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.
Comments
I am 11 years old i have completed my hifz in month of october 2017 now i am revising. I need to help my father, He canot afford my fee pls help us.
I Completed Hifz Quran this Ramzan . I take admission in your Institute but my father is not afford fee I am from Poor family. I want to become Engineer . I need help.. Mobile No.9199680681
Mobile No.9199680681
sir i am a hafiz and i have completed inter so i want to be a doctor then what should i do i am from aligarh up
Can a branch of Shaheen group institution be in Assam
Assalamolaikum Janab.
I want to know detail about Hifzul- Quran plus. Plz tell me if sahin group of institutions situated in Bihar.
What process of admission & fee structure etc.
Sir app ne kaha Tha Shaheen ki branch U.P me bhi open hogi ? Agar U.P me kahi ho to zaroor bataaye plz
I want be a doctor but Bidar me mujh se nhi hopaayega Mai Bidar ja ke return Hua hu
Plz sir Shaheen ko U.P meme bhi launch kre
Assalamu alaikum..... Janab ali alhamdullilah mai hafiz quaran hon aur abhi mai nadwa islamic university se padhai kar raha hon alhamdullilah mere madarsa me her subject padhaya jata h jaise Arbic Urdu English aur thura bahut math aur hindi
Mai doctor banna chahta hon aur mai medical competition pass karke gov college me admision lena h tu mujhe 12th tak aapke Shaheen me kitne saal lagenge aur ramzan ke bad aapke institute me admision hojayega
plz aap hame btaye
asslamo alaikom. my son sarim mohd saied is appearing for 7th std in jeevan dahra inter college he is 12 years old and he is hafize quran and he completed 3 daurs . and i want admission in your college so what is the procedure for it. thanks. mohd aqeel qasmi .33. phool bagh colononi kursi road lucknow 226026.mo.9044887838.
Assalamu Alaikum
Janab aali mai hifz kar chuka ho aur abhi mai nadwa lucknow se padh raha hon 3 class me aur mai aapke shaheen ke zarye ek mbbs doctor banna chahta hon or kitne saal lagenge?
Can I become a doctor in your shaheen
Sir, will it be provided only for 12 to 15 yrs student.?
Myself, Kashif raza (Hifzul Quraan). And I m 18 years old. Am I comfort to take admission in Shaheen group of institution?
hai
assalamu alaikum
Sir I am Hafiz and also passed intermediate ...now I want to do BA from this institute ...what is the procedure?
Huffaz pls branch Bangalore men bhi ?
Huffaz plus ki branch Bangalore men bhi hai?
Huffaz plus ki branch Bangalore men bhi hai ?
Add new comment