The US and Britain on Tuesday led a multibillion-dollar global fightback against the economic havoc wreaked by COVID-19, as sweeping containment measures, never before seen in peacetime, have upended society worldwide and roiled financial markets on fears of a global recession.
The pandemic has quickly marched across the globe, as governments scramble to contain it.
Following criticism that they were mismanaging their crisis response, London and Washington announced massive economic stimulus packages.
Photo: EPA-EFE
US President Donald Trump said that the White House was discussing a “substantial” spending bill with the US Congress, which would include immediate cash payments to Americans.
Officials did not give hard numbers, but the Washington Post reported that the amount could reach US$850 billion, with a chunk destined for airlines fearing ruin.
“We’re going big,” Trump told reporters.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak also unveiled ￡330 billion (US$389 billion) of government-backed loans — an “unprecedented package” — for businesses struggling in the sudden economic paralysis caused by mass self-quarantine.
France has pledged a 45 billion euros (US$49 billion) aid package.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed a 30-day “entry ban” into the EU.
European countries were already in near-total internal lockdown, with Belgium starting from yesterday until at least April 5.
The WHO urged the “boldest actions” on the continent, the pandemic’s latest epicenter.
In the US, restrictions continued to build, with Maryland becoming the latest state to delay presidential election primaries and New York City considering curfews.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government urged citizens to not travel abroad and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.
Asian hotspots China and South Korea have seen new infections and deaths level out in recent weeks — China yesterday reported just one new domestic case for the second consecutive day — but numbers are ballooning across Europe.
Africa, with its fragile healthcare systems, has also recorded more than 400 cases, and Latin America has more than 1,100, with the continent’s most populated country Brazil confirming its first death on Tuesday.
Trump, who for weeks has been accused of playing down the crisis, appeared determined to take control of his messaging, declaring that he would do everything to fight an “invisible enemy.”
“We have to win this war,” he said at the White House, where staff and journalists must now undergo regular temperature checks.
French President Emmanuel Macron also likened the outbreak to war and ordered almost the entire population to stay at home for at least two weeks.
Britain stepped up its own measures following scientific advice that infections and deaths would spiral without drastic action.
Germany has banned gatherings in churches, mosques and synagogues, and said that playgrounds and non-essential shops would close, too.
In Ireland, Anthony Whyte, 49, looked out onto the cobbled streets of Dublin from a bar and likened the scene to “a ghost town.”
“It’s like Armageddon,” he said.
Usually joyful — and alcohol-fueled — Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations were canceled in Dublin, New York and Boston.
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