in urging Germany and the Netherlands to allow the issue of joint European bonds to cut borrowing costs and stabilise the eurozone economy.
The call is likely to fall on deaf ears when EU leaders talk on Thursday -- with northern members wary of pooling debt with big spenders -- but they will sign off on an "unprecedented" recovery plan.
At La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, nurse Guillen del Barrio sounded bereft as he related what happened overnight.
"It is really hard, we had feverish people for many hours in the waiting room," the 30-year-old told AFP.
"Many of my colleagues were crying because there were people who are dying alone, without seeing their family for the last time."
Coronavirus cases are also spreading in the Middle East, where Iran's death toll topped 2,000, and in Africa, where Mali declared its first case and several nations announced states of emergency.
In Japan, which has postponed this year's Olympic Games, Tokyo's governor urged residents to stay home this weekend, warning of a possible "explosion" of the coronavirus.
Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed by Christians to house Christ's tomb, was shut as Israel tightened movement restrictions.
The impact of the pandemic is also hitting European football, with leagues and tournaments cancelled, while the fate of the Wimbledon tennis tournament could be decided next week.
The economic damage of the virus -- and the lockdowns -- could also be devastating, with fears of a worldwide recession worse than the financial meltdown more than a decade ago.
But financial markets rose after US leaders reached agreement on a stimulus package worth roughly 10 percent of the US economy, an injection Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said represented a "wartime level of investment."
Meanwhile, more than half of all Americans have been told to stay at home, including residents of the largest state, California.
The United States has at least 65,700 cases and 942 people have died.
“Why should you snatch away the poor's meal?” asked Bhimrao Dhonde, who represents Beed's Ashti, during a discussion on the state's agrarian crisis.
Comments
It is better for government to impose ban on beef as it is not at all good for health.....Moton is a good meat and healthy...
Without distributing the Ambani wealth to poor you cant impose ban on anything. Poor people are suffering because of rich Fadnavi who has easy access to all sort of food. I'm used to mutton now. Even if you allow me to eat beef i wont.
There intention is not to snatch snatch away the meat of export from their leaders.
Beef ban increased beef export. Hence, my guess, the farmers must be selling cows to the exporters. It is very clear that the present administration is anti poor. Election in the corner will woke him up now.
dear avish, the loan burden and no food make the people to sucide. Do you say that the life of cow is more important than the human being? he can sell the cow if he want he can save his parents and family. If not all them should be opt for sucide. So parents sake and family sake he is ready to sell the other things which is not necessary at that moment. But people like you who think that more educated ( not being a human) think another way. It will be understandable only when your are in same situation
Dear Kumel are you educated? how the cow becomes your mother. Please check your DNA. We have never seen even in any holy books that the human being is born by Cow.
Another prime example for dirty politics from BJP since Assembly electioons are on the corner, please do not react or comment
Mr kumel,Who you are to feed 17 cr people. Who is parasitic?.mind your language.
Any action in this regard to be implemented immediately before beef eater communities are used to alternative diet, most of them now used to mutton and chicken, After that if we want sell we will never find anyone to buy it.
I think we have to ask all farmers to bring all their spent cattles to Mr. Kumel Chang house. He will look after these mother cows.
I guess he'd be willing to let go of his parents and family as and when they become nonproductive. What a loser!
So parents are cattle? People like you will use any analogy to stick to your stand. Don't impose your ideas on the rural folks. They know exactly what they are doing and what to do with their life, diet, animals, crops etc. India is a non vegetarian country. Get used to it
If we can feed 17 crore parasitic population of jihadis, surely we can feed the holy mother cow
Very well said, I came from an agricultural family too and they have similar practice. I remember Bangalore in the 80's and the menace of cows roaming on the road. Then the IT boom happened and \ban\" we dont see them anymore and they are now sold as beef."
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