Coronavirus: more than 13,000 dead and a billion confined worldwide

Nearly a billion people worldwide are confined this Sunday, 22, to contain the coronavirus pandemic , which has left more than 13,000 dead and at least 300,000 infected , as it spreads to new countries, including Colombia, which announced its first deadly victim. The pandemic has led 35 countries to apply severe containment measures, which paralyze economies, transport and everyday life.

In Italy, the country most affected, the situation is getting worse, with more than 4,800 deaths, one third of the world total. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the closure of all non-essential factories in a televised message on Saturday night.

The country, of 60 million people, is currently the epicenter of the disease, which appeared in central China in December and then spread to the rest of the world. Italy has a death toll similar to that of mainland China and Iran - the third most affected country in the world - together and has a mortality rate of 8.6% among confirmed cases of Covid-19 , significantly higher than than in most countries.

In the United States, a third of the population has begun to apply more or less stringent containment measures in cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Other parts of the United States may reinforce their measures. "It is a time of shared national sacrifice, but also a time to care for our loved ones," said President Donald Trump. "We are going to have a great victory," he added.