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 is not only your question. my question too. that’s why we should end the mhar competition. Otherwise your son also may follow the same path one day.
Masha Allah! it is good to note that some of our brothers brought the globally acclaimed Islamic Scholar to Mangalore.
It would have been more beneficial for the community if the hosts arranged one two public programs in Mangalore and Kasaragod.
Masha Allah Masha Allah happy to see Mufti Menk at our place.Good message to the youth regarding non-competition over mahr.
My Reply to A Mangalorean. Why did your son agree to pay that much Mehr while it was not under his capacity. May be he tried to show his Father in Law that he is also a rich person. Why one should put himself in debt. Now he will have to pay interest on the loan and this is agaisnt the teaching of Islam. We will not put ourself in trouble if we follow simple way tought by our Prophet. May Allah bless us with right way Islam and keep us away from show up.
Hahaha
I m absolutely delighted that Mufti Menk has visited our place and given lecture on Mahr to Manglorean Muslims.
Hoping to see him again and again !!
Good that mufti menk has taken initiative to end mahr competition. Hope it won’t be the beginning of the ‘mufti competition’. Now another NRI businessman in mangalore may think of bringing numan ali khan for next wedding in family (kidding)
Welcome to mufti menk a renowed international scholar to Mangalore. Mufti should advise the rich muslims of coastal Karnatkada to refrain from luxury marriage style with luxury marriage halls and luxury foods.
Unlucky that i was not part of this event. Mufti Sir do visit Manglore frequetly and guide mangloreans who indulged in shirk and diddah... May god bles you, give you good health and long life.
demanding dowry is not islamic culture. he has given series of lectures on that issue. if you want u can google and listen. but what he did here is a timely decision- he pervented show off. why he should talk about non-islamic system of dowry at a wedding where there was no dowry?
A considerable number of Mangalore muslims have adopted the Hindu custom of dowry. But mhar has not disappeared. At the same time among rich muslims there is definitely competition over mahr. This had happened in my son’s wedding too. he had borrowed huge loan to pay a Rs 50 lakh gold as mahr. so I personally feel that Mufti menk’s initiative is good.
Thants Right, instead of speaking about the dowry system which is demanded by the men as oppose to the mahr he is speaking opposite which is very trivial issue in comparison to what a girl's parents suffer.
Barakallau lakumaa wa baarik alaikumaa wa jam'a bainakumaa fee khair. May Allah(swt) bless the new couple. Ameen.
Mahr was never a competition here. Its all peanuts compared to the jwellery the bride wears from her fathers hard earned money. If not that, then its the brand new car in display outside the wedding hall, again brought by the brides father for the bridegroom.
mufti menk has not realised that most of the bearys hav sold themselves to the indian custom of dowry for demand or for self prestige
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