Global lockdown widens as coronavirus deaths mount

Harsh lockdowns aimed at halting the march of coronavirus around the world widened on Monday to include Moscow's capital as the death toll mounted and fears grew for the fate of the global economy.

The planet is bracing for a long battle against the disease that has so far killed at least 33,000 people, infected more than 700,000 and left two-fifths of the world's population confined to their homes.

From field hospitals and a US military hospital ship in New York, to the empty streets of European capitals and fears of a new wave of COVID-19 in Africa, the virus has changed the face of the world in a few short weeks.

The march of the coronavirus has also transformed the sporting and cultural calender, with the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games announcing that it will open on July 23 next year.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged residents of Moscow to respect the lockdown that has seen the closure of all non-essential shops, including restaurants and cafes, in Europe's largest city.

"I ask you to take these forced but absolutely necessary measures... very seriously and completely responsibly," Putin said after regional authorities clamped down because many Muscovites were failing to heed warnings to self-isolate.

Red Square in the heart of Moscow was eerily empty, while the streets were quiet even though traffic could still be seen on the roads.

Anna, a 36-year-old web designer, said the lockdown would be hard for her and her five-year-old daughter. "But I don't want Arina to get sick," she told AFP while on her way to buy some bread. "So of course we will observe the quarantine."
"They need to be fed, but there is nothing to eat," vegetable vendor Irene Ruwisi said in the township of Mbare, pointing at her four grandchildren. "How do they expect us to survive?"