Coronavirus pandemic update today, worldwide

This 28 March 2020 video from the USA says about itself:

Jane Slaughter from Labor Notes talks about the wildcat strikes to shut down the big 3 auto companies – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – to combat the spread of coronavirus. Filmed at the UK organised online meeting, “Workplace collective action to slow coronavirus”, attended by 140 people.

Coronavirus deaths surged in Europe yesterday, with several countries recording their highest daily totals to date. Throughout continental Europe 34,028 new cases were reported and 2,352 deaths. The total number who have perished in the continent in just six weeks since the first death is approaching 20,000 (18,754): here.

Coronavirus in Europe: Overworked hospitals become death traps: here.

The 27 European Union heads of government met via video conference on Thursday evening to discuss the coronavirus crisis. With 276,000 infections and 17,300 deaths as of Thursday evening, the EU, with its 450 million inhabitants, is the epicentre of the pandemic, ahead of the United States, the country with the largest number of infections. And the numbers continue to rise dramatically. The pandemic, which respects no borders, urgently requires a Europe-wide and international response. But Thursday’s summit demonstrated the EU’s inability to provide such an answer. It concluded amid divisions and acrimony: here.

UK government buried 2016 report exposing catastrophic NHS failings during flu pandemic: here.

UK health care assistant: “There’s a fear that if we are tested for COVID-19, most of us will come back positive and the NHS will collapse”: here.

The Sri Lankan government of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse is using the enormous social, economic and political crisis produced by the COVID-19 pandemic to benefit the capitalist class. Rajapakse, with the backing of the so-called opposition parties, is exploiting the situation to further consolidate police-military rule, divert massive funds to crisis-ridden big business and inflict enormous suffering on workers and the poor: here.

Sri Lankan doctors speak out over coronavirus dangers facing health workers: here.

Big business in South Korea exploits pandemic to carry out massive assault on jobs: here.

Australian governments reject calls for lockdown despite rising COVID-19 danger: here.

Australian medical workers speak on the growing crisis in the health system: here.