ALMOST a billion people across the world were confirmed to their homes yesterday as the global coronavirus death toll passed 13,400.
Italy announced its biggest day-to-day increase of infections, which rose to 53,000 people, with nearly 800 new deaths.
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An estimated 900 million people are now confined to their homes in 35 countries around the world, according to AFP.
In Italy, anyone caught on the street without a valid reason faces a £185 fine and soldiers have been drafted in to patrol the northern city of Milan.
Officials have also taped off benches to avoid people sitting on them.
Meanwhile Spain reported another 394 coronavirus deaths on Sunday morning, up 30 per cent in 24 hours.
The Spanish government has issued a lockdown for some 46 million people who are only allowed to leave their homes for essential work, food shopping, medical reasons or to walk the dog.
In the UK, Boris Johnson ordered pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and gyms to shut their doors on Friday night to slow the accelerating spread of the deadly virus.
The deaths of another seven patients in Wales brought the nationwide total to 240 on Sunday morning.
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The PM warned: "We are only a matter of weeks – two or three – behind Italy. The Italians have a superb health care system. And yet their doctors and nurses have been completely overwhelmed by the demand.
"The Italian death toll is already in the thousands and climbing. Unless we act together, unless we make the heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread – then it is all too likely that our own NHS will be similarly overwhelmed."
Mr Johnson called on people to join a "heroic and collective national effort" and follow social distancing advice.
While the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions are the hardest hit by the deadly bug, the World Health Organisation warned young and healthy people were also vulnerable.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "Today I have a message for young people: you are not invincible. This virus could put you in hospital for weeks…or even kill you.
"Even if you don't get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else."
Yesterday China, where the virus originated, reported no new local infections for a third straight day and the WHO said that offered a glimmer of "hope for the rest of the world."
Iran is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the new virus, with 1,685 deaths.
In the US, New Jersey and St. Louis were added to a growing list of areas where residents were ordered to stay home.
Deaths have been reported in more than 30 American states, with 348 in total.
Meanwhile Australia announced it was going to close pubs, clubs, cinemas, casinos, nightclubs and places of worship from Monday, with cafes and restaurants having to switch to takeaway only.
The number of confirmed cases has risen sharply in Australia in recent days, reaching 1,315.
And more than a billion people in India have been asked to observe a 14-hour long curfew to try to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the curfew last week, telling citizens that it would be a test in order to assess the county's ability to fight the virus.
Mr Modi urged citizens to stay indoors from 7am until 9pm today.
India has so far recorded 315 cases.
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