The US now has the record of the most coronavirus cases in the world.
The US reported more than 83,000 individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus. The country beat Italy, the country that reported the most deaths, and China, where the virus started in December in Wuhan.
The number of deaths in US already rose to 1,178, while the global death toll lingers at 23,293.
There are now more than 500,000 people who contracted the coronavirus worldwide. The pandemic has been overwhelming healthcare systems even in rich countries and pushing governments to order lockdowns that have disrupted public lives.
"We are waging war on this virus using every financial, scientific, medical, pharmaceutical and military resource, to halt its spread and protect our citizens," US President Donald Trump said.
In the US, there are 40 percent of Americans placed under lockdown. Trump advised them to do their part by observing social distancing practices: "Stay home. Just relax, stay home."
In a video, leaders from the Group of 20 major economies agreed to create a "united front" to curb the outbreak as well as an enormous financial support.
"The virus respects no borders," the leaders said in a statement.
"We are injecting over $5 trillion into the global economy, as part of targeted fiscal policy, economic measures, and guarantee schemes to counteract the social, economic and financial impacts of the pandemic."
In New York, the state that was severely hit in the US, authorities aim to minimize infections as the city struggles to secure more hospital beds.
"Almost any scenario that is realistic will overwhelm the capacity of the current healthcare system," said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
First responders in New York have been responding to 6,000 calls a day, many from people who want virus testing.
It is "breaking records. We didn't have this many calls on 9/11," said Anthony Almojeria, a leader in the emergency medical services union, referring to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Europe
Meanwhile, France also went under lockdown on March 17, with a record of 365 deaths as its highest in a one-day period. This number included 16-year-old girl.
"It is very difficult to estimate when the peak will come," said French health official Jerome Salomon. "People who are ill now were infected before the confinement began."
"Now there is less contact, people are going out less and get infected less. So we hope there will be fewer people getting sick next week and fewer people going to hospital," he told reporters.
"If I've got five patients and only one bed, I have to choose who gets it," Sara Chinchilla, a pediatrician at a hospital near Madrid, told AFP.
"People are dying who could be saved but there's no space in intensive care."
