16.8 million Americans out of work; French deaths pass 12,000; South Africa extends lockdown by a fortnight. Follow the latest updates.
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Religious leaders around the globe Thursday urged people to celebrate Good Friday and Easter from the safety of their homes.
Governments warned that the hard-won gains against the scourge must not be jeopardized by relaxing social distancing over the weekend. Across Europe, where Easter is one of the busiest travel times of the year, authorities set up roadblocks and otherwise discouraged family gatherings.
A staggering 16.8 million Americans lost their jobs in just three weeks in a measure of how fast the coronavirus has brought world economies to their knees.
Devastating US job loss figures from AP:
- 16.8 million Americans have lost their jobs in three weeks
- In the Great Depression, it took 44 weeks, or 10 months for there to be as many unemployment claims
– The figure represents 1 in 10 American workers
April 10, 2020 at 05:37AM
