The number of confirmed coronavirus infections worldwide crossed 6 lakhs today as new cases stacked up in Europe and the United States.

The total number of global infections had crossed 5 lakhs only two days earlier, according to a tally by John Hopkins University. It showed more than 6 lakh 7 thousand cases and a total of over 28,000 deaths.

While the U.S. now leads the world in reported infections with more than 1 lakh cases five countries exceed its roughly 1,700 deaths: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in quarantine at home after her doctor tested positive for the virus, told her compatriots in an audio message that the infections cannot be prevented completely at this stage.

The virus already has put health systems in Italy, Spain and France under extreme strain. Lockdowns of varying severity have been introduced across Europe, nearly emptying streets in normally bustling cities, including Paris where drone photos showed the city’s landmarks eerily deserted.

South African police enforcing a coronavirus lockdown today fired rubber bullets on hundreds of shoppers queuing outside a supermarket in Johannesburg.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered people to stay at home for 21 days and deployed the police and the military to enforce the lockdown. But many people, especially from poor neighbourhoods, have defied the order, going out in numbers looking for food.

The death toll in Spain surged over 5,600 today after a record 832 people died in 24 hours, and the number of infections soared over 72,000.

Spain has the worlds second-highest coronavirus death toll after Italy with 5,690 fatalities. The number of cases have jumped to 72,248 as the country moves to significantly increase testing.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte today warned that the European Union could lose its purpose if it fails to come up with a strong response to the coronavirus threat.

Conte aired his grievances after the 27 EU leaders could not agree on an action plan during an argumentative six-hour video conference on Thursday and gave their finance ministers two more weeks to forge a policy that could please Italy and Spain.The two countries hardest-hit by the pandemic blocked the statement because it did not go far enough.

Meanwhile, Thailand reported 109 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,245 by today.It has reported one more fatality, bringing the official national death toll from the virus to six.