20 MARCH - The latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic

Events are jostling in Quebec and internationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here you will find all the news related to this crisis that is hitting governments, the economy and the population.

LAST BALANCE SHEET | 9:55 p.m.

PLANETARY

Confirmed cases: 272,351

Dead: 11,310

Recovered: 87,965

CANADA

1087 cases in Canada

139 in Quebec

12 dead in the country

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2020

9:27 pm | People carrying COVID-19 still circulate in public places in Granby.

9:18 pm | First death of the coronavirus in Paraguay.

Paraguay has announced its first death of a person infected with coronavirus, in a country that has 18 cases of the disease.

8:55 pm | The Parti Québécois postpones the election of its next leader to August 28.

8:10 pm | Boeing suspends dividends, the boss gives up his salary.

7:13 pm | Switzerland tightens its measures against the coronavirus, but dismisses any confinement.

Switzerland has toughened its measures against the coronavirus on Friday, banning gatherings of more than 5 people, but it has ruled out any confinement, a measure adopted by other European countries considering it to be "show politics".

7:08 PM | A collaborator of the Vice President of the United States tested positive for COVID-19.

A collaborator of Vice President of the United States Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus, said a spokeswoman for the number two of the US state on Friday, adding that neither the latter nor President Donald Trump had been in "Close contact" with that person.

6:50 PM | Almost 25 million people in containment in Colombia.

6.31pm | Cuba closes its borders to non-residents.

Cuba announced Friday the closure of its borders to non-residents due to the coronavirus pandemic, after trying in recent days to preserve as much of its tourist activity, the engine of the island.

6.30pm | Air Canada will bring stuck Canadians back to Morocco.

https://twitter.com/FP_Champagne/status/1241114346052296704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1241114346052296704%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2020%2F03%2F20%2Fen-direct-20-mars-10-000-morts-dans-le-monde-les-derniers-developpements-de-la-pandemie-de-coronavirus

5.43pm | The wave of the COVID-19 epidemic continues to mount in sub-Saharan Africa.

5.40pm | Residential electricity consumption has jumped 2.3% since most Quebecers have been confined to their homes.

5.30pm | The number of prescriptions on paper will decrease to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

5:23 pm | First two dead in the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates announced Friday the deaths of two people infected with the new coronavirus, the first cases of death linked to this disease in this Gulf country.

Abu Dhabi has so far recorded 140 cases of contamination, 31 people healed, but no deaths.

4:49 pm | Night curfew decreed in the Dominican Republic.

The President of the Dominican Republic on Friday declared a night curfew in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the number of confirmed cases more than doubled in two days to 72.

4:28 pm | The public transit service in the Montreal region, Exo, will reduce its train services on Monday and its bus services as of March 30, due to the decline in ridership due to the COVID pandemic- 19.

4:13 pm | On Wall Street, worst week for the Dow Jones (-17%) since October 2008.

4:08 pm | Severely affected by the pandemic, Cirque du Soleil has started discussions with Quebec in order to obtain financial assistance.

3:38 pm | An emergency doctor at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal was found positive for COVID-19.

3:25 pm | Potentially suffering from COVID-19, a person was walking freely in Quebec.

3.18pm | 450 deaths, 5,226 hospitalizations in France.

3pm | A child with COVID-19 attended a public swimming pool in Granby, the City said during a press briefing.

2:56 pm | Loto-Québec is preparing to suspend its store sales.

https://twitter.com/PatriceLavoie/status/1241075073840304133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1241075080832135169%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2020%2F03%2F20%2Fen-direct-20-mars-10-000-morts-dans-le-monde-les-derniers-developpements-de-la-pandemie-de-coronavirus

2:46 pm | Weekly fall of almost 30% for New York oil.

2:21 pm | Access to the territories of the Société des establishments de plein air (Sépaq) will now be closed throughout the network, starting on Saturday.

1:40 pm | The British government has ordered the closure of pubs, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and theaters , stepping up measures to control the spread of the new coronavirus.

13:33 | Donald Trump has said that he does not plan to place the entire United States in containment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic

1:31 pm | The retail giants, Walmart and Amazon in the lead, have announced massive hiring, an unexpected consequence of the coronavirus pandemic which has caused consumers to rush to supermarkets while small businesses are firing with red tape. However, these hires will not be enough to compensate for the sinking of the American job market.

1:29 pm | The American giant Walmart wants to hire 10,000 workers in Canada in its branches and distribution centers to meet growing consumer demand.

1:17 pm | The pandemic has killed 627 people in Italy in the past 24 hours, a new record that brings the total toll to more than 4,000 dead.

12.57pm | The assessment climbed to 139 cases in Quebec, 18 more than on Thursday. François Legault clarified that 10 patients are currently hospitalized.

12:45 pm | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday announced the suspension of EU budgetary discipline rules, a new measure that will allow member states to spend as much as necessary to combat the economic consequences of the coronavirus.

12:40 pm | The border between the United States and Mexico will close for all non-essential travel like that between the United States and Canada , as part of the fight against the spread of the new coronavirus, Washington announced on Friday.

11:25 am | The toll of confirmed cases continues to grow day by day in Ontario, where there are now 301 people infected with COVID-19 , an increase of 40 cases in 24 hours.

10.52 am | Promenade des Anglais in Nice, esplanade of the Champ de Mars and the Invalides in Paris: several French cities decided on Friday to ban the frequentation of popular arteries for walkers so that the confinement in place against the coronavirus epidemic is better respected.

9:55 am | Farnborough Air Show is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

9.45 am | Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne, announced Friday the death of a Canadian in Japan, following complications related to COVID-19 .

9:19 am | To limit the spread of COVID-19, Desjardins Group is increasing the limit for purchases with contactless credit cards .

7:50 am | A plane from China carrying more than a million respiratory protective masks for the Czech Republic landed in Prague on Friday, the government said.

7:30 am | The new coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 5,000 people in Europe.

7:05 am | Spain has just passed the 1,000 death mark since the start of the coronavirus pandemic .

6:17 am | Belgium recorded Friday 2257 confirmed cases of new coronavirus, against 1795 identified the day before, and the number of deaths jumped from 21 to 37, announced the national crisis center at a press conference.

6:06 am | China has indirectly accused Donald Trump of "running away from his responsibilities" after remarks by the American president saying that the world was paying "the high price" for the Chinese slowness in communicating on the new coronavirus.