
G7 schedules extraordinary leaders summit over COVID-19 outbreak

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries will hold an extraordinary Leaders Summit by videoconference on Monday to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
“Following my call with Donald Trump and all G7 leaders, we agreed to organize an extraordinary Leaders Summit by videoconference on Monday on Covid-19. We will coordinate research efforts on a vaccine and treatments, and work on an economic and financial response,” Macron wrote on Twitter.
Following my call with @realDonaldTrump and all G7 leaders, we agreed to organize an extraordinary Leaders Summit by videoconference on Monday on Covid-19. We will coordinate research efforts on a vaccine and treatments, and work on an economic and financial response.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 13, 2020
The meeting comes as the world continues to record COVID-19 cases, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting more new cases outside China in recent weeks.
The G7 meeting comes after the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom announced on Friday that Europe is now the center of the COVID-19 outbreak, having recorded more cases and deaths than the rest of the world excluding China.
Globally, the COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 5,000. The virus has reached 123 countries, with more than 132,000 cases confirmed.