Latest On Coronavirus

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2020) The cumulative total of coronavirus cases has reached 510,108 globally, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. This includes 120,983 recoveries and over 22,000 deaths.

Italy has recorded more fatalities in this outbreak than any other country � 8,165. As of Thursday, there are 62,013 active cases in the country, after an increase of 4,492 in 24 hours. Meanwhile, China registered 67 imported cases of COVID-19 and no cases of internal transmission within the past 24 hours.

China, which saw the height of the epidemic several weeks before Europe, is now planning to restore travel in the province of Hubei, which was the hardest-hit. In addition, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier on Thursday the country would suspend entry of foreigners � even with valid visas �starting Saturday to avoid renewal of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Italy is not the only country to see significant numbers of new cases daily. Germany registered 4,954 new cases on Thursday, which brings the total to 36,508. On Wednesday, Germany saw an increase of 4,118.

COUNTRIES STRUGGLING WITH RESPONSE

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes that a total of 750,000 people will register to become volunteers for the National Health Service (NHS) during the outbreak, The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday, after a leading NHS official told the UK's state broadcaster earlier in the day that London's hospitals are struggling to cope as the number of positive tests for the disease rise.

In Italy, the number of doctors who passed away because of the coronavirus reached 36.

The Irish government is currently assessing proposals to establish temporary mortuaries as part of plans to cope with a surge in the number of coronavirus-related deaths, Liz Canavan, the assistant secretary for social policy at the Department of the Taoiseach, said on Thursday.

G20 LEADERS HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT

G20 leaders met on Thursday via teleconference to discuss the pandemic. As a result of the talks, they pledged to inject more than $5 trillion into the global economy to offset the economic and social consequences of the outbreak; appealed to the international and regional organizations to offer additional help to developing and emerging economies; agreed to share information on the outbreak and coordinate on vaccine development and medical supplies' production.

Joint G20 research could help develop coronavirus vaccines and medications faster, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit. The president remarked that the COVID-19 crisis would impact the global development, possibly for a long time.

"So, we definitely cannot afford to act in "every man for himself' fashion," Putin said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called upon G20 leaders to refrain from pursuing protectionist and unilateral policies in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.