Editor's note: This is the 27th article in the COVID-19 Global Roundup series. Here is the previous one.

Globally, the death toll has surged past 30,000, two-thirds of those in Europe, and officials in some countries say the worst still lies ahead.

Up to one-third of the world's population is now under lockdown as the virus leaves its devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, straining healthcare services and weighing heavily on national treasuries for years to come.

Italy issued another new dire statistic Saturday, announcing 889 new deaths, pushing it just past the 10,000 mark. The death caused by the coronavirus among Italian doctors rose to 46 Friday as another two doctors died in Lombardy and Marche.

Meanwhile, the infection rates in Italy are on a downward trend. The head of the national health institute Silvio Brusaferro predicted a peak "in the next few days."

One former coronavirus patient, a cardiologist from Rome, recalled the treatment for the oxygen therapy was painful, while looking for the radial artery as difficult. He told the AFP that other desperate patients were crying out "enough, enough" in the hospital.

The British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday. When asked if Britain was on the same trajectory as Italy, where the death toll has passed 9,000, Stephen Powis, the medical director of National Health Service England said that if the public adhered to the nationwide lockdown the total toll could be kept below 20,000.

A drive-through coronavirus testing facility for health workers has begun operating in the car park of the Chessington World of Adventures theme park near London.

As the British government urged the public to stay indoors, the virus struck at Downing Street itself. Besides Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Health Minister Matt Hancock has also tested positive and Chief Medical Adviser Chris Whitty is self-isolating with symptoms.

Meanwhile, the highly contagious virus has already infected Russian officials. Russian media reported that two Kremlin officials may have tested positive for the coronavirus. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed he was aware of one of those cases, but claimed no knowledge of the second.

Russia, which has reported relatively low levels of contagion, said it would close its borders Monday in an attempt to slow the pandemic's spread, according to a government announcement. The measure will come into force at all vehicle, rail and pedestrian checkpoints, and applied to Russia's maritime borders.

The overall number of infected now stands at 1,264 in Russia, with the biggest increase of 228 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. According to Russia Today, up to seven COVID-19 patients have died as of Saturday.

The announced order follows the increasingly harsh restrictions issued to stem the travel flow around the country. The government halted all international flights on Friday and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called on regions to close most businesses, while stopping short of ordering them to do so.

Cherepovets, a city of 300,000 residents, is planning to declare a state of emergency after seven new cases were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya, reportedly halted all access in and out of the city, citing the speaker of the local parliament, Magomed Daudov by Interfax.

Moscow's mayor shut down all non-essential business on Saturday and recommended everyone remain at home to reduce contagion.

During the first national address concerning coronavirus on Wednesday, Putin declared a week-long paid national holiday starting March 28, the purpose of which, he said, was to encourage people to remain at home in an effort to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

As of Saturday, France had 37,575 confirmed cases and 2,314 deaths – with 319 new deaths in the last 24 hours, health authorities said. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned the "battle" was just beginning. The first two weeks in April would be even tougher than the past fortnight, he said.

France has ordered more than one billion protective masks, mainly from China, to try to make up for a shortage that is being felt in nations fighting the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced.

Veran said that an "air bridge" to China was being put in place, but "I will have the certitude (that masks arrived) … only the minute the planes are on the tarmac." He said one major difficulty is that countries already hit by the virus remain vigilant that should the epidemic return they are equipped.

Spain, which has the world's second-highest death toll, added 832 deaths for a total 5,812. Madrid toughened a nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities, though officials said the epidemic in the country seemed to be nearing a peak.

Twelve residents of a nursing home in northern Germany have died after being infected with the coronavirus. Authorities say the residents of the home in Wolfsburg died Monday, news agency dpa reported. Mayor Klaus Mohrs said several hadn't shown symptoms of COVID-19.

Local officials said 72 of the roughly 165 residents had been infected with the coronavirus, and they were separated from those who tested negative.

Another nursing home in the southern German city of Wuerzburg also has reported 12 deaths.

Germany has confirmed more than 56,000 infections with the coronavirus, including 403 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. That is a lower death rate than in many other countries.

(With input from agencies)