Madrid: The global battle to contain the new coronavirus breached a new level of urgency on Monday, as governments locked-down borders, millions of workers, students and worshipers were ordered to stay home, and pleas went out to funnel masks and ventilators to places struggling with soaring caseloads.
The shifting fronts in the battle were made clear by figures showing that cases outside China — where the virus originated — surpassed those inside its borders for the first time. In Spain's capital, a surge in the number of patients raised fears that the crisis is spreading.
On Wall Street, financial markets plunged by more than 8 percent, surpassing drops in Asia and Europe, as worried investors struggled to estimate the outbreak's rippling economic fallout.
Spain officially became the fourth-most infected country in the world, surpassing South Korea as its arc of contagion curved higher.
Only China, Italy and Iran have more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than Spain, where the number of infections increased overnight by roughly 20%, to 9,191, and the number of fatalities rose to 309, according to the Spanish health ministry. The actual figure was presumed to be even higher, because Spain switched to a new system of reporting.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested putting in place a 30-day ban on people entering the bloc for non-essential travel reasons in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
ASIA NOW ACCOUNTS FOR LESS THAN HALF OF GLOBAL CASES
The coronavirus outbreak has shifted away from its original epicenter in Asia to Europe. China, where the virus was first detected in December, now accounts for less than half of the world’s nearly 1,75,000 cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. But as the virus spreads to the west, it is leaving millions of fearful people hunkered down in their homes in Europe, the United States and beyond. Public life in many places was increasingly shut down: many restaurants were offering only takeout, if they were open at all. Schools, concerts, sporting events — even small-scale St. Patrick’s Day parties — were canceled.
VACCINE TRIAL STARTS IN US
The first participant in a clinical trial for an experimental vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus received a dose at a research institute in the U.S. state of Washington. It's one of several worldwide hunting for protection against COVID-19 as cases continue to grow. Officials caution that it will still take from a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine. The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which started Monday at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.
“PREPPERS” HOPE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY
In the United States, “preppers" — or people who prepare for emergencies by stockpiling food, ammunition and other supplies — have often been mocked. Now some feel that they have the right to be taken seriously as those around them take to panic shopping. The widespread shopping has emptied store shelves amid growing fears that many Americans will have to self-quarantine for weeks at home. Survival supply stores now can’t keep up with the demand for food kits and medical supplies and people are reaching out to preppers for advice.
CRISIS GIVES BOOST TO DEMOCRATS' JOE BIDEN
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders are both seeking to be the Democrats' presidential candidate and have both sought to cast themselves as best-positioned to lead the U.S. through a global pandemic. But Biden seems to be the one getting the bigger boost as he stresses his governing experience and appears to be the less risky choice. During a Sunday evening debate, Biden repeatedly cited his experience in the White House situation room, where former President Barack Obama's administration contained an Ebola threat and helped avoid a global economic collapse. Biden and Sanders faced each other from lecterns strategically placed six feet apart in line with the recommendations of health experts. A live audience was barred from attending. They did not shake hands.
With inputs from AP
