Coronavirus latest: EU to unveil €1 trillion rescue package; US death toll nears 100,000; WHO says Americas region is new epicentre
- Virus spread ‘still accelerating’ in Brazil, Peru and Chile, WHO says; France deploys US$8.8 billion to rescue car industry
- Chechen strongman Kadyrov reappears; New York Stock Exchange and Church of the Nativity reopen
A €1 trillion (US$1.09 trillion) recovery plan to get Europe back on its feet after the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic was set to be unveiled on Wednesday after iconic world sites, from the New York Stock Exchange to the Church of the Nativity, reopened their doors.
In a symbolic return of a high altar of capitalism, the NYSE – which had gone exclusively virtual for two months – allowed a limited number of traders to return to the trading floor, wearing masks to reduce the risk of infection.
The reopening boosted the mood as the benchmark Dow Jones index surged more than 2.2 per cent, casting aside grim predictions that the world could be entering a new Great Depression after millions of job losses.
Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 5.5 million people, killing more than 350,000. With infections mounting rapidly in places like Brazil and India, a top global health official warned that the crisis around the world is far from over.
China reported one new confirmed coronavirus case in the mainland as of end-May 26, up from seven a day earlier, and Russia said it had passed its peak of infections, promising to hold postponed World War II victory celebrations next month.
Here are the developments: