Half-million infected worldwide as economic toll rises

Half-million infected worldwide as economic toll rises

The human and economic toll of the lockdowns against the coronavirus mounted Thursday as India struggled to feed the multitudes, Italy shut down most of its industry, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in a single week.. In India, where the country's 1.3 billion people were under orders to stay home, legions of poor were suddenly thrown out of work, and many families were left struggling for something to eat.. India has the world's second-highest number of people living in extreme poverty.. Around the globe, the death toll rose to about 8,200 in Italy, 4,100 in Spain and 1,700 in France, including a 16-year-old.. The number of new cases there jumped by more than 500 Thursday, for a total of over 2,300, with 86 deaths, including a 17-year-old, the health department said.. Companies in Europe are laying off workers at the fastest pace since 2009, according to surveys of business managers.. __ In New York, the state's death toll jumped by 100 in one day, pushing the number to 385, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.. In the United Arab Emirates, authorities announced an overnight weekend lockdown and used drones to tell people to stay home.. As of