climbed to one million on Thursday. The infection has claimed over 40,000 lives across the globe as the pandemic spreads at a “near-exponential” rate. A six-week-old baby became one of the youngest known victims of the contagion.
Nearly half of the planet is under some form of a lockdown. While China takes baby steps on the path to recovery, the United States, Italy, France, Spain and Iran continue to grapple with the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.
Here are top global developments in the coronavirus situation.
1. In an unprecedented move, the Australian government has announced free childcare during the coronavirus pandemic.
2. The United Kingdom records over 500 deaths in a single day.
3. President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte said that violators of lockdown could be shot dead.
4. White House has said that the projections show the number of Covid-19 deaths could go up to 100,000 to 240,000 in the country.
5. China’s Shenzhen has banned the consumption of wild animals, dog and cat meat.
6. The United States now accounts for almost a quarter of reported global infections. The country reported its 5,000th death, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The total number of infections rose above 216,000.
7. Britain and France reported their highest daily death tolls from coronavirus on Wednesday.
8. Italy’s total death toll turned the highest in the world, jumping past 13,000. Spain has witnessed over 9,000 deaths so far.
9. The Food and Agriculture Organization, WHO and World Trade Organization said panic buying amid coronavirus pandemic could threaten food supplies across the globe.
10. India witnessed the number of cases nearly double in the past week. The number of Covid-19 cases in the country stands at 1,925 including active cases, recoveries and fatalities.