Hundreds of millions of people faced a world turned upside down on Wednesday by unprecedented emergency measures against the coronavirus pandemic that is killing the old and vulnerable and threatening prolonged economic misery.
DEATHS, INFECTIONS
The virus has infected more than 212,000 people across the world and the death toll has exceeded 8,700 in 164 nations.
AMERICAS
All 50 states in the United States have reported cases and the total number of known U.S. infections closing in on 8,000. The U.S. death toll has climbed to at least 151.
The United States and Canada closed their shared border to “non-essential traffic” on Wednesday to curb transmission of the coronavirus. Canada has decided to provide an $18.6 billion aid package directly to affected families and businesses.
On Wednesday, Mexico registered its first death from coronavirus, and Chile declared a 90-day state of catastrophe.
EUROPE
Italy reported 475 new deaths on Wednesday, the largest increase in numerical terms since the outbreak first came to light on Feb. 21. The total number of confirmed cases grew by 4,207 to 35,713.
French health authorities reported 89 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total to 264 or an increase of almost 51%.
On the other hand, Switzerland has extended border controls and suspended the issue of Schengen and national visas for three months.
Ukraine, where a lawmaker tested positive, has imposed a state of emergency in the region around the capital Kiev.
Croatia will close cinemas, restaurants and bars and shops but will allow food stores, pharmacies and petrol stations to function.
ASIA
Beijing recorded 21 new cases of infections from abroad on Wednesday, mostly people travelling from Spain and Britain. The Beijing infections accounted for the bulk of the 34 new imported cases in mainland China. The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China stands at 80,928, with the overall death toll at 3,245 as of the end of Wednesday, up by eight from the previous day. In Hubei, there were eight new deaths, with Wuhan accounting for six of them.
Indonesia’s death toll jumped on Wednesday from five to 19 and Malaysia warned of “a tsunami” of cases if people did not follow new restrictions as infections surged across Southeast Asia.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
The World Health Organization said the Middle East states need urgently to offer more information about cases.
Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus climbed to 1,135 on Wednesday with 147 new deaths in the past 24 hours, while the total number of infected people across the country has reached 17,361.
Djibouti and Zambia confirmed their first cases on Wednesday.
Libya has not yet confirmed any cases of the coronavirus, Algeria recorded ten new confirmed cases of coronavirus including two deaths, according to the latest report published by the Ministry of Health. The death toll is now eight and the number of confirmed cases has reached 82 across the country.
The number of reported coronavirus cases in Tunisia rose on Thursday from 10 to 38, reported the Tunisian News Agency on Twitter.
