Daily US Times: Spain has reported highest death toll in one day, 864 deaths, as the country’s deaths pass 9,000.
Despite the death surge, the infection rate slows in Spain which a good sign. As of Wednesday, deaths across Europe has gone beyond 30,000.
Spain became the second highest in counting deaths with more than 9,000 fatalities caused by the virus. Itay remains first.
Confirmed cases in Spain have passed 100,000, but numbers show the infection rate continues to fall.
On Tuesday, the country confirmed 849 deaths, and it has now seen more than 800 deaths for five days in a row. But health officials believe the latest 12% increase in daily infections is further evidence that the rate has stabilized.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US, The number of confirmed cases around the world is now over 870,000, with more than 43,000 deaths.
Spain has been in lockdown for over two weeks, with further restrictions on movement introduced two days ago. But health services in the hardest-hit areas, including Catalonia and Madrid, are still struggling, with shortages of medical equipment a particular problem.
Italy, the worst affected country, ahs confirmed 12,428 deaths up to Tuesday evening, with a total of 105,792 cases.
However, Italy has seen the daily rise in infection rates fall to 2.8%, well down on a few days ago.
Iran says Covid-19 – the disease caused by coronavirus – has claimed 3,000 lives, while the number of fatalities in the US has now topped 4,000.
Meanwhile, the Nato military alliance said it remained in “a state of operational readiness” to defend the borders of its members despite the pandemic, although it had canceled a number of exercises to prevent the spread of infection.
UN chief warns big recession
UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned that the current coronavirus outbreak could bring a recession “that probably has no parallel in the recent past.”
He said the situation is the biggest challenge for the world since World War Two.
His warning comes amid dire predictions about the possible economic impact of measures imposed to fight the virus.
The UN chief was speaking at the UN headquarters in New York at the launch of a report on the potential socioeconomic impact of the outbreak. He said: “The new coronavirus disease is attacking societies at their core, claiming lives and people’s livelihoods”.
To curb the spread of the virus, countries around the world have imposed a series of measures, including restricting people’s movements and closing most businesses.
According to the estimate of UN report, up to 25 million jobs could be lost around the world as the result of the outbreak and the report also projects an up to 40% “downward pressure” on global foreign direct investment flows.
Mr Guterres urged the industrialized nations to help those less developed, or potentially “face the nightmare of the disease spreading like wildfire”.