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The world’s economic pain was on full display Thursday as Europe and the United States were releasing more evidence of the devastation wrought on jobs and economies by coronavirus lockdown measures. In Europe, where over 132,000 people with the virus have died so far, fears about new infection spikes were tempering hopes that economies now on government-funded life support will regain their vigor as workers return to factories, shops and offices. (Leicester and McHugh, 4/30)

Brazil’s virtually uncontrolled surge of COVID-19 cases is spawning fear that construction workers, truck drivers and tourists from Latin America’s biggest nation will spread the disease to neighboring countries that are doing a better job of controlling the coronavirus. Brazil, a continent-sized country that shares borders with nearly every other nation in South America, has reported more than 70,000 cases and more than 5,000 deaths, according to government figures and a tally by Johns Hopkins University — far more than any of its neighbors. The true number of deaths and infections is believed to be much higher because of limited testing. (Calatrava and Weissenstein, 4/30)

When Lebanon reported its first coronavirus infection in February, the case was a woman who had come from the Muslim holy city of Qom in Iran, which was rapidly becoming the epicenter of the epidemic in the Middle East. Iran has long been a factor in Lebanon’s highly sectarian politics, and many Lebanese were quick to cast blame on Iran and local Shiite Muslims for Lebanon’s widening outbreak. Avoid Shiite villages and areas, some urged. (Dadouch, 4/27)

The World Health Organization (WHO) director-general said today that the COVID-19 emergency committee will meet tomorrow to review pandemic developments, as cases surge in some African nations and as many past-peak countries take tentative steps to relax their distancing measures. The global total today rose to 3,179,494 cases reported form 185 countries, and at least 226,173 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard. (Schnirring, 4/29)

China signaled its confidence that its novel coronavirus epidemic has finally been brought under control, scheduling for next month its highest-profile annual legislative meetings, which had been postponed at the height of the outbreak. Known as the “Two Sessions,” the meetings are always a piece of important political theater for China’s ruling Communist Party, a venue for the leaders to trumpet their achievements of the past year and lay out their plans and targets for the year ahead. (Fifield, 4/29)