KEY POINTS
A total of 5,441 people have died from thenovel coronavirus as of March 14, 2020, 7 a.m. EDT. There have been 146,276 confirmed cases across 146 countries and territories so far; 72,553 have recovered from the deadly virus.
Total cases in the United States are at 2,329, with 50 deaths. China has reported the highest number of cases, reaching up to 80,824. France and Germany also saw a huge spike in numbers. While France confirmed 3,661 cases, Germany confirmed 3,675 cases. Spain announced a state of emergency Friday, with the national total of infected people at 5,232.
House Passes Coronavirus Relief Bill After Trump Tweets Showing Support
In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump put an end to the uncertain negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Trump administration, saying “I fully support” the legislation. His backing of the legislation cleared the way for the House to pass the H.R. 6201, or the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, as a coronavirus relief measure. The $50bn package includes provisions for free coronavirus testing and paid emergency leaves. The Senate will take up the measure next week.
The President Shows No Symptoms But He Needs No Testing
Despite the two Brazilian dignitaries, with whom Trump shook hands with at a recent event, testing positive for the virus Friday, The White House physician confirmed that The President need not be tested or quarantined for the coronavirus.
"Additionally, given the President himself remains without symptoms, testing for COVID-19 is not currently indicated," the White House physician said in a statement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Isolates Himself After Wife Tests Positive
Sophie Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for the coronavirus and was in isolation. As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, the prime minister will also be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days. Health officials are reaching out to those who've been in contact with Sophie.
Travel Bans Made Wider
President Donald Trump's travel ban from 26 European nations has come into effect. It excludes the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, and returning U.S. citizens.
The Pentagon announced a series of new travel restrictions for the U.S. service members and Defense Department employees. All domestic travel including station changes and temporary duty assignments are put on standby. The restrictions go into effect from March 16 and will continue through May 11.
Italy remains under lockdown as its healthcare system is struggling to cope with the increasing number of infected patients. Cambodia is banning foreign nationals arriving from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the U.S. for 30 days. The ban will be in effect from March 17. Vietnam suspended entry for people from 26 European countries as well as the U.K. Turkey announced that it will halt travel to and from nine European countries, effective Saturday.
coronavirus Photo: Tumisu - Pixabay
Public Schools In Washington D.C. Will Close From Monday
A total of 18 U.S. states including Washington, D.C., have so far announced school closures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Schools in DC will remain closed from Monday until March 31.
Hundreds of Churchgoers Quarantined After Three More Members Test Positive
A 200-year-old church in Washington, D.C., has suspended all its services and meetings after three more members tested positive. With this, a total of five church members have now been infected. Father Timothy Cole was the first confirmed case in Washington, D.C. Cole took part in four services, which were attended by over 500 people. Worshippers were asked to self-quarantine as testing proceeds.
Apple Will Shut Down Every Store Outside Greater China Until March 27
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a tweet that the company will shut down all its stores worldwide except for those in greater China until March 27.
The company in a statement said, "As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers."
Apple employees worldwide can work remotely from wherever possible. All work sites will undergo deep cleaning and health screenings. Customers can still shop on the Apple website, or get customer support online.
Cases rise in Iran, Malaysia and Vietnam
Iran's health official reportedly said that 12,729 had now been infected, with 611 deaths. On Friday, it had reported a death toll of 514 and 11,364 infections.
In Vietnam, five more cases of the coronavirus were confirmed, including a British, a Czech and three Vietnamese citizens, according to Reuters. That brings the country's total to 53 confirmed infections.
Malaysia reported 41 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, according to Reuters, with all of them linked to a religious event just outside of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
6:24 pm: Japan's Abe considers lowering sales tax
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was mulling over fiscal options to combat the coronavirus outbreak, according to Reuters.
He said he would consider various options when asked about a proposal to lower the country's sales tax to 5% on a temporary basis.
The country has 725 confirmed cases of the virus with 21 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
4:49 pm: Jakarta shuts down schools for 2 weeks
Indonesia's capital will be shuttering all schools for a fortnight, and all teaching will take place remotely for at least two weeks, Reuters said citing Jakarta's Governor Anies Baswedan. The capital city of Jakarta, where 10 million people reside, is battling to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there are at least 69 cases of the virus nationwide, of which four have died. —Joanna Tan
4:37 pm: Florida reports 25 new cases and 1 additional death
Florida said there were 25 new people who tested positive for the coronavirus, and one additional death. "One Orange County, FL resident tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling and has died in California," the health department tweeted.
According to the latest data from the health department, at least 3 Florida residents have died from the flu-like disease that has spread rapidly across the world. —Joanna Tan
2:55 pm: Apple to temporarily shut all stores outside Greater China
Apple will be temporarily closing its stores outside Greater China until Mar. 27 but its online stores will still be open.
In a tweet, CEO Tim Cook said that "we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19." He added that the iPhone-maker will also be committing $15 million to help with the recovery.
As of Friday, all of Apple's stores in China were set to open after the outbreak forced a prolonged closure of its retail locations. The U.S. technology giant has 42 stores in China and while all have opened their doors, some are operating on limited hours. —Joanna Tan
Apple logo at a store in Honolulu.
Alex Tai | SOPA Images |LightRocket via Getty Images
2:40 pm: Taiwan wants travelers from Europe to be quarantined
Taiwan has raised its travel alert for countries in Europe's Schengen area, as well as for Britain and Ireland, advising its citizens not to travel there unless necessary, Reuters reported.
The government announced that travelers from those countries will have to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival from Mar. 17, according to the report. The so-called Schengen area in Europe has no passport checks between internal borders.
People arriving from Dubai, and those who transit from there, will also be quarantined, Reuters said. —Joanna Tan
12:56 pm: House passes relief bill, sending it to Senate
The House passed a coronavirus relief plan early Saturday after hours of talks between Democrats and the Trump administration on how to blunt the economic damage of the global pandemic.
The chamber approved the 110-page bill to provide relief to consumers and workers walloped by the outbreak less than an hour after text was released. The measure passed in an overwhelming 363-40-1 vote.
The legislation now heads to the Senate. The upper chamber left Washington for the weekend and will not have a chance to approve it until next week. (See updates at 7 p.m. ET and 7:50 p.m. ET) —Jacob Pramuk
12:15 pm: White House physician says Trump shared table with guest who tested positive
Donald Trump was at the same dinner table as a guest who later tested positive for COVID-19, the president's physician said Friday. The incident took place last weekend, while Trump was hosting a delegation from Brazil at Mar-a-Lago, where he was briefly in contact with the press secretary of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro who also tested positive after the event.
In the second case, Trump shared the dinner table with the guest who "was symptom-free until this morning," Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement which did not mention the name of the guest.
"There is no indication for home quarantine at this time" as the interactions would be considered low risk for transmission, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he added. —Joanna Tan
11:49 am: Pentagon halts domestic travel for those affiliated with the Department of Defense
The Pentagon has halted all domestic travel for service members, Department of Defense civilians, and their family members. The new measures take effect from Mar. 16 through to May 11, according to a statement by the Pentagon Public Affairs.
"Similar to other travel guidance regarding COVID-19, travel exceptions may be granted for compelling cases where the travel is mission-essential, for humanitarian reasons, or warranted due to extreme hardship," the statement said. "Our goal is to remain ahead of the virus spread so our military force remains effective and ready."
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