News in brief

The International Monetary Fund slashed its forecasts for global growth and warned of a slump in output this year unparalleled since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It said the “Great Lockdown” is likely to cause a drop in activity more painful than the recession that followed the banking meltdown of the 2008.

Two more people died from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours in Greece, with overall fatalities standing at 101, Greek officials said in their daily briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
Health Ministry spokesman and infectious disease expert Sotiris Tsiodras said the average age for the victims was 73 years.
At the same time, the total number of infections in the country rose to 2,170, as 25 new cases were recorded.

The ministry expert warned Greeks not to relax their safety measures over the Easter week.
“You may be hearing good numbers, but we are not yet in a position to say that we are lifting any measures,” he said and reiterated that people should not visit friends or relatives for the holiday feast ahead of Easter Sunday.
In the same spirit, Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias warned that people’s decisions in the next few days will determine “how quickly and whether we will take our lives back.”
“Let’s not let impatience destroy what we have achieved until today.”

Endeavoring to ensure that Greece stays the course in the battle to contain the spread of Covid-19 during the holiday season, the government is not ruling out the possibility of a ban on the circulation of cars from Saturday at 8 p.m. through Easter Sunday.
Hardalias also said cemeteries will be closed on Good Friday while the stores that are allowed to operate will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of funding to the World Health Organization, as well as an investigation into the WHO’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump also walked back his comments yesterday regarding “absolute power” over the states, saying states would have the authority to reopen when it is appropriate.

Trump added his name to relief checks, delaying delivery. The Washington Post reports that Donald Trump’s name will be added to to $1,200 relief checks being sent to 70 million Americans – and that this “unprecedented” decision will “slow their delivery by several days.”

The US registered a record 2,228 deaths in the last 24 hours. On Friday last week, US daily deaths exceeded 2,000 for the first time with 2,069 people dying in 24 hours.

UN Secretary General António Guterres released a statement on the World Health Organization, following Trumps’ decision, saying now “is not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.

And the weather forecast…
Cloudy in Attica today with local showers expected this afternoon. The temperature will not exceed 16 degrees Celsius.