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Lockdowns Extend As Coronavirus Cases Hit 2 Million

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Confirmed cases of the new coronavirus reached two million worldwide late Tuesday, prompting several countries to extend lockdowns aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, COVID-19. The lockdowns came amid warnings that the pandemic could lead to the deepest global recession in a lifetime.

With the number of infections in his Asian nation nearing 11000, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday a nationwide lockdown for the country’s over 1.3 billion people would run through May 3. His decision added to the misery for at least millions of impoverished workers who already lost their jobs and housing. Health workers said privately there were more infections and deaths in overcrowded slums and on streets than officially admitted.

French President Emmanuel Macron also warned his nation on Monday that France’s lockdown would last through May 11 when authorities will begin to reopen schools. In Africa, Nigeria was adding two more weeks to lockdown orders in Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun. Elsewhere, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a 48-hour weekend lockdown would be repeated this week.

The lockdowns came as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressed concerns about the economic impact of the health crisis. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the world’s worst depression since the 1930s.

Georgieva noted that governments already poured $8 trillion into programs to keep economies afloat. But she said more would be needed. Georgieva warned that developing countries and emerging markets would be the hardest hit.

Partial recovery may be seen in 2021, the IMF chief she added. About 126,000 people have died of COVID-19 worldwide, according to official estimates released Tuesday.