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Deaths from coronavirus have increased more than 150,000 worldwide, with almost a quarter of them in the United States, where new protests against the closing orders are taking place after President Donald Trump lent his support to protesters.
There is increasing evidence that social distancing successfully slowed the pandemic after more than half of humanity, 4.5 billion people, were confined to their homes.
Governments around the world are now grappling with when and how to ease blockages that have paralyzed the global economy, even as the number of Covid-19 deaths increases even further in the worst-affected countries.
Protesters in three states across the United States staged rallies this week to demand an end to the restrictions, and the largest protest in Michigan drew 3,000 people, some of whom were armed.
Trump has largely left decisions to ease the blockades to state officials, even when he established guidelines for a phased reopening of the national economy.
But his call to “free” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia in a series of tweets on Friday was reprimanded by Democratic leaders in all three states.
“I don’t have time to get involved in the Twitter wars,” said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
The United States accounts for almost a third of the 2.25 million coronavirus infections reported worldwide.
It has also recorded more than 37,000 deaths, more than any other nation, followed by Italy, Spain, and France, which have been devastated by its own outbreaks.
Many countries are testing only the most severe cases, and the number of confirmed infections is likely to be only a fraction of the actual total.
Virtually no corner of the world has been left untouched, and deaths in Africa exceed 1,000.
Nigeria announced the death of President Muhammadu Buhari’s top aide, the highest-profile person who succumbed to the virus in the most populous nation in Africa.
Meanwhile, many of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians are preparing to celebrate Easter without attending religious services.
The Russian Orthodox Church has asked the faithful to celebrate at home, although many places or places of worship will remain open. Services in Turkey will be closed to the public and will be broadcast over the internet.
In Zimbabwe, mass demonstrations and military parades were canceled to mark the 40th anniversary of the country’s independence from the British colonial regime.
And Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II will not celebrate her birthday on Tuesday with a traditional salute of arms.
The total death toll in Britain is officially almost 15,500, but a charity says the number of deaths from the virus in nursing homes alone could reach 7,500, five times more than estimated.
The death toll in China rose to 4,632 on Friday after the death toll rose by 50 percent in Wuhan City, where the respiratory illness first emerged late last year.
Trump, who has responded angrily to claims that he reacted too slowly to the threat of the virus, accused Beijing of minimizing the impact of the disease within its borders.
“It is much higher than that and much higher than the United States, not even close!” he tweeted.
Trump did not offer evidence to back up his claim, but pressure has been mounting on Beijing to clarify its handling of the initial outbreak.
Leaders in France and Britain have also questioned China’s handling of the crisis, but Beijing responded, saying it had not withheld information about the disease.
Signs that the outbreak may be slowing in some parts of Europe prompted Switzerland, Denmark and Finland to start reopening stores and schools this week.
Germany’s health minister said on Friday that the virus was “under control” after 3,400 deaths, and the country is now beginning the delicate task of lifting some restrictions without triggering a secondary outbreak.
Some stores may reopen on Monday and some children will return to school in a few weeks.
Parts of Italy also began to emerge from the running of the bulls, with residents of Venice strolling along quiet canals.
Iran also allowed some Tehran companies to reopen on Saturday despite the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak, as many faced a bitter choice between risking infection and economic ruin.
“How can I stay and stay home? My family is hungry,” said Hamdollah Mahmoudi, 45, a store worker in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar.
“And you get mentally ill without a job.”
But Spain, where the death toll exceeded 20,000, has extended its strict blockade, while Japan, Britain and Mexico have expanded their current movement restrictions.
Signs of the economic carnage caused by the pandemic are mounting, and China reported its first GDP contraction since at least the early 1990s after several decades of rapid growth.
The Trump administration promised another $ 19 billion in aid to farmers reeling from a massive shake-up to agricultural markets with schools and restaurants closed across the country.
Part of the funds will be used to buy surplus dairy products and products that farmers have been destroying, without being able to bring them to consumers or food processors.
“Having to dump the milk and plow under the ready-to-market vegetables is not only financially worrying, but also heartbreaking for those who produce them,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.
African state leaders and global financial agencies warned on Friday that the continent needed tens of billions of dollars in additional funds to combat the outbreak.
The IMF also warned that the virus could provoke another “lost decade” in Latin America and supported debt moratoriums for the region’s fragile economies.
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