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
this boppa,vijay and naren dont hve the clear picture of this RSS and sangi guys so they brak from there side as they blive we all muslims are blongs to terrorist grp thn can they explain abt this RSS and sangi guys wht they are upto they want to divied the country or make a peace loving country. till now they divied the country by the name of religons .
this guys plan same policy which played by british divied and rule this sangi and RSS are born under there rules this sangis helped thm even nw they do the same.
comment #6 wht u written in last line of ur comment this shld b applied for the people inculding sangi and RSS guys aswel
dont blame we muslims we are very proud INDIAN MUSLIMS
we are proud to b an INDIAN more then u sangi and rss guys
and dont blame others first look into u wht gd deed hve u don till nw this for boppa,vijay and naren
Dear Naren
you dont have 70 virgins ...you have to taste only one that too Najas......... Brother Mustafa left this Duniya as Tippu did . and enjoying the favours from the creator . when he was hacked to death by cowards in the dark with the help of Coward fascist police . no problem we are borned for that we do not mourne but his family will curse you and you sangh .
Bopanna and vijay, every one will know your bulsh*t sangi parivar, you are sitting in and posting comments, stupid come out, you go and fight instead of sending poor in rana rang,
Naren, don't post your stupid and bulsh*t comments, come and fight face to face, Israel is your father country they also like you killing innocent people in back door.................ISIS and RSS is the same.....isis will not attack israel because its born from there only..
Ameen
Bupa, vijaya ..Mangalore ( Naren ignored ) ....Guys if u want to know the truth about this case contact the Vakil Dinesh Hegde Ulapady...before barking
So naren kotian,
Then start to attack anti nationalist first from mohan baaghwath, thogadia and so on means rss must be removed from the route. Then only brotherhood will remain in our great country India.
Jai Hind
same third rated guys rejoiced when muslim gangs killed prashanth poojari ... and yesterday one jihadi sitting in saudi , i think by name ahmed ... said next round will be of kiran shetty :) it shows ... and it says everything ... let it be ... i wish all murderers of prashanth poojari meets same end ,i pray to god ... israel policy follow madle beku ... when anti nationalist strike our eyes , we must strike their heart, kidneys ,eyes , liver ... legs and brain ... then only systerms will be back to normal .
Well said Bopanna....these people(so called peace lovers)they only know to blame RSS...
Dear Bopanna,
What about the gather during poor prashanth poojary funeral.All are belongs to anti India criminal rss group.
Karnataka police dept is well aware about all criminal groups. They never bow to any influence or to any muscle power. They kicked your dirty leader Togadia from airport back to his home town hell.
Jai Hind! Jai Karnataka!
Bopanna seems to have too much of hatred towards mulsims despite being and earning in an Islam country
If he hates muslims he has no moral rights to be, where he is currently
A theif's friend will be another theif only.
Let the police keep an eye on all these people who attended the event - a lot of terrorists there I am sure
Masha Allah great .Rest in peac my brother mustafa.
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