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| - The global coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday forced Japan to abandon its dream of hosting the Olympics this year as the world battled to halt the disease by putting almost two billion people under lockdown. There was however tentative optimism in China, where the deadly novel strain emerged last year in Hubei, as a ban on leaving the province was lifted after a two-month stay-at-home order. But the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak has moved on to Europe, which has now declared more than 200,000 cases -- probably a fraction of the true number -- and at least 10,732 deaths. And the economic fallout is being felt hard in Europe, where economic analysts on Tuesday published indicators showing what they described as an "unprecedented collapse" in the 19-nation eurozone economy, as the continent plunges towards recession. The pandemic is still cutting a swathe through the world's sporting, cultural and business calendar, with the Japan's 2020 Olympics now the latest and greatest casualty. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the sporting extravaganza would be held around a year later than planned and sounded an optimistic note, vowing they would be "a testament to mankind's defeat of the new virus." The decision to delay the July 24 to August 9 events was taken after a call between Abe and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach -- the first ever peacetime postponement of the Games - and followed intense pressure from athletes and sporting bodies. Across the planet, the grim COVID-19 toll continued to mount, with close to 17,000 fatalities and almost 390,000 declared infections -- including more than 200,000 in Europe alone, according to an AFP tally. But there were some positive signs of Chinae, where residents of Hubei province deemed healthy will now be allowed to travel from midnight, officials said. "We are celebrating today," a female doctor surnamed Wu told AFP. "The doctors and nurses are becoming more and more relaxed as the days go by. I am super happy!" The relaxation of rules will not apply to the hardest-hit city of Wuhan until April 8, but China may prove to have turned a corner. There was perhaps also a glimmer of hope in Italy, the European ground zero of COVID-19, with officials saying -- cautiously -- that its punishing lockdown may be bearing fruit. Its daily death toll fell slightly, although cumulatively the country has recorded more than 6,000 fatalities, exceeding even China. "The measures we took two weeks ago are starting to have an effect," civil protection chief Angelo Borrelli said in an interview with the La Repubblica daily. He said more data over the next few days will help understand "if the growth curve is really flattening". There was less reason for confidence elsewhere in the world, and Britain, New Zealand and South Africa joined the nations in declaring countrywide shutdowns in a bid to stem new infections, while Egypt announced a nighttime curfew. The extraordinary measures being imposed in many countries around the world radically altered daily life for more than 1.7 billion people -- and have thrown up up horrifying tales. Soldiers in Spain tasked with fighting the outbreak reported finding abandoned elderly people -- some dead -- at retirement homes. And on the deserted streets of New York, one psychologist who ventured out voiced fears over the long-term mental health of everyone affected. "I'm scared for me and patients that this could go on" for months, said Lauren, who declined to give her surname. The financial impact of economies grinding to a halt continued to unnerve policymakers, who have opened the spigots and flooded the markets with yet more cash to keep the wheels turning. In the United States, the Federal Reserve has unveiled an unprecedented bond-buying programme, in a move not seen since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago. Europe has taken similar measures -- and finance ministers were meeting on Tuesday to coordinate a bigger response -- but economists say the lockdowns have already damaged business. The closely-followed PMI survey by analysts IHS Market showed a collapse in economic activity in the eurozone "far exceeding that seen even at the height of the global financial crisis." But despite the grim data in Europe, world stock markets rallied strongly on Tuesday on the Federal Reserve moves. The British government, which has faced accusations of dithering, has now ordered a three-week shutdown of "non-essential" shops and services and banned gatherings of more than two people. "Unless you stay at home, then the people you love most may die," senior minister Michael Gove said. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that the pandemic is accelerating, with the pace of infections much higher than when the outbreak first emerged in China in December. But he added: "We are not helpless bystanders. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic." burs-dc/txw
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