US tops world in Covid-19 cases, overtaking China and Italy

Shoppers wear masks in the Costco parking lot, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York U.S., March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Stephen Yang

WASHINGTON (AFP): The United States on Thursday (March 26) took the grim title of the country with the most Covid-19 infections and reported a record surge in unemployment as world leaders vowed US$5 trillion (RM21.6 trillion) to stave off global economic collapse.

More than 500,000 people around the world have now contracted the new coronavirus, overwhelming healthcare systems even in wealthy nations and triggering an avalanche of government-ordered lockdowns that have disrupted life for billions.