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The current coronavirus outbreak is the biggest challenge for the world since World War Two, UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned. He said it could bring a recession "that probably has no parallel in the recent past". His warning comes amid dire predictions about the possible economic impact of measures imposed to fight the virus. The number of confirmed cases around the world is now nearing 860,000, with more than 42,000 deaths. The death toll in the US is now more than 4,000 - higher than the declared number of fatalities in China, where the outbreak began late last year. Johns Hopkins University said 865 people had died in the past 24 hours in the US and in all more than 189,000 people in the country had been infected. Live: Latest updates on the coronavirus crisis Trump extends US virus guidelines to end of April Trump backs away from New York 'quarantine' About three out of four Americans are now, or about to be, under some form of lockdown, as more US states tighten measures to fight the coronavirus, which causes the Covid-19 disease. Meanwhile, Spain, second only to Italy in the number of recorded fatalities, has seen 849 deaths in the last 24 hours - the highest number it has had in a single day. In the UK, a total of 1,789 people have died - a rise of 381, officials say. Among the victims was a 13-year-old boy, King's College Hospital Trust in London said.

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About three out of four Americans are now, or about to be, under some form of lockdown, as more states tighten measures to fight the coronavirus. Maryland, Virginia, Arizona and Tennessee became the latest states to order citizens to stay at home, meaning 32 of 50 states have taken such steps. Meanwhile governors are quarrelling with President Donald Trump about the availability of testing kits. The US has more than 163,000 confirmed virus cases and over 3,000 deaths. It surpassed Italy last week as the country with the highest number of people suffering from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

When I spoke to him on the phone, he had just returned home to his village in the northern state of Rajasthan from neighbouring Gujarat, where he worked as a mason. In the rising heat, Goutam Lal Meena had walked on macadam in his sandals. He said he had survived on water and biscuits. In Gujarat, Mr Meena earned up to 400 rupees ($5.34; £4.29) a day and sent most of his earnings home. Work and wages dried up after India declared a 21-day lockdown with four hours notice on the midnight of 24 March to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (India has reported more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths so far.) The shutting down of all transport meant that he was forced to travel on foot. "I walked through the day and I walked through the night. What option did I have? I had little money and almost no food," Mr Meena told me, his voice raspy and strained. He was not alone. All over India, millions of migrant workers are fleeing its shuttered cities and trekking home to their villages. These informal workers are the backbone of the big city economy, constructing houses, cooking food, serving in eateries, delivering takeaways, cutting hair in salons, making automobiles, plumbing toilets and delivering newspapers, among other things. Escaping poverty in their villages, most of the estimated 100 million of them live in squalid housing in congested urban ghettos and aspire for upward mobility. Last week's lockdown turned them into refugees overnight. Their workplaces were shut, and most employees and contractors who paid them vanished. Sprawled together, men, women and children began their journeys at all hours of the day last week. They carried their paltry belongings - usually food, water and clothes - in cheap rexine and cloth bags. The young men carried tatty backpacks. When the children were too tired to walk, their parents carried them on their shoulders. They walked under the sun and they walked under the stars. Most said they had run out of money and were afraid they would starve. "India is walking home," headlined The Indian Express newspaper. The staggering exodus was reminiscent of the flight of refugees during the bloody partition in 1947. Millions of bedraggled refugees had then trekked to east and west Pakistan, in a migration that displaced 15 million people.

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Tunis, Tunisia - There are around 100 unused shisha pipes tucked away in the corner of the Bar el Hara teahouse in the Lafayette neighbourhood in central Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been this way since the government's decision last week to ban smoking pipes as part of measures against the spread of the coronavirus. But the owner, Sofien Bin Ayed, said his regular customers were angry and went to look for another cafe. More: Trump declares national emergency as coronavirus crisis deepens Coronavirus: Which countries have confirmed cases? What happens if you catch the new coronavirus? "We are used to freedom. So when a strong decision like this comes, we are not used to it," said Bin Ayed, sipping coffee from a disposable cup, another safety measure introduced recently. "They said, the government was rushing but we don't have a choice - you just have to go on the internet to see what a danger it is." 'We want to be proactive' As European countries see hundreds of new coronavirus cases appear by the day, Tunisia is cautiously watching. Tunisia's Ministry of Health said there are 24 confirmed cases, putting the country at "level two" of the threat. However, Chokri Hamouda, director of basic health services, told Al Jazeera the government is taking "level three" precautions, adding that he did not rule out a "level four" emergency in the future. "We are lucky to be behind them and we don't want to be like them. We want to be proactive," he said. Cafe Saadoun in Tunis has stopped offering shisha to customers after a countrywide ban on smoking pipes [Layli Foroudi/Al Jazeera] Cafe Saadoun in Tunis has stopped offering shisha to customers after a countrywide ban on smoking pipes [Layli Foroudi/Al Jazeera] MORE ON CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Trump drops idea of coronavirus lockdowns: Live updates today Italy's coronavirus death toll passes 10,000: Live updates today Coronavirus: What sporting events are affected by the pandemic? today Coronavirus pandemic: Which politicians and celebs are affected? today Tunis, Tunisia - There are around 100 unused shisha pipes tucked away in the corner of the Bar el Hara teahouse in the Lafayette neighbourhood in central Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been this way since the government's decision last week to ban smoking pipes as part of measures against the spread of the coronavirus. But the owner, Sofien Bin Ayed, said his regular customers were angry and went to look for another cafe. More: Trump declares national emergency as coronavirus crisis deepens Coronavirus: Which countries have confirmed cases? What happens if you catch the new coronavirus? "We are used to freedom. So when a strong decision like this comes, we are not used to it," said Bin Ayed, sipping coffee from a disposable cup, another safety measure introduced recently. "They said, the government was rushing but we don't have a choice - you just have to go on the internet to see what a danger it is." 'We want to be proactive' As European countries see hundreds of new coronavirus cases appear by the day, Tunisia is cautiously watching. Tunisia's Ministry of Health said there are 24 confirmed cases, putting the country at "level two" of the threat. However, Chokri Hamouda, director of basic health services, told Al Jazeera the government is taking "level three" precautions, adding that he did not rule out a "level four" emergency in the future. "We are lucky to be behind them and we don't want to be like them. We want to be proactive," he said.

The city in China where the coronavirus pandemic began, Wuhan, has partially re-opened after more than two months of isolation. Crowds of passengers were pictured arriving at Wuhan train station on Saturday. People are being allowed to enter but not leave, according to reports. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, saw more than 50,000 coronavirus cases. At least 3,000 people in Hubei died from the disease. But numbers have fallen dramatically, according to China's figures. The state on Saturday reported 54 new cases emerging the previous day - which it said were all imported. As it battles to control cases coming from abroad, China has announced a temporary ban on all foreign visitors, even if they have visas or residence permits. It is also limiting Chinese and foreign airlines to one flight per week, and flights must not be more than 75% full. Meanwhile, the virus continues to spread rapidly in other countries around the world. Nearly 600,000 infections have been confirmed globally and almost 28,000 deaths, according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University The death toll in Spain has exceeded 5,000, after it reported 832 more fatalities in the past 24 hours. Spain is the world's worst hit country after Italy The US now has the highest number of confirmed infections at 104,000 South Korea says that for the first time it now has more people who have recovered from the virus than are still infected. It reported 146 new cases on Saturday, taking the total to 9,478 - of whom 4,811 have been released from hospital Russia and Ireland are among the latest countries to bring in new restrictions to try to slow the spread of the virus. In Russia, shopping centres, restaurants and cafes have been ordered to close. In Ireland, people will have to stay at home with limited exceptions for the next two weeks In the UK, frontline National Health Service staff in England will begin being tested this weekend to see if they have coronavirus

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