Paris (AFP)
From Europe, where the pandemic is progressing most rapidly, to the United States, long skeptical, via Africa, the whole planet is now on high alert against the new coronavirus, against a background of hope in China where no local contamination is no longer recorded.
Faced with this virus that the World Health Organization (WHO) has called "an enemy of humanity", which has already infected nearly 210,000 people and killed more than 9,000, threatening to plunge the world into recession, thousands of billions of public aid have been announced, particularly in Europe and the United States.
Italy is paying the heaviest price on the Old Continent by approaching the threshold of 3,000 dead, while the "peak" of the pandemic does not yet seem to have been reached.
A week after the start of general containment, the peninsula recorded Wednesday 475 deaths in 24 hours, the worst daily toll in a single country, even exceeding the data at the height of the disease in Wuhan province, the cradle of China. 'epidemic.
At this rate, Italy (2,978 dead) risks overtaking China as of Thursday (3,245 dead) as the country with the most deaths.
China on the other hand did not report Thursday any new contamination of local origin, a first since the beginning of the epidemic in December in this country. However, 34 additional "imported" cases were counted.
An official Chinese investigation also disavowed the Wuhan police who had reprimanded one of the first doctors to give the alert on the virus, to which he has since succumbed.
- Distressing silence -
In Spain, the 4th most affected country in the world in terms of deaths behind Iran, the number of deaths jumped 30% in 24 hours, reaching 767.
The new coronavirus has made its first death in sub-Saharan Africa, in Burkina Faso and the head of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on Africa to "prepare for the worst".
A first death has also been announced in Russia and a first case in Fiji.
The virus spares no one, not even personalities: latest, the chief negotiator of the European Union for Brexit, Michel Barnier, 69, announced to have been "tested positive", while being reassuring on his health.
Due to the epidemic, Tehran will pardon Friday "about 10,000 detainees" on the occasion of the Iranian New Year, in order to "decrease the number of prisoners".
For its part, the United Kingdom, where the threshold of 100 dead has been crossed, ordered the closing of schools on Friday but excluded from restricting transport to London.
According to Unesco, the establishments of almost half of the pupils and students in the world are closed.
In an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, restrictions on freedom of movement are increasing and more than half a billion people around the world are called by their authorities to remain confined to their homes, according to an AFP count.
But concern is a must in the poorest countries, where containment will be impossible, as in the huge Asian slums. In addition, three billion people do not even have the most basic weapons against the virus, running water and soap, alarm UN experts.
Fear of contagion or anxiety linked to isolation, the epidemic and confinement risk leaving psychological traces, especially among the most fragile, professionals are already worried.
"The only thing that worries me is silence!" Confides Roberto Fichera, a dashing octogenarian, to Rome. "We don't hear a noise, not a car, the streets are empty ... When you go out to walk and you hear footsteps behind you, you're almost afraid".
- Manage stress with cannabis -
The containment measures in Italy will however be "extended to their expiration" of April 3, according to the authorities, who also plan to ban outdoor activities, such as walking or jogging.
In France too, an extension of the confinement beyond the 15 days planned will be "probably necessary", according to the authorities.
In the French countryside, rural people are worried about the massive arrivals of city dwellers, just before the entry into force of confinement on Tuesday.
In anticipation of a "marathon" fight against the coronavirus and the exhaustion of the military, Germany will mobilize its reservists.
To manage their stress and stock up for fear of a shortage, Canadians are rushing to stores and cannabis sales sites, legal since the end of 2018 in the country.
"There are those who panic, others who do not do enough, I decided to manage my stress by smoking cannabis", explains Michel Benoît to Montreal.
The world economy also continues to stop. General Motors and Ford have announced that they will stop producing cars in North America.
- Future of aviation threatened -
Up to 25 million jobs are threatened worldwide, in the absence of an internationally coordinated response, warned the International Labor Organization.
Airlines, hit hard, need emergency aid of up to $ 200 billion (185 billion euros), the International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimated on Thursday. And tourism in Italy risks a decline of half a century, according to operators.
New economic measures have been announced to help states, workers and businesses.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has released 750 billion euros for public and private debt buyouts.
US President Donald Trump has enacted a $ 100 billion aid plan for affected workers, and negotiations are continuing for a more ambitious stimulus package that could reach $ 1.3 trillion.
After reacting well on Thursday morning, the day after a day of heavy losses, the European stock markets are again in the red at midday, followed by Wall Street.
© 2020 AFP