Spain is now second only to Italy in worldwide deaths from COVID-19, after it surpassed China, where the outbreak began.
On Wednesday morning Spain had registered 3,434 dead, taking over the death toll in China which stands at 3,285. Italy, the world’s worst affected country, has an official death toll of 6,820.
Countries across the world continue to battle the spread of coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, with India on Tuesday implementing the the world’s biggest lockdown of 1.3 billion people.
India followed the example of a number of countries, especially in Europe, which remains the global coronavirus hotspot.
Other major developments include:
The UK’s Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus
US politicians agreed a $2 trillion domestic aid package to protect the economy
Ireland became the latest European country to impose a major shutdown
Scientists in France advised the government to keep the country locked down for at least six weeks from the moment it started
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed, adding to an ever growing list of major international events to be cancelled or suspended, including Euro 2020 and Cannes Film Festival
Europe remains in the grip of COVID-19
In Spain, hotels have been converted into makeshift hospitals and an ice rink in the capital Madrid is being used as a morgue, as the infections and deaths continue to shoot up. On Wednesday, as well as the rise in deaths, infections also rose 20% from a day earlier to 47,610.
Italy – the hardest-hit nation in the world – has more than 69,000 infections and 6,800 deaths. Authorities are investigating if a hotly contested Champions League match in Milan in February poured rocket fuel on the crisis that is overwhelming Italian hospitals. Italian doctors are being forced to choose who will receive desperately needed ventilators and who won’t.
(EURONEWS)
