The world's wealthiest nations poured unprecedented aid into the traumatized global economy on Thursday as coronavirus cases ballooned in the current epicentre Europe even as they waned at the pandemic's point of origin, China. Deaths, Infections * The virus has infected almost 227,800 people across the world and the death toll exceeds 9,200. Europe * Restrictions imposed by some European Union countries at their borders are disrupting food supplies, industry representatives and farmers said on Thursday. * Both Italy's death toll and its new infections shot up again, adding 427 more dead and 5,322 more infections. Overall, Italy has recorded 41,035 infections, a little more than half of China's positive cases. * A virus-hit Italian cruise ship has docked in Marseille, southern France. The 1,400 passengers and crew will remain on board while awaiting test results. * UK government says that confirmed cases of coronavirus raised by 643, or 25% to 3,269 and 144 dead up 40% in a day. Britain said on Thursday it had relaxed competition laws to allow co-operation between supermarkets so shoppers can get the food they need during the coronavirus outbreak, environment minister George Eustice said in a statement. * In Ireland, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rose to 557 on Thursday from 366 a day earlier, the highest daily increase so far, the health department said. * French health authorities reported 108 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, taking the total to 372 or an increase of almost 41%, the toll rising sharply yet again as the country was in its third day of a lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak. During a press conference, health agency director Jerome Salomon added the number of cases had risen to 10,995, up from 9,134 on Tuesday, which is a rise of 20% in 24 hours. Salomon said 1,122 people were in a serious condition. * Serbia, with 103 coronavirus cases confirmed so far, has introduced some of the toughest restrictive measures in Europe. They include an overnight curfew for all citizens and a ban on leaving their homes for all those older than 65. * The French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe has declared its own COVID-19 epidemic with 45 confirmed cases. The local government said Thursday that eight patients remain hospitalized as it urged people to remain indoors on the island of some 390,000 people. * Spain, one of the countries worst hit by coronavirus in the world after China, Italy and Iran, has recorded a sharp rise in new cases related to coronavirus over the past 24 hours. The number of deaths related rose by 169—28%—on Thursday to reach 767 deaths to date and number of confirmed cases in Spain rose 25% overnight, from 13,700 to more than 17,000, with 33% of people with coronavirus aged over 65. * NATO is scaling down military exercises in Europe but alliance missions are continuing, including the drawdown of the US-led force in Afghanistan following a peace agreement last month. * Croatia, Northern Ireland and Russia reported their first deaths on Thursday. Americas * More than 10,000 people across the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 160 have died, with the largest numbers so far in Washington state and New York, more than 9,400, millions of Americans are staying at home. * Canada's foreign minister Francois-Philippe is being tested for the coronavirus after experiencing flu-like symptoms after traveling. His champagne said on Twitter he is self-isolating at home for 14 days and says he expects the results of his test very shortly. Canada has more than 770 confirmed cases and decided to provide an $18.6 billion aid package directly to affected families and businesses. *Venezuela confirms 6 new coronavirus cases, for total of 42, the information minister said. Venezuelan utilities have hiked fees and the government plans to raise taxes as the economy deteriorates further due to the spread. * Nicaragua and El Salvador have reported their first cases, and Mexico its first death. Asia And Australia * New infections hit a record of 21 in the Chinese capital of Beijing, data showed on Thursday. Mainland China now have 80,907 confirmed cases and 3,245 deaths. * Iran on Thursday announced 149 new deaths in 24 hours from the novel coronavirus, the latest toll was a daily record for Iran, where the overall toll of 1,284 dead makes it one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic. A total of 18,407 people have contracted the disease in Iran, with 1,046 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour painted a grimmer picture, tweeting that the rate of new infections had risen to 50 an hour and "one (patient) dies every 10 minutes". * Saudi Arabia has reported 274 COVID-19 cases but no deaths so far.
* India banned incoming international flights late on Thursday and also banned the exports of surgical masks, ventilators and textiles used for masks and overalls, while several areas introduced curbs on gatherings as coronavirus cases rose to 173. * Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country has gone from zero reported cases to 309 in less than three weeks and the death toll has hit 25, higher than any other Southeast Asian country. * Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, advised its residents to self-isolate at home until at least the end of March. The country has confirmed 76 cases, 10 of which emerged on Wednesday. * Australia said on Thursday all non-citizens and non-residents would be banned from entering the country from Friday evening. The country has recorded around 600 infections and six deaths. * New Zealand closed its borders to all foreigners from midnight on Thursday. Middle East And Africa * Coronavirus is killing one person every 10 minutes in Iran, the health ministry spokesman tweeted on Thursday, as its death toll climbed to 1,284. * Turkey , where COVID-19 has so far killed two people and infected nearly 200, has sent 500,000 test kits to the United States at their request, its health minister said on Thursday. * Jordan's army on Thursday sealed off the capital from the rest of the country as the kingdom puts its ten million inhabitants under a lockdown, witnesses and officials said. * Africa will likely see cases rise in coming weeks as some cases escape detection, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control said on Thursday, when Chad confirmed its first case. * South African authorities announced on Thursday they would erect a fence along its border with Zimbabwe to prevent illegal immigrants from entering and spreading the virus. Economic Fallout * The dollar surged on Thursday as extraordinary steps by central banks across the world to cope with a coronavirus-induced financial rout had mixed success. * The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surged to a 2-1/2-year high last week as companies in the services sector laid off workers because of the pandemic. * German manufacturers recorded the most precipitous drop in business expectations in the 70-year history of industrial surveys, preliminary figures showed on Thursday. * Airline industry turmoil deepened as Qantas Airways told most of its 30,000 staff to take leave and Lufthansa said the industry may not survive without state aid if the pandemic lasts a long time. * Crude oil traders from West Africa to the US Gulf Coast are offering cargoes at deep discounts, desperately trying to attract buyers as global supplies swell and demand plunges. * The US Federal Reserve rolled out its third emergency credit program in two days, this one to ensure liquidity in money market mutual funds. * Australia announced support packages on Thursday that will pump around A$100 billion ($56 billion) into the economy.
