The Duke and Duchess of Sussex jetted to California before the Canada-US border closed as the coronavirus grips nations around the world. The couple are now self-isolating with their son Archie near Hollywood. In a post to the Sussex Royal Instagram account, they wrote: “These are uncertain times. And now, more than ever, we need each other. We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary.”

With the world death toll standing at 25, 251 to date, many countries have introduced tough social distancing measures enforcing citizens to stay in their homes unless for medical reasons, essential grocery shopping and work that cannot be continued from home or where job titles are considered a key worker.

With this in mind, COVID-19 has sparked social and economic problems worldwide with the elderly or vulnerable facing challenges linked to mental health, loneliness and poverty, with many losing their livelihoods and income due to the lockdown.

In the post the couple paid tribute to those in need, writing: “There are so many around the world who need support right now, who are working tirelessly to respond to this crisis behind the scenes, on the frontline, or at home. Our willingness, as a people, to step up in the face of what we are all experiencing with COVID-19 is awe-inspiring. This moment is as true a testament there is to the human spirit.”

The Sussex’s also encouraged people to show “empathy and kindness to others in the community”.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles are soaring, with officials reporting 257 new cases and five more deaths today. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said: “Our modelling is moving as we expected.”

“In Los Angeles, they’re seeing surge numbers that put them on track within a week to be in line with where New York City currently is.

As of Friday, 3,801 people had tested positive for coronavirus in California, and 78 had died.

Commenting on the cases, Barbara Ferrer, director of the LA County Department of Public Health, paid tribute to the families of those who lost their lives: “These numbers that I report every day represent the lives of real people, and they are people that are mourned by their families and their friends.”

The Mercy Hospital Ship arrived at the Port of Los Angeles today to provide support to the region’s squeezed healthcare system.

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It houses around 1,000 hospital beds, 12 operating rooms and will have around 800 medical staff to run the mobile hospital.

The increased support in California comes as medics on the frontline called for more protective equipment and kits to handle the tsunami of patients expected in the coming weeks.

The US ranks as the country with the highest number of cases after 86,012 tested positive.

Meanwhile, New York has the eighth steepest death toll globally at 365.

More widely in the US, mirroring the same issues in responding to the outbreak globally, medics have said there is a desperate need for ventilators, the respiratory equipment needed for patients with severe symptoms.

The country’s virus hot spots like New York and Detroit have also sounded the alarm over the scarcity of drugs, trained staff and medical supplies.

“We are scared,” said Dr. Arabia Mollette of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn. “We’re trying to fight for everyone else’s life, but we also fight for our lives as well, because we’re also at the highest risk of exposure.”

Some hospitals in the Detroit area have already been forced to turn patients away as their stock of ventilators diminish.

One doctor working in an emergency room in Michigan said he had to wear one paper face mask as protection for an entire shift due to the lack of resources.

Harry and Meghan announced plans to help the healthcare system by sharing information published by the World Health Organization on their social media, such as tips on staying healthy and encouraging people to social distance to reduce the likelihood of overburdening hospitals.

The couple were previously mocked on social media for their posts, with internet users joking the couple had published the content to stay relevant and stating the information they were sharing is old.

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