MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2020) The global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 266,000, with almost 11,200 fatalities as of March 21 that prompts countries to impose new restrictions in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. In the wake of the pandemic, US crude prices fell 29 percent on the week, recording their biggest weekly loss in almost 30 years, while world's biggest hedge fund Bridgewater Associates said in a report that US companies might lose up to $4 trillion in revenue amid the outbreak.
First cases of COVID-19 were registered in Zimbabwe, East Timor and Angola.
Finland, Mauritius, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bosnia and Herzegovina have reported the first deaths caused by the coronavirus.
Germany's number of COVID-19 cases has surged by over 2,705 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total toll to 16,662. The death toll has climbed to 47.
Spain's COVID-19 total has surged by 5,000 to 24,926 over the past 24 hours, with the death toll passing 1,000 people.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease in France rose by 1,847 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total count of cases to 14,459. The country's death toll from COVID-19 now amounts to 562.
Iran's number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 966 to 20,610, and the death toll has grown by 123 to 1,556.
Switzerland has confirmed nearly 1,300 new cases of the coronavirus over the last 24 hours, which brings the total toll of those infected to 6,113. The death toll has increased to 56 people.
At the same time, COVID-19 death toll in Italy, which is the worst-hit European country, has surged by 793 over the past 24 hours, which is a new record high increase, and has reached 4,825. The number of coronavirus cases across country surpassed 42,000.�
The number of cases in Russia has increased by 53 to 306 over the past day.
The United States bypassed Germany and Iran by the number of COVID-19 cases and came in the forth place in the world after China, Italy and Spain with 22,000 people infected with the virus. At least 278 people died from the virus across the country. Moreover, a member of US Vice President Mike Pence's staff has tested positive for the coronavirus.
China, in turn, has registered 41 imported cases of COVID-19 and no cases of internal transmission within the past 24 hours, with seven people having died of the disease.
Kyrgyzstan and Georgia declared state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, while Colombian President Ivan Duque announced the introduction of full mandatory quarantine in the country for 19 days.
The South Korean authorities recommended citizens to stay at their homes, refrain from religious and other mass meetings unless absolutely necessary and called for the shutdown of gyms and entertainment facilities.
Numerous countries around the world also shut down airports and restrict air services due to COVID-19. Thus, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered Airports Corporation of Vietnam to temporarily stop receiving international flights, while Pakistan banned all international flights until April 4. The Turkish authorities, in turn, significantly expanded the list of countries, flights from which are suspended.
In Bangkok, the authorities closed all shopping malls except grocery supermarkets until April 12 as part of efforts to combat the COVID19 coronavirus epidemic.
Russia's Rospotrebnadzor ordered Moscow's gyms, swimming pools and aquaparks to stop receiving visitors as a precaution.
Meanwhile, the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt announced on Saturday the closure of all churches for a period of two weeks amid the outbreak.
The leader of Tibet's Buddhists, Dalai Lama, has been placed under a quarantine, as a precautionary measure.
The Turkish authorities have banned people aged over 65 from going outside due to the risk of infection with the coronavirus.
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Bolivia announced on Saturday indefinitely postponing the presidential vote, initially scheduled for May 3, in the light of the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The International Ice Hockey Federation canceled the world championship that was scheduled to take place in Switzerland's cities of Zurich and Lausanne from May 8-24.
In addition, the USA Track and Field (USATF), the governing body of the US athletics federation, urged to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which are to take place from July 24 to August 9, over COVID-19.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that Russia promised to provide Venezuela next week with humanitarian aid in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Rospotrebnadzor said that it had sent systems allowing to test more than 100,000 people for the COVID-19 to 13 states, including Iran, Mongolia and North Korea.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Moscow called on the United States to abandon its unilateral sanctions against Iran amid the coronavirus pandemic.
China had sent to Greece one million medical and surgical masks, as well as other medical supplies amid COVID-19 outbreak, with the total weight of the cargo amounted to eight tonnes.
During the phone talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to provide prompt assistance to Italy in fighting against COVID-19.
US President Donald Trump sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in which expressed desire to cooperate with Pyongyang in the area of epidemic control measures.
According to media reports, China started the first phase of clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of newly developed vaccines for the coronavirus disease, with more than 100 volunteers are participating in the testing.
