Global coronavirus cases near million; death toll rises to 46,900

Confirmed coronavirus infections around the world approached one million on Thursday as the pandemic spread at a "near-exponential" rate, with a six-week-old baby becoming one of the youngest known victims.

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UN boss says coronavirus worst crisis since WWII

The World Health Organization (WHO) voiced deep concern on Wednesday about the rapid escalation and global spread of the coronavirus. "In the next few days, we will reach 1 million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

More than 935,000 people have been infected across the world and over 46,900 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

A military personnel carries the coffin of a person deceased from coronavirus in Seriate, Italy, on Saturday. AFP

Confirmed cases in Germany have risen to 73,522, while 872 people have died of the disease. Cases rose by 6,156, compared with the previous day and the death toll climbed by 140.

Italy will extend lockdown restrictions to April 13, as data from this week suggests a slowdown of growth in total cases, though its national health institute says official death toll could be underestimated.

Medical workers wearing protective suits prepare to bury a victim of coronavirus in Padang, Indonesia.  Antara Foto/Reuters

Cases in Spain topped 100,000 on Wednesday, and two planes with protective equipment arrived to restock an overloaded public health system.

France became the fourth country to pass the 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold.

Britain said it would ramp up the number of tests amid widespread criticism that it was doing far too few.

An elderly COVID-19 patient is transferred to an ambulance from a Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Felipe Dana/AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking precautions to protect himself, as Moscow launched a smartphone app designed to track people who have been ordered to stay home.

Russia sent the United States medical equipment on Wednesday to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, a public relations coup for Putin.

Staff prepare to load equipment into London Ambulance Service vehicles in the east car park at the ExCeL in London. AFP

US President Donald Trump said he was considering a plan to halt domestic flights to coronavirus hot spots inside the United States.

The Pentagon is looking to provide up to 100,000 body bags for use by civilian authorities.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants to virus-proof the November election by including funding to boost voting by mail in the next pandemic response plan, as confirmed cases in the country climbed to 186,101 and while deaths rose to 3,603.

The governor of New York cracked down even harder on public gatherings, calling residents who disregarded stay-at-home rules "selfish" as California's governor warned his state will run out of hospital beds by next month.