The coronavirus pandemic is threatening all mankind, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, with more than 450,000 infected worldwide.

All mankind must respond. Action and solidarity at the global level are key, "Guterres said.

He presented a "world humanitarian plan" to support the poorest countries.

"The purpose of this plan is to fight the virus in the poorest countries in the world and to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable, primarily women and children, the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill," the UN Secretary-General said in a video message.

The number of cases diagnosed is only a fraction of the real number of infected because most countries test only severe cases.

Earlier yesterday, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a joint statement urging lenders to immediately ease debt repayments for the poorest countries struggling with the severe consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is a member of the International Development Association (IDA), which accounts for a quarter of the world's population and two-thirds of the poorest people in the world, and the epidemic will hit them the most.

Video message:

French media have reported that coronavirus is spreading to the Roma community in Perpignan, a city in the south of France.

Last week four Roma died of the virus, another 10 are in intensive care, some of whom are in an induced coma.

"This is terrible. We are afraid, "Nick Gimenez, a Roma community representative in Perpignan, told French media.

One of the dead is a 24-year-old woman suffering from asthma and obesity, while the other is a 45-year-old man, also asthmatic. The third was over 75 years old.

A total of six people have already died from KOVID-19 in Perpignan, four from this community. The situation in this city is complicated and the number of infected people is growing rapidly.

The Roma community in Perpignan is one of the largest Roma communities in France, and its members belong to groups at greater risk of the virus, as many suffer from diabetes. Authorities urged residents not to leave their homes.

However, it is very difficult for Roma to remain indoors, as many live in 15-square-meter homes in groups of four to six.

Link: http://www.portal-udar.net/francuska-cetiri-roma-umrla-od-koronavirusa-ostali-su-u-kriticnom-stanju/