COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11.
The virus has killed more than 16,000 people worldwide and continues to spread at a rapid pace. Efforts to curb the outbreak have led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shutter in hopes of slowing transmission.
HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern.)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who leads the state with the most COVID-19 cases in the U.S., issued an urgent plea at his daily press conference, warning that the rate of growth for cases continues to increase and will peak in 14 to 20 days, making it essential that the state strengthen its hospital capacity and obtain much-needed medical supplies.
Were not slowing it, and its accelerating on its own, Cuomo said, explaining that experts describe it not as a freight train but a bullet train.
They say flatten the curve, flatten the curve. Were not flattening the curve, he added. We have exhausted every option available to us.
In addition to shutting down nonessential businesses and greatly increasing testing, the state is retrofitting facilities such as New York Citys Javits Center to use them as extra hospitals, recruiting more medical staff and using hotels and empty college dorms for extra beds.
Cuomo estimated the state will need an additional 140,000 hospital beds and 30,000 ventilators. Warning that the state could not do enough on its own to stem the spread of the virus, the governor did not mince words in criticizing the federal governments response.
Where are they? Where are the ventilators? Cuomo said, after calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to release a federal stockpile of ventilators.
Cuomo also blasted the Federal Emergency Management Agency for sending the state only 400 ventilators.
You pick the 2,600 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators! he said, practically yelling.
The governor called on the federal government to encourage states to collaborate, as each state will reach its peak in cases at different times and will require the same resources. He called New York the canary in the coal mine.
I will take personal responsibility for transporting the ventilators, he said. Ill send ventilators, Ill send health care workers, our professionals ... Lets learn from each other and help each other.
Without directly mentioning Trump, Cuomo referred to the presidents suggestion Monday that the economy could reopen sooner than expected.
Although he acknowledged the need to consider the economy, Cuomo said its important to focus on the looming crisis of the growth in COVID-19 cases and ensuing hospital shortages.
We are not putting a dollar value on human lives. First order of business: Save peoples lives, Cuomo said, reiterating that there can be an economic startup strategy that is consistent with a public health strategy.
On Monday, Cuomo had suggested allowing young people to return to work sooner and testing people who have recovered to ensure theyre no longer carriers of the virus.
Marina Fang
India To Go Under Complete Lockdown At Midnight 3/24/20, 11:00 a.m. ET
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the entire country would be placed under a full lockdown starting at midnight for 21 days, insisting that this was the only way to tackle the highly infectious disease. As he explained the concept of exponential transmission through data, Modi said India would pay a high price if people didnt follow social distancing measures.
However, Modi did not announce any economic relief package, raising concerns about how people with low incomes will survive if they are unable to work for 21 days. News reports have said that poor migrant laborers who have been trying to reach their homes in the midst of the lockdown have been harassed and beaten up by the police. The prime minister also did not clearly outline how Indians could access food, medicine and other essential goods.
Many parts of India have already been under a strict lockdown as the number of COVID-19 patients has risen to 519 across the country. Ten people have died so far.
Sharanya Hrishikesh
The International Olympic Committee and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to delay the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo until the summer of 2021 at latest, Abe told reporters after speaking with IOC President Thomas Bach. Its the latest global event to be upended by the pandemic. Read more here.
Marina Fang
Arizona Man Dies After Self-Medicating With Toxic Version Of Possible Treatment Touted By Trump 3/24/20, 8:15 a.m. ET
An Arizona man has died after consuming a toxic, non-medicinal version of chloroquine, an active ingredient in drugs touted last week by President Donald Trump as a potential game changer for treating COVID-19, which also appears in a product used to clean fish tanks.
His wife, who had been in critical condition but is now recovering after taking the substance, told NBC News that the couple decided to self-medicate with chloroquine phosphate, an aquarium cleaning product they had in their home. During a press conference last week, Trump referred to two anti-malaria drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, as a possible COVID-19 remedy.
As HuffPosts Dominique Mosbergen reports: The product they consumed contained the same active ingredient as the two anti-malaria drugs Trump referred to but unlike the medicine taken by humans, the product they ingested is used to get rid of algae and a parasite that causes a condition known as white spot disease in fish.
Be careful and call your doctor, the woman, who wished to remain anonymous to protect her familys privacy, told NBC News. This is a heartache Ill never get over. Read more here .
Marina Fang
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said his state would hold primary elections as scheduled for April 7 despite pressure to postpone due to coronavirus concerns. He pointed out that there were also local races on the ballot for offices that would go unfilled for weeks or months, such as mayoral and county seats who would be crucial decision-makers as the crisis continues.
Evers encouraged voters to mail in ballots from the safety of their homes, saying that he and his wife had already sent theirs.
Liza Hearon
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