The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 383,000 people and killed more than 16,500. Here is a roundup about the world’s response.
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VATICAN CITY
The Vatican is under pressure to let more of its employees work from home after several offices remained open even after Italy shut down all nonessential industry.
Vatican employees in three offices expressed alarm Tuesday that superiors had adopted different policies about working from home. The concern has been heightened because many Vatican employees live in priestly residences and eat together in communal dining rooms. Already, members of two religious orders in Rome tested positive for the virus, evidence that the close quarters of religious communities can spread the virus.
The Vatican has adopted some shutdown measures, but has lagged behind the rest of Italy, which is the European epicenter of the outbreak.
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COLOMBO
Sri Lankan government on Tuesday imposed an indefinite curfew in three districts that includes the capital Colombo as a part of its stringent measures being taken as the number of confirmed cases rose to 97.
The government said the three districts have been identified as high-risk areas and the highest number of cases are reported from these districts.
The indefinite curfew was imposed in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts. The three districts have been under a three-day curfew since Friday. Curfew was lifted only for eight hours on Tuesday to allow people to purchase food and other essentials.
The island is divided into 25 districts for administrative purposes. Curfew prevails in the other 22 districts, but the government said curfew in those districts will be lifted on Friday for a few hours.
The government on Monday banned nonessential travel between the districts.
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PRAGUE
The Czech Republic registered its second death caused by the coronavirus.
Health Minister Adam Vojtech said Tuesday the 45-year-old patient died in hospital in eastern town of Havirov. Vojtech said the man was suffering from an unspecified cancer at an advanced stage and the coronavirus worsened his condition.
Several other hospitalized people with Covid-19 are in critical condition in the Czech Republic.
Vojtech said the country received remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug from U.S. company Gilead Sciences to treat the first patient who is in critical condition at a Prague clinic.
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JOHANNESBURG
South Africa's coronavirus cases have leapt again, to 554. It's the most of any country in Africa. Its 57 million people are rushing to prepare for a three-week lockdown that begins Thursday.
Across Africa, 43 of its 54 countries have reported cases, with the total at 1,788. Thirteen countries have reported 58 deaths.
Elsewhere in Africa, Nigeria's ban on international flights is beginning. And Ethiopia has issued a proposal to the G20 global forum for economic cooperation before its summit, saying "Covid-19 poses an existential threat to the economies of African countries."
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BRUSSELS
Business activity in Europe has fallen at the sharpest pace on record, according to a survey that began in 1998.
The purchasing managers' index, a gauge of business executives' outlook on the economy, fell to 31.4 points in March for the 19-country eurozone, from 51.6 in February, as governments put limits on business activity to contain the virus outbreak.