Coronavirus latest: Spain sees deadliest day as Europe and US brace for bigger body count
- Spain confirmed 838 deaths on Sunday, its deadliest day so far, as China reported a smaller number of new daily coronavirus cases
- US President Donald Trump backed away from putting hard-hit New York under quarantine after he was warned it could spark panic
Spain reported a national daily record of 838 coronavirus deaths on Sunday in a fresh warning to the world that long-term lockdowns may be needed to halt the deadly march of a disease that has claimed more than 31,000 lives.
A deluge of patients are overwhelming hospitals in Europe and the United States, now the focal points of a pandemic that is upending the global economy in unprecedented ways.
In the US, an about-face by President Donald Trump on quarantining New York highlighted the panic and confusion unfurling across many parts of the world trying to contain the virus.
Up to one-third of the world’s population is now under lockdown as the virus leaves its devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, straining health care services and weighing heavily on national treasuries for years to come.
In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where China’s outbreak was first detected, life has begun to return to normality, with partial train service restored.