Cronavirus pandemic: No end in sight even as total cases cross half million mark

The global tally of the number of novel coronavirus cases has surpassed half a million, as the virus keeps expanding its footprint across the world.

The United States now has the most number of coronavirus positive cases globally, with the number crossing 85,000 across the country. The US is followed by China and Italy. Italy till now has seen more than 8,000 deaths due to Covid-19, highest in the world, according to a report by the Euro News .

Europe worst affected

In Europe, France observed an escalation of the cases as well, reporting 365 new deaths in one day, including that a 16-year-old minor. The death toll in France is nearing 1,700. The country, which has been under lockdown for a week, has registered 29,155 confirmed cases, Euro News reported.

The crisis is aggravating in Spain too. The country has declared an emergency for two weeks to allow the government to take strict measures to curb the impact of the virus.

Spain reported 655 new deaths on Thursday bringing the death toll to 4,089. There are over 56,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.

Spain has also surpassed China, which had been the epicentre of the virus earlier. Spain and Italy have the highest fatality rates in the global pandemic.

The situation is no good in the United Kingdom as well. As of Thursday, the UK recorded 115 new deaths, taking its total to 578. Finland is also seeing the lockdown of its capital Helsinki till April 19. The country has 880 confirmed cases of coronavirus and has reported three deaths.

India reports 700 cases

As India enters the third week of the coronavirus pandemic, the cases have surpassed the 700 mark. The death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 17 in India and over 80 fresh cases were reported, pushing the tally past the 700-mark.

The Union Health Ministry has, meanwhile, mentioned that the rate of increase in the positive cases was “relatively stable” in India.

The world may be nearing recession

The Moody’s credit rating agency stated that it is forecasting an economic recession for all G20 countries in 2020, while United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that the coronavirus outbreak “threatens the whole of humanity”.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday that the novel coronavirus pandemic will drag the world to severe economic damage and the repercussions of which will be worse than the 2009 recession, as per the IMF official release.

Georgieva made a conference call to G20 Finance Ministers and central bank governors to raise her concerns. She asked G20 countries to cooperate with each other as the human costs of the pandemic are immeasurable.