Allies and enemies of the US fired back at the American leader, who played down the dangers of the virus until it arrived in full force in the US.
Criticism was heaped on US President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he ordered a freeze on funding for the World Health Organization, with friends and foes of the United States calling for solidarity in the fight against the coronavirus and its crushing economic impact.
As the world tries to chart a way out of the crisis, Trump ramped up his blame-game with the WHO, the UN’s health agency. “No doubt, areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that he would work to cover any funding gaps.
The G20 — a group of the world’s leading economies — said after a videoconference it would temporarily suspend debt repayments from the poorest countries. Germany said most shops would be allowed to reopen but measures such as bans on large events would remain in place and schools would stay closed until at least May 4.
Other countries are also tweaking confinement rules, with Iran set to let some small businesses to reopen and India allowing millions of rural people to return to work — officials saying it was too painful to shut the farming sector.Harvard scientists have warned that repeated periods of social distancing could be needed as far ahead as 2022 to avoid overwhelming hospitals.
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