Coronavirus in Italy, Spain, China, USA … The pandemic is accelerating worldwide, record number of deaths

CORONAVIRUS CARD. Europe, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, records sad records. Italy and Spain are the most affected countries with a record number of Covid-19 deaths. The United States is now the country with the most confirmed cases. World map and country by country situation.

[Mis à jour le 27 mars 2020 à 19h55] Total containment, closed stores, prohibited gatherings, closing of borders, airports … Many countries have taken the decision to implement drastic measures in order to face the global health crisis linked to the coronavirus and thus limit as much as possible the spread of coronavirus. After India’s decision to confine its entire population, a third of the population is now forced to stay at home for several weeks. If China has managed to stabilize the number of people infected, the figures are terrible in Europe and more particularly in Italy and Spain where the sad record number of deaths in one day is increasing. In Italy, there are nearly 5,000 cases and 1,000 additional deaths this Friday. In Spain, a field hospital has been installed in one of the pavilions of the Madrid exhibition center in order to relieve overwhelmed hospitals in the region. Germany lacks a mask for its medical staff. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in a video that he had tested positive for coronavirus and London is facing a “tsunami” of new patients who are admitted to hospital.

The United States is now the country most affected by the coronavirus with more than 96,000 cases confirmed this Friday evening. The epidemic is spreading at high speed, especially in New York, the most affected city in the country with a strong acceleration of Covid-19 contaminations. Find the world map in real time, the table taking stock of the epidemic in the countries most affected by Covid-19, but also an update on the situation in Italy, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, USA, China…

The updates being staggered, the figures presented above may be different from the figures reproduced in the following paragraphs.

Spain has registered 769 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, a new record in the country which brings the total number of people killed by the pandemic to nearly 5,000, according to the latest official statement on Friday. More than half of the deaths are recorded in the capital region, Madrid. Since Wednesday March 25, patients contaminated by Covid-19 have been transferred to one of the pavilions of the Madrid exhibition center for treatment. In a few days, dozens and dozens of beds were installed with oxygen cylinders, but also radiology equipment. By this weekend, more than 1,300 beds, separated by small white partitions, should be installed in 3 pavilions to accommodate the patients in order to unclog the hospitals in the region which are overwhelmed. This gives an idea of ​​the scale of the health crisis in the country.
To try to contain the situation, the inhabitants are completely confined and they are prohibited from leaving their homes to play sports, go for walks, see family or friends … Land borders have also been closed. Globally, Spain is the fourth most affected country in the world in number of cases, after the United States, China and Italy.

Another day of crisis in Italy, where the country sadly counts this Friday nearly 6,000 cases and 1,000 additional deaths. Lombardy is the hardest hit region with 541 more dead so far. Contagion continues to slow, however, with a 7.4% increase in the total number of positive cases (86,498), the lowest rate since the start of the pandemic in Italy. Researchers have noticed suspected cases of pneumonia in January in Italy and even for some as early as November 2019. Patients were called back for tests and traces of Covid-19 (antibody?) Were detected. The epidemic would therefore be older than previously thought.

The north of the country, where the contagion started, however fears that the official balance sheet is largely underestimated compared to reality. The municipality of Nembro in northern Italy (near Bergamo, the city most affected by the virus), which has nearly 12,000 inhabitants, “officially registered 31 deaths attributed to Covid-19”, the daily reported. Corriere della Sera, Luca Foresti, a local medical officer, and Claudio Cancelli, the city’s mayor. “The number of deaths under normal conditions should have been around 35, but this year we recorded 158, that is to say 123 more than the average and not 31”, explain the two men. They note the same difference in figures in other small municipalities in the region, with a number of “abnormal” deaths, 6.1 times higher than that officially attributed to the coronavirus. The south of the country is also very worried because its hospital system is more fragile.

If the pandemic were to accelerate in the region, could hospitals cope? For the moment, Sicily is relatively untouched by the Covid-19. The Italian press announces 69 cases in the village of Villafrati. If the virus does not explode in this region, the total balance of the country is catastrophic. The latest point, from Thursday evening, indicates that the Covid-19 killed 8,200 people across the country, an additional 662 deaths over the past day. Italy remains the country most affected by the disease. The government has implemented total containment to stem the spread of the virus, and has decided to shut down “all non-essential production activity”.

Fear also moves on the economic field. This Thursday the President of the Italian Council, Giuseppe Conte, rejected the draft proposals developed, at a video conference summit, by the advisers of the Heads of State and Government of the European Union to respond to the related health crisis with coronavirus. Proposals that Rome, already weighed down by a colossal debt before the crisis, considers too “shy”. Giuseppe Conte wants ten days of additional negotiations with the five presidents (Council, Commission, Parliament, ECB and Eurogroup) to provide adequate solutions but did not specify what Italy would do if its demands were not met. It calls for a strong and adequate economic response from the EU and in particular greater financial solidarity. The debates relate in particular to possible joint loans, nicknamed “coronabonds”, which could both finance the fight against the coronavirus and revive the economy.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis presides this Friday alone on the gigantic deserted square of Saint Peter’s Basilica a world prayer against the pandemic for a virtual audience, concluded by an unusual blessing “Urbi et orbi”.

Boris Johnson and his Minister of Health Matt Hancock announced on Friday March 27 that they had tested positive for the new coronavirus. A snub for the British Prime Minister who long underestimated the disease, going so far as to shake hands with the sick a few days ago or to declare that nothing would prevent him from going to empty a few pints at the pub.

Boris Johson presents according to his services only “mild symptoms” which do not prevent him from continuing to lead his country’s response to the pandemic which threatens to overwhelm hospitals in the United Kingdom. London now faces a “tsunami” now. It is the city with the most coronavirus patients in the country. London’s healthcare facilities are facing an explosion in the number of “critically ill patients”. A critical situation in hospitals, when part of the nursing staff is also contaminated by the Covid-19. To avoid the same scenario as in Italy, the government announced the opening next week of a field hospital in a conference center in London. This will accommodate 4,000 patients. The British media also announces that other similar structures could be installed throughout the country provisionally.
The United Kingdom passed the 100 dead mark for the first time yesterday in 24 hours (115 exactly). Contagion has accelerated in recent days, with 14,735 officially registered cases and more than 700 deaths from the Covid-19. To limit the spread of the virus, the government made the decision on Monday evening March 23 to order a general confirmation of the population for the next three weeks by asking its citizens to stay at home. The royal family is also affected, Prince Charles, 71, tested positive for Covid-19 mid-week. His entourage is reassuring, he “remains in good health” despite slight symptoms.

With more than 92,000 cases this Friday evening, the United States is now the most affected by the coronavirus, ahead of China, Italy and Spain. With more than 23,000 people infected and nearly 400 deaths, New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States. According to figures released Thursday, 44% of New York sufferers are between 18 and 44 years of age, even though they account for only 4% of deaths. Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered hospitals in New York State to increase their capacity by 50%, or even double it, if possible. According to experts, the contamination could come from New Orleans, where the Mardi Gras carnival took place in late February. For his part, Donald Trump, at a press conference calls on his fellow citizens to stay at home: “Stay at home, relax”.

The situation in China, the country from which the coronavirus epidemic started last December, has improved in recent days. The number of people infected with the coronavirus hardly increases any more in China after two months of confinement. While no case of local contamination had been recorded in recent days, and only the new cases listed came from abroad, a case of local transmission has just been detected. Of the 55 new cases recorded this Friday, 54 are imported from other countries. As a reminder, China has counted since the start of the epidemic, 3,296 deaths from the disease, and 81,828 cases detected. China’s priority today is to prevent the coronavirus from returning to the country from foreign countries. This Thursday evening, Beijing announced the temporary closure of its borders to certain foreign nationals and the drastic reduction of its international flights. Foreign tourists and foreigners domiciled in China but not currently in the country are affected by the closure of the borders. The entry of foreigners with a diplomatic visa, a service visa, a courtesy visa, or a type C visa (aircraft crew members), will not be affected, as will visa holders issued after March 26 by Chinese embassies or consulates.

Almost 50,000 cases have been reported in Germany for 304 deaths from the disease. Every week, the country performs around 500,000 screening tests. In Germany, mild cases enter the statistics unlike other countries. Laurent Desbonnets, journalist for France Télévisions, correspondent in Germany, explains that the government “mobilized very early, in January, a very dense network of laboratories that exist here and made these tests the absolute priority. Here, there is has almost no conditions. Anyone who is in doubt can get tested. Either by queuing in front of a laboratory or simply going to the GP. ” The tests can even be done yourself, continues the journalist: “There are also drives, some are managed by the army. And recently, there have even been sampling kits to carry out the sampling and put it in the laboratory mailbox. It works, say virologists. It makes it possible to detect cases very early and limit the most serious complications. “
If the country has not made full containment arrangements for its citizens, measures have been taken to limit the spread of the virus. The borders with France, Switzerland and Austria are now closed and since Sunday March 22, public gatherings of more than two people outside of work are now prohibited, except for members of the same family living under the same roof. Germans can therefore still go out shopping, go to the doctor, or go to work if telework is not possible.

Portugal is entering a new phase of contagion, while the country has 4,268 confirmed cases and 76 deaths linked to the coronavirus according to the latest assessment. Measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus were taken on Friday March 13 by Prime Minister Antonio Costa who announced the closure of schools and the limitation of the activity of bars, restaurants, nightclubs or shopping centers. The country is taking it to the next level and launched a health emergency plan tonight, called a “risk mitigation phase”, the newspaper Público announced in its front page on Thursday, March 26. The alert is now maximum in the country in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.

The country reports nearly 7,284 detected cases and 289 deaths. In order to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Belgium has confined all of its inhabitants until April 5. A measure taken to slow the contagion, but also to avoid seeing its hospitals overwhelmed, a problem found in many neighboring countries, including France. Travel abroad and all gatherings are prohibited. All businesses, with the exception of food, pharmacies and press houses, had to close. Employers are instructed to give maximum priority to the teleworking of their employees.
Belgium has also faced another problem since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic. Like many countries, it is in short supply of masks, and more particularly those intended for nursing staff. The country which had a large expired stock destroyed it between 2017 and 2018, without renewing it as recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization).
Last news communicated this Friday, a cat would have been contaminated by its owner in Belgium, an “isolated case” according to Emmanuel André, spokesman of the interfederal center of crisis. This contamination was made following a “close contact between the animal and the master”. It should be remembered that this is a transmission from man to animal and not the opposite. According to the crisis center, there is no reason to think that “animals are vectors of the epidemic”.

On Tuesday March 24, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the total confinement of its inhabitants, that is 1.3 billion people, for 3 weeks. “The whole country will enter containment. To save India, to save each citizen, you, your family.” If the country still has few cases compared to its population (877 confirmed cases), it protects itself. Indeed, if the virus were to spread there, the human and economic consequences would be dramatic. Since Wednesday, the country is at a standstill, the planes are grounded, and almost all the shops are closed. In shops considered essential, still open, customers can only enter by one or two to respect social distancing. The difficulty will be for the poorest to survive. Even if the government has announced 20 billion euros to help the poorest, many families are fleeing New Delhi to reach their native village on foot.

Greece is one of the European countries still little affected by the coronavirus. To date, it has recorded just over 950 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection. Since Sunday March 22, the government has taken measures to limit the spread of the virus. “I have given orders that all appropriate action be taken to enforce the ban on unnecessary movement across the country,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Thus, the country is confined, unnecessary travel is prohibited, shops are closed (with the exception of food and basic necessities), tourist places are closed. This confinement was announced for 14 days.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced total confinement in Blida on March 23, the region most affected by the coronavirus. Regarding Algiers, a partial confinement has been decided, “a confinement from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.”, which will be extended to all the cities of the country where the coronavirus appeared, specifies a press release from the presidency . The Algerian government has also decreed for the whole country the prohibition of the circulation of taxis, but also the gatherings of more than two people. As a reminder, the country had already announced on March 19, the closure of cafes and restaurants in major cities, schools, stadiums, mosques and all places of assembly such as halls, but also the suspension of rail traffic and all maritime and air links and all public and private means of public transport within cities and between wilayas (prefectures).

Morocco, still very little affected, has 275 cases of coronavirus, a virus that has killed 11 people. The government took swift action to prevent the spread of the epidemic on its territory. Since Saturday March 21, air connections with Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal have been suspended. The country had already stopped its air and sea links with 3 European countries: Italy, Spain and France. All public gatherings of more than 50 people have also been banned. The decision was made to cancel the 19th edition of the Moroccan festival “Mawazine Rhythms of the World”, scheduled from June 19 to 27.

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