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UNITED NATIONS, March 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the positive responses by the Libyan warring parties to calls for a humanitarian truce amid COVID-19 fears.

"The secretary-general welcomes the positive responses by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) on March 18 and 21 respectively, to the calls for a humanitarian pause to stop the fighting," said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres's spokesman, in a statement.

(AP) --- The virus pandemic advanced Sunday after the U.S. and Europe reported soaring new cases, prompting a scramble in some regions to set up additional hospital beds and replenish much-needed medical supplies.

Italy announced its biggest day-to-day increase of infections, which rose by 6,600 with nearly 800 new fatalities from the virus that causes COVID-19. The country’s total death toll of more than 4,825 has surpassed the number of deaths in China, where the first cases emerged late last year.

NEW YORK, Mar 21 (APP): New York’s iconic Times Square that sees nearly 330,000 people pass through it each day was virtually empty Friday after the city that never sleeps was placed under lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.

New Yorkers, like many Americans across the country, have been told to hunker down in their homes and avoid large crowds and mass gatherings as much as possible as the number of confirmed cases in the United States surged past 14,000 people, with over 200 dead. Globally, there are more than 210,000 confirmed cases and more than 9,000 deaths.

UN, March 21. /TASS/: At least 24 UN staff members have so far tested positive for the novel coronavirus, UN Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric has told reporters.

"The total number of UN cases, not just at Headquarters but of UN cases, is 24," he said.

In his words, Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley remains the only top-level UN official diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

"He is working from home in South Carolina, and he’s doing fine," Dujarric added.

UNITED NATIONS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed the hope that the legislative elections and a constitutional referendum planned for Sunday in Guinea will be peaceful and transparent, said his spokesman.

Guterres is closely following developments in the West African country and takes note of President Alpha Conde's decision to hold legislative elections and a constitutional referendum on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

(AP) --- Major streets and highways were deserted in many parts of the world Saturday as curfews and lockdowns multiplied in the face of a rapidly advancing virus that is severely straining many health systems.

Three American states with a combined population of 70 million are moving to restrict residents to their homes. California started Friday and New York and Illinois were to follow this weekend. Connecticut and Oregon were preparing to do the same.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 20 (APP): The World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency, has shipped personal protective equipment (PPE) to nearly 70 countries, while 120 nations have received 1.5 million diagnostic kits to support their efforts aimed at dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

Speaking at a briefing in Geneva on developments related to COVID-19, he called for building a continuous pipeline to ensure continuity of supply, describing the disease as “an invisible enemy against humanity”.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Coronavirus has hit the world’s biggest debt funds, which have lost billions of dollars in value, Morningstar data shows, while one smaller fund shed half its value in a little over two weeks.

Markets have lost trillions of dollars in value over that time at a record-breaking pace, laying bare structural weaknesses after a decade of central bank easy money and fuelling fears of mass fund redemptions.

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said that it is the time to dismantle trade barriers and re-establish supply chains while the humanity is fighting with its common enemy of COVID-19.

"We must refrain from the temptation of resorting to protectionism. This is the time to dismantle trade barriers and re-establish supply chains," the UN chief said at a press conference via video-link while all UN staff are required to telecommute so as to mitigate the spread of the virus at UN headquarters in New York.

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres assured diplomats and journalists on Thursday that they can work "in perfect safety" if it is necessary to hold meetings of the General Assembly and Security Council at headquarters despite the coronavirus threat.

"I'm working in headquarters," he told correspondents at a virtual press encounter. "Most of our staff is working at home, and I believe that when people absolutely need to come, they can come, because I think we have created the conditions to do it in perfect safety."