A summary of the biggest developments in the global corona virus outbreak
Key developments in the global corona virus outbreak today include:
Global deaths hit 7,500 and keep rising
The number of confirmed cases across the world hit 190,140, according to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The global death toll reached at least 7,519, while 80,648 have recovered, the centre said.
British death toll increases
The Department of Health and Social Care announced the death toll in the UK had increased by 18 to 71 people on Tuesday. The latest to die were aged between 45 and 93 years and all had underlying health conditions, the government added.
UK government unveils financial aid package
Shortly after the news broke – and only days after having delivered his first budget – the UK’s chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said £330bn would now be made available in lending to keep firms in business during the social and economic near-shutdown the prime minister called for on Monday.
Italian death toll increases by more than 300
The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 31,506, from 27,980 on Monday, Reuters reported. The death toll also increased by 16% in the last 24 hours, by 345 to 2,503.
EU set to endorse strict travel ban
The bloc was set to take a step unprecedented in its history and suspend all travel into the passport-free Schengen zone by non-EU nationals for at least 30 days. That followed moves by France, Spain and Italy’s to impose lock downs as nations on the mainland sought to contain the virus. Some member states had unilaterally already started imposing border checks.
The British government also advised against all non-essential travel abroad and its chief scientific adviser warned against the use of ibuprofen after the French health minister, Olivier Véran, suggested anti-inflammatory drugs could worsen the infection.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe temporarily released
The British-Iranian woman is among thousands of prisoners temporarily freed from prison, her husband Richard Ratcliffe said. She will be out on furlough until 4 April but has been ordered to wear an ankle tag and her movements will be restricted to 300 metres from her parents’ home.
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“We urge the regime to ensure she receives any necessary medical care. While this is a welcome step, we urge the government now to release all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, and enable them to return to their families in the UK,” the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said.
Euro 2020 is suspended
The summer’s international football tournament, which was due to be held in various countries simultaneously rather than in one host nation, became the latest sporting event to be postponed.
European football’s governing body, Uefa, said it would be put back until 2021 after a conference call with Europe’s 55 national football associations.
Donald Trump criticized over ‘Chinese virus’ tweet
The US president escalated a diplomatic spat when he referred to “the Chinese virus”. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Trump should take care of his own matters first. The exchange came after the US state department summoned the Chinese ambassador over a suggestion the virus had been introduced by American military personnel.
UK’s largest airports demand help
Heath row, Gatwick and Manchester airports – the UK’s three largest – said they may have to close down operations unless the government intervenes. In a letter to the prime minister, they warned that hundreds of thousands of jobs were “instantly at real risk”.
Saudi Arabia to host virtual G20 summit
The current chair of the group of the 20 most industrialized nations will hold the summit in the coming days in a bid to show world leaders have coordinated medical and economic plans to control corona virus.
Reference: The Guardian
