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
They didn't ask you to wear shorts or bikinis
They just said no bhurka
Once you join the college,you are meant yo follow rules.
If you are not ok with it join another college which respects your tradition
They didn't ask them to wear shorts or bikini,they just said no bhurka
Rules of college to be followed once you join it,if you are not ok with it join another college which respects your tradition
Some fools here don't know the constitutional rights of students and commenting asking to go to Muslim colleges. Then let the college announce that they cannot follow our indian constitution.....
I dint see all these people commenting where their cow gods are in trouble....specially kotiaan ....we will take care of our problems....you first settle your GO Gods problem first....ha ha ..arrange to clean the city from plastics and feed them with grass......good luck....
Neren when did you travel from Thailand to Singapur. Might be the Govt of Thailand refused to give shelter like Indian govt did to you Poor Naren. Next he will be HELL.
Me Naren Hindu Lady sanyasi also wearing towel on her head gujrathi and Rajasthan Hindu women without head covered not coming in front of elderly person Christian nuns also wearing hijab that means hijab his good for ladies. If purchased fish you are not taking naked fish without covering then how you allowd your mother or sister allied without covering head
Kotian. A simple example. Just read and understand
For kachra what u do. U will burn of course.
For treasure what u do. U will hide in the ground of course.
After dead some people burn them. As some people hid in the ground
Simple message is that it is because of the huge donations given by the muslims the school and colleges are being filled and if we muslims decide to send our children only to muslim institutions then the closure of many of the non-muslim institutions will be near.
Dear Danish,
Your comments shows how much knowledge you have about islamic countries. Just visit dubai and see how non muslims are practising their faith. Don't blame with half knowledge like our Feku.
NARENANNA .....We no longer require messenger like you ....we already have ADVANI anna .....who followewd Sharia by saying ....death penalty for Rapist
NAREN JOKES
What a boring and miserable person you are naren. We are fed up reading your comments and now we are taking it as narens jokes. Keep going you will be famous as sardar jokes one day .. Hahaha.
There is a pretty common story that a NON MUSLIM asked a MUSLIM man why Muslim women covers themselves in HIJAB.
He took a piece of CANDY , took it out of the wrapper and threw it on the Ground. Candy got dirty, ants came & swarmed it, etc...
He took another piece of CANDY that was wrapped and threw it on the Ground as well.
Then he asked the NON MUSLIM man if he wanted the wrapped candy or the unwrapped candy? He of course said the Wrapped ONE.
The unwrapped was to symbolize uncovered women... How they are walking through this filthy world.
The Covered women was symbolized by the Wrapped Candy which protected from the dirty things on earth.
Its your choice... to follow the divine msg or not.. Nobody is forced by GOD.
If the Virgin Mary appears wearing a Veil on all her pictures, How can you ask me to sign on a Hijab ban law?
Roberto Maroni (Italian Foreign & Labour Minister)
muslim education institutes are not on par with education , so they join hindu and christian owned ... so no place for sharia .. kick those out of college ... no mercy must be shown on jihadist encouraging activities ... we have seen deep penetration of islamic state element in the coastal . .. one banner showing they will teach lesson in their own terms ... fire pellet guns on them ...beter join madrasa guys ... go please hahaha...
A BJP MP rejected USA visa because they told him to remove turban for security check. He rejected the American visa instead.
Anybody to blame him? No, this is our culture.
If a girl wear half naked skits or tight jeans pant and breast showing clothes, then these so called educationists are happy.
Hijab is the right of a muslim girl. Turban is the right of Sikh students, in a secular country they have the right to observe their religious dress code.
better to boycott such kind of institutions and go for islamic colleges.
Finally chairman by self unveiled his mask. Hope if he continue his dirty mentality then his institution may lose his respect and not fit to educate our future generation.
It will be unfortunate to Great Nation
its not Group of Muslim Students.............it is CAMPUS FRONT OF INDIA
Beedi workers ( look at pic in which women has come along with her daughter ) ...2 faces I can make out they are from bunder involved in cattle thefts before ..correct taane faizahal Bhai ? Idara bagge nimge idea iratte ..haha ..salafists are getting lot of funds from wahabist countries ..so they are organising this .. Give them tc so that they can join their community owned collegese...comedy thing is minority particularly one community owned colleges and schools are not of good standards ...haha ...quality of teaching staff is not up to the level ...so they join colleges owned by Hindus and Christians .madrasa untalla babes ..go and join na ? Hahaha...
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