Reported coronavirus infections around the world reached one million Thursday as the pandemic spread at a “near-exponential” pace, with one of the youngest known victims being a six-week-old infant. Half of the world is in some sort of lockdown as governments are trying to tamp down a virus which has killed tens of thousands.

Experts also cautioned that those restrictions — while important for safety — risk triggering global food shortages, as supply chains gum up and panic buying triggers export controls. COVID-19’s death toll continued its implacable march upward, with more than 46,000 people estimated to have died worldwide. According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, the USA, which now accounts for nearly a quarter of recorded global infections, registered its 5,000th death overnight. Then, President Donald Trump said, things went to get worse.

A six-week-old infant who was admitted to a Connecticut hospital late last week was among the first deaths in the US.

Coronavirus Facts

The latest coronavirus primarily affects the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, although it demonstrates in many recent cases that it can affect people from all walks of life. The dead will include a 13-year-old in France, a Belgian 12-year-old and British 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdullah, whose family said the “good and kind” boy had no underlying medical conditions. President of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rapid spread of the disease had been worrying.

Britain and France also recorded their highest daily COVID-19 death toll on Wednesday, although there have been indications that the epidemic could peak in Europe. Italy’s toll — the world’s largest — soared past 13,000, while Spain overcame 9,000. But epidemiologists have said the rate of infection continues to slow. Fernando Simon, head of the emergency response unit of Spain’s health ministry, said it appeared that the country might have reached the mark.

The US is quickly becoming the hardest affected country with over 215,000 of its total number of infections increasing. More than three-quarters of Americans are under curfew, including tens of thousands of inmates. They order to confine to their cells for two weeks on Wednesday.

Sports Events, Games Close Until Further Notice

The Grand Canyon is close by authorities. This is to discourage visitors from gathering there. New York reveals that basketball courts to close. This is as the city struggles with sky-rocketing diseases and a severely stressed health system. A Bloomberg study on Wednesday challenged America’s unwanted title. This is as the most infected country, citing US intelligence. This is as saying that China’s infection rate was much worse than officially acknowledged.

China claims to have around 81,000 infections and 3,300 deaths. Republicans, many of whom are of course suspicious of Beijing, have criticized the numbers of China as “garbage propaganda.”

It already forces the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to delay for a year. Wednesday’s pandemic claimed its new sporting target when it shelved the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The cancellation of the world’s oldest Grand Slam event leaves the season in disarray. This is with no tennis game until mid-July.

The news declares Roger Federer “devastate,” while Serena Williams states: “I am surprised.”

But the lack of sporting events in the developed world dropped in contrast. This is to the difficulties imposed on those in the world’s poorest areas. This is were lockdowns endanger whole populations. South African township dwellers claim living at home is simply impossible.

These interventions may have far-reaching macroeconomic impacts, experts cautioned. The Organization for Food and Agriculture, the WHO and the World Trade Organization said panic buying might endanger food supplies.

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