The global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 236,000, with almost 9,800 fatalities
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2020) The global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 236,000, with almost 9,800 fatalities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres qualified the pandemic on Thursday as the most severe health crisis in the history of the alliance, which would certainly lead to a global recession. In the meantime, Ancha Baranova, an associate professor at George Mason University's School of Systems Biology, told Sputnik that the pandemic would likely last until summer.
Mauritius, Fiji, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Chad have reported their first COVID-19 cases.
Costa Rica, Mexico, Croatia, Tunisia and Jamaica have reported the first deaths caused by the coronavirus.
Germany's number of COVID-19 cases has surged by over 4,000 over the past 24 hours, nearing 14,000. The death toll has climbed to 43.
Spain's COVID-19 total has surged by 3,695 to 17,395 over the past 24 hours, with the death toll increasing to 803.
France's number of COVID-19 cases has increased by nearly 2,000 to almost 11,000 over the past 24 hours. The country's death toll from COVID-19 now amounts to 372.
Iran's number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 1,046 to 18,407, and the death toll has grown by 149 to 1,284.
Switzerland's number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 860 to 3,888 over the past 24 hours. The death toll has increased by 12 to 33.
Italy's death toll from coronavirus infection has increased by 427 in the past 24 hours to a total of 3,405 (which means that the death toll is now higher than in China), and the total number of COVID-19 cases has increased by almost 4,500 during the same period, surpassing 41,000.
China, where the coronavirus first appeared in, has reported only 34 new cases, all of which are imported.
Prince of Monaco, Albert II, has tested positive for coronavirus, but his health condition does not cause any concerns, and he continues working, the princely palace said on Thursday.
The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Thursday he had tested positive for the coronavirus but was feeling well.
The total volume of response measures by the European Union member states, the European Central Bank, the European Commission and others may near 2 trillion euros ($2.13 trillion), according to European Parliament President David Sassoli.
US President Donald Trump said he had signed into law a $100 billion COVID-19 economic relief bill that had been passed by the Congress.
The Trump administration issued guidelines to defer some $300 billion in tax collections for an additional three months, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The German government is preparing a 40 billion-euro economic stimulus package for small businesses and freelancers affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease outbreak, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged 50 trillion won ($39 billion) in emergency financing for small businesses, along with other stimulus measures, to help shore up the economy, battered by the coronavirus crisis.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced an allocation of an additional 5 billion euros for scientific research amid the spread of COVID-19.
The Greek government will pour around 10 billion euros in the national economy, weakened by the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.
Israel has shut its borders to all foreigners in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, where over 500 cases are confirmed. Apart from that, all Israelis are now banned from leaving home.
Spanish troops have been drafted in to disinfect public places in the country, such as airports, train stations and seaports, including those in the city of Barcelona.
The German Interior Ministry imposed further restrictions on entry into the country as part of the fight against coronavirus, extending the previously introduced norms to intra-European air routes and shipping.
Germany has lifted export bans on medical equipment, issued earlier this month, to avoid shortages of masks, goggles and gloves.
Australia and New Zealand have banned entry for all foreigners in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus in the Oceanic nations.
North Koreans are now banned from using public transportation without wearing face masks amid the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing guidelines from the North Korean ruling communist party.
Croatia has introduced large-scale restrictions on crossing the border, also imposing a ban on public events and suspending operations of most of the sales points, as well as culture and sports facilities, and beauty salons.
Serbia barred all commercial flights to and from its main airport in the capital of Belgrade on Thursday, for the first time since 1999, after the authorities declared a state of emergency to curb the spread of coronavirus. President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the country would close its borders fully on Friday.
Egypt is shutting all cafes, malls, sporting clubs and nightclubs from 7.00 p.m. until 6.00 a.m. local time, starting Thursday, until March 31, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Panama has declared a curfew, requiring citizens to stay at home from 9.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. local time.
Colombia will block the entrance of all international travelers beginning this weekend, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday.
Chile has declared a quarantine on Easter Island, a popular tourist destination in southeastern Pacific Ocean, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian government ordered that all international airports in the country close to inbound passenger aircraft starting Sunday over the spread of COVID-19.
Libya's Tobruk-based interim government ordered all land, air and sea border crossings shut as of Thursday to abate the risk of the coronavirus pandemic reaching the country. The order was issued a day after the Libyan National Army announced the closure of the country's land borders that are under its control.
The Philippine authorities have temporarily stopped issuing visas to all foreign nationals amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Portuguese parliament upheld the president's motion to declare a state of emergency over coronavirus for at least 15 days starting midnight
The Cannes film festival has postponed this year's edition, due to be held in May.
Berlin's main festive event for celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II has been canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, a source in the organizing committee told Sputnik on Thursday.
Sri Lanka will not be in a position to conduct parliamentary elections in the country on April 25, as scheduled, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Mahinda Deshapriya, the chairman of the country's election commission, said.
The summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, initially set to take place in Vietnam in April, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Turkey's soccer, basketball and volleyball leagues suspended matches indefinitely on Thursday due to the widening coronavirus outbreak, bowing to pressure from players and coaches after many other countries called off sports events.
Three races of the Formula 1 championship � the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, the Grand Prix of Spain and the Grand Prix of Monaco � will be postponed due to the coronavirus, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile said on Thursday.
Italian start-up Isinnova, which has saved the lives of COVID-19 patients by providing a hospital in Lombardy with urgently needed 3D-printed ventilator valves, is now endeavoring to transform a facial mask into a respirator, engineer Alessandro Romaioli told Sputnik.
Russian scientists have succeeded in sequencing the full genome of COVID-19 that will help develop a vaccine and necessary drugs, the Russian Health Ministry's press service said on Thursday.
Chemists at the Moscow State University (MSU) are set to roll out the production of DNA primers for express diagnostics of coronavirus to potentially cater millions of tests, the MSU press service said in a press release.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Yandex and Mail.ru Group have formed an alliance to fight the spread of novel coronavirus in Russia, the Russian government said Thursday. The main objective of the alliance is to conduct the expedient testing of the population using the best available technologies, as well as to ensure industrial safety and uninterrupted operation of the large Russian companies, according to the government.
RDIF and Japan's Mirai Genomics have received approval from Russian healthcare watchdog Roszdravnadzor to conduct new COVID-19 tests in Russia.
Developing a prototype of a vaccine against COVID-19 may take from four to six months, and the creation of the vaccine itself may take up to three years, the acting director of the Russian Health Ministry's Research Institute of Influenza said on Thursday.
The Estonian government has decided to increase the number of tests for the coronavirus threefold, from 300 to 1,000 tests per day.
An arthritis drug, tocilizumab, is proving to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients, but further research is needed for a scientific conclusion, Valerio Mogini, a doctor from the Italian Red Cross' biocontainment unit involved in the response since the onset of the outbreak, told Sputnik.
