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.
“A team of the AIMMM found that reports of kidnappings of Muslim girls, sometimes as young as 12 years, are true. Many of such girls have vanished, some are known to be living with their Hindu “husbands” while some have succeeded to run away and return to their families”, the NGO said after visiting the Kushi Nagar district in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Comments
Aditiya Anand is a Hard core communal Hindu terrorist working under the shelter, protection and with the support of BJP. Second one is shakshi maharaj. They are not the saints or Sadhus but are the goons only to terrorize the minority classes as well as scheduled castes and backward classes.The government is keeping a blind eye toward these anti social elements.They must be controlled and debated from anti-social activities at the earliest possible. otherwise government of India will have to face the revolt from within the party folds. As there are people who are against such elements and do not want to set these bhagwa/saffron dressed miscreants free from the clutches of the law and order. The ministry of HOME Affairs must turn the cannons of law and order towards these anti-social...anti religious....anti law....anti humanism people.
Fake yogi
Put him in jail
AIMMM must file a case (nirbhaya a Ct?)
The trails and full investigation should in camera and identity of the victims shouldn't revealed.
Dear coastal digest my humble request with you please do not post PSYCHIATRISTS comments.
Naren potian can you send your sister to this place?
#RUC taken many action on it with their team
first of belated happy new year wishes for ultra nationalist Indian s ,who thinks nation first and religion second ...hahaha Look at the frustration among Itch guard users from one particular community ... all fake news .sorry to say CD is not at all posting news in which islamic millitants committing henious crimes and terrorists acts , be it in malda or in Bihar or pathankot ... even papa al quaida terrorist sikkagle in bangalore, chummah antha ummah kottu , chumma chumma dede antha ummah ge hurt agbardu antha news ne haakalla ..this shows the maturity of this news media , fake victimisation is new found technic by muslims but everybody knows the truth mama.. One particular religion on daily basis kidnaps 1000's of non muslim gals based on instruction from headless and rapist preachers , who scream for jihad ... we know how these piece piece religion sells women in petrol pumps of raqqa,syria on USD basis ... hahaha .
Ley fairman , we are not living in ISIS controlled or saud family ruled rogue nation to behead democratically elected person .. India mama idu ... sorry Hindusthan kano .. acha kannadali bharatha khanda mams idu ..yenne haakidya henge guru ... mostly local haakirbeku ... filter less agi , olagade iro true attitude aache bandide ... hahaha
anyways long live RSS , Jai bajrangdal ... Jai yogi adithya nand ...we must learn from Israel to counter anti national terrorists , Intifada maadthini anno munde maklanna shivana paada kke seristha iro israelis are really great .. avarigu jai andu bidona ... hara hara modi ... jai jai modi ... bholo bharath mata ki jai ... bholo sangh parivar ki jai ...
Is Judiciary exist in the country and vigilant on the rule of law and feels its responsibility to protect the minorities
Are these girls Sunni or Siya.?
How some young men becoming nexalites, terrorists, decoits???
because of \gomuka vyagra\" criminals existing in our places.
To take revenge youngsters are becoming terrorists to teach a lessons to these anti nationals.
This man along with his groups should be banned and arrested.
But the Government is supporting these goons because the Government is governed by RSS ( who are the God father for all these criminal terrorists)."
ALLAH will allow to cross the limits to Evil doers ,,,then he will catch them in their necks, but the time will be over to repent........................but we have to work hard to bring back glory of Muslims not ISLAM,..........ISLAM will prevail as ALLAH will take care of it
Be honest
Be vigilant if Religion or Women comes under attack
Be Prayfull
Dont sit at home and think that Duaa is enough...if its true then Allah created Humans when Angles were there already...its a test to all of us
This guy deserves to be beheaded immediately and his daughters to be just kidnapped and treated good, so that he and his followers learn well.
Ya it is true. yogi should be banned from india
seriously, AIMMM dont have any work to do.
what non sense it is,
YA ALLAH save us from Such human devils.
Oh Ummah, please be alert because devils are roaming freely.. because the Word of ALLAH is kept in the SHELF ...
& also
Our prophet said be UNITED
Groups say : Don't UNITE by adding their own version to TRUE ISLAM.
Think which Group is asking U NOT to GET UNITED?
ALL types of devils will run away when we act upon the word of ALLAH...
Lets not be a MUSLIM only by name... We should act as a MUSLIM. U just need to take the step... ALLAH will help U fight such devils in ins & jinns. There is no POWER nor MIGHT except with ALLAH.
one more allegation, what are we. what are we hearing, seriously we common people are not understanding.
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