Mainland China reports 44 new virus cases as spread continues to slow at epicenter - Reuters

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Ten people have died and 23 remain trapped after the collapse of a hotel that was being used to quarantine people under observation for the coronavirus in the Chinese city of Quanzhou, authorities said on Sunday.

Rescue workers are seen on the site where a hotel being used for the novel coronavirus quarantine collapsed in the southeast Chinese port city of Quanzhou, Fujian province, China March 7, 2020. cnsphoto via REUTERS.

More than 70 people were believed to have been initially trapped in the seven storey building, which collapsed on Saturday evening.

As of 16:00 Beijing time on Sunday, authorities had retrieved 48 individuals from the site of the collapse, with 38 of them sent to hospitals, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

Pictures from the site showed rescue workers clad in hard hats, goggles and face masks carrying injured people away to waiting medical staff in white overalls and surgical masks.

A rescue force of over 1,000 people, including firefighters, police forces, and other emergency responders, arrived at the site on Saturday night, authorities told a media conference organized by the Quanzhou government on Sunday.

Of the 71 people inside the hotel at the time of the collapse, 58 had been under quarantine, they added.

According to state media outlet Xinhua, the owner of the building, a man surnamed Yang, has been summoned by police.

The building’s first floor had been under renovation at the time of the collapse, the news agency said.

News of the collapse comes as the spread of COVID-19 continues to slow in China.

According to data from China’s National Health Commission (NHC), cases fell by roughly one half on Saturday from the day prior.

The agency confirmed 44 new cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus as at the end of March 7, a decline from 99 the previous day.

Chinese cities are gradually relaxing quarantine measures put in place over a month ago, while authorities keep a close watch on the virus’ spread overseas.

Of the 44 new confirmed cases, 41 were discovered in Wuhan, the origin of the virus’ outbreak and its hotbed.

The remaining three were cases imported from outside mainland China.

This marks the second consecutive day in which all of China’s newly confirmed cases outside of the city of Wuhan originated from overseas. The three cases bring China’s total imported case count to 63.

FILE PHOTO: A community worker in protective suit disinfects a residential compound in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Hubei province, China March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Stringer

According to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, two of the cases found in Beijing originated in Italy and Spain.

As the virus slows its spread in Wuhan, authorities have reacted by closing hospitals built specifically to house its patients.

After the first such closure last week, on Sunday, CCTV reported that operations at a second hospital had been suspended, with its 25 remaining patients now discharged and declared cured.

Reporting by Josh Horwitz, Huizhong Wu and Kevin Yao; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Muralikumar Anantharaman

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMipQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL3VzLWhlYWx0aC1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1jaGluYS1jYXNlcy1pZFVTS0JOMjBWMDBYP3V0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj10cnVlQW50aGVtJTNBK1RyZW5kaW5nK0NvbnRlbnQmdXRtX21lZGl1bT10cnVlQW50aGVtJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9ZmFjZWJvb2vSATRodHRwczovL21vYmlsZS5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL2FtcC9pZFVTS0JOMjBWMDBY?oc=5

2020-03-08 19:08:44Z
CAIiELR6eK_xpsoHnpsAdV4s4PIqFggEKg0IACoGCAowt6AMMLAmMIT6lwM

Coronavirus: Italy Orders Massive Shutdown; Cruise Ship Gets OK To Dock In California - NPR

Enlarge this image

A masked woman moves inside Central train station, in Milan, Italy, on Sunday after the government locked down much of the country in an effort to stanch the spread of the coronavirus. Claudio Furlan/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Claudio Furlan/AP

As the novel coronavirus reached a global milestone, topping 100,000 cases across more than 100 countries over the weekend, Italy is imposing an extraordinary lockdown on about a quarter of its population and restricting public activities throughout the entire country.

The quarantine includes the cities of Milan and Venice, as well as the entire northern region of Lombardy, Italy's financial heart. It affects more than 16 million people in coronavirus hotbed areas and is scheduled to remain in effect until at least April 3.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the move after confirmed cases in Italy spiked over the weekend. By Sunday more than 7,300 people had been sickened and 366 had died — an uptick of 133 dead from the day before.

"There will be a ban for everybody to move in and out of these territories and also within the same territory," Conte said. "Exceptions will be allowed only for proven professional needs, exceptional cases and health issues."

In addition to the lockdown, Italy's cordon sanitaire effort to tamp down on transmission includes temporarily shutting down all movie theaters, museums and other cultural sites throughout the country. Sporting events are closed to the public.

People may dine out at restaurants, drink in bars, exercise in gyms and shop in stores but only if managers guarantee patrons remain just over three feet apart. "In case of violation, the activity will be suspended," the government said in a statement.

Pope Francis on Sunday delivered his weekly Angelus blessing via video screen, while the faithful in St. Peter's Square stood several feet apart.

Enlarge this image

Pope Francis delivers the Angelus prayer on a giant screen, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, amid sweeping coronavirus restrictions. Andrew Medichini/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Andrew Medichini/AP

Italy, home of the highest number of cases outside of China, South Korea and Iran, is taking its lead from China, where the virus emerged late last year in the provincial capital of Wuhan. Beijing has placed tens of millions of people under lockdown in what it called an all-out "people's war" against the spread of the disease that has already infected more than 80,000, the vast majority of the global total.

In the U.S., officials in Washington state are considering mandatory measures to limit the spread of the virus as it deals with the worst outbreak in the country.

"We are looking to determine whether mandatory measures are required," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told Face the Nation. Those requirements would include social distancing and "reducing the number of social activities that are going on," Inslee said.

At least 102 cases have been diagnosed in Washington with 16 people dead. Most fatalities are connected to Life Care Center, a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.

"We are contemplating some next steps, particularly to protect our vulnerable populations, and our nursing homes and the like," Inslee said.

Nationwide, infections have steadily ticked up, with reports of cases reaching 400 across at least 19 states, but widespread problems in testing have hindered effective diagnosis.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force, says he is not encouraged as he learns more about the outbreak's scope in the U.S.

"Unfortunately, that better sense is not encouraging because we're seeing community spread," Fauci told Meet the Press.

He admitted to delays in coronavirus testing, adding there were "some missteps with regard to the test and some technical aspects to it." But he said the process is accelerating, with 1.1 million coronavirus tests already sent out, with an additional 400,000 planned by Monday and about 4 million by the end of next week.

Even though Fauci maintains "the overall risk in the country of getting infected is low," vulnerable people can act now to protect themselves.

"If you're a person with an underlying condition and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition, you need to think twice about getting on a plane, on a long trip, and not only think twice, just don't get on a cruise ship," Fauci said.

A cruise ship, which has lingered in limbo for days off the California coast with 21 people testing positive for the virus, is finally being allowed to dock.

"Grand Princess will proceed to the Port of Oakland on Sunday to begin disembarking guests who require acute medical treatment and hospitalization," the cruise line tweeted.

Among the 3,000 people on board, others will be allowed to disembark on Monday and will face testing and quarantine in federal facilities. Crew members will be treated and quarantined on board the ship, officials said.

On Saturday, Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., announced the first presumptive positive coronavirus case in the nation's capital. Another person tested positive who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) conference in suburban Maryland late last month.

But President Trump is remaining upbeat in his coronavirus messaging. Asked if he was concerned about the encroaching virus, Trump said Saturday from Palm Beach, Fla., "No, I'm not concerned at all. No, I'm not. We've done a great job."

As more cases crop up in the U.S. military, the Army is restricting travel for soldiers and their families to and from South Korea, where cases have topped 7,000, the highest number outside of mainland China.

USFK is aware of the Department of the Army's order to stop movement for all Army Soldiers and family members moving to or from South Korea or Soldiers scheduled to attend professional military education in the United States due to COVID-19 concerns. We are analyzing the impacts. pic.twitter.com/ssedpmligj

— U.S. Forces Korea (@USForcesKorea) March 8, 2020

Reuters reports the Army is also restricting movement to Italy.

A U.S. Navy sailor in Italy tested positive on Friday. And a Pentagon spokesman announced Saturday a Marine assigned to Fort Belvoir, Va., tested positive for COVID-19, after returning from overseas.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyMC8wMy8wOC84MTMzOTYwODAvY29yb25hdmlydXMtaXRhbHktb3JkZXJzLW1hc3NpdmUtc2h1dGRvd24tYW1pZC1zcHJlYWTSAQA?oc=5

2020-03-08 19:14:46Z
52780651267701

Efforts to Battle Coronavirus Escalate Around the Globe - The Wall Street Journal

A woman wears a mask in New York City’s Times Square on March 8. Several U.S. states announced their first cases of coronavirus this weekend.

Photo: kena betancur/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

By

Talal Ansari and

Talal Ansari
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @TalalNAnsari
• talal.ansari@wsj.com

Chun Han Wong

Chun Han Wong
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @ByChunHan
• chunhan.wong@wsj.com

Updated March 8, 2020 1:26 pm ET

Governments and officials around the globe escalated efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus, as infections spread to new parts of the U.S. and officials urged citizens not to gather in large groups and blocked some cruise ships from docking or leaving.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally exceeded 105,000 on Sunday, and Italy quarantined about 17 million people in the northern part of the country. Infections spread to new parts of the U.S. over the weekend, as Connecticut, Missouri, Washington, D.C. and Vermont announced their first cases.

The virus is now in well over half of U.S. states, with 466 cases and a total of 19 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The majority of deaths have occurred in Washington state, where the outbreak has centered at an elder-care facility

Thousands of passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship are scheduled to dock in the Port of Oakland on Monday, amid an outbreak on board. At least 21 people, including 19 crew members, tested positive for the disease. The roughly 3,500 passengers and crew remained off the coast of San Francisco for days.

“Nearly 1,000 passengers who are California residents will complete the mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base and Miramar Naval Air Station, and residents of other states will complete the mandatory quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a Sunday statement.

New York state officials said the number of people infected with coronavirus rose to 105. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the new tally was up from 89 Saturday.

Five states have declared states of emergencies, granting their governors additional powers to combat the virus spread: New York, California, Florida, Maryland and Washington.

Tracking U.S. Cases of the New Coronavirus

Authorities are closely tracking confirmed positive cases of the virus in America.

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering
Elbert Wang, Vivien Ngo, and Dylan Moriarty/The Wall Street Journal

China reported its first day without new locally transmitted coronavirus cases outside the city where the pathogen had emerged, just as Italy imposed a mass quarantine similar to the sweeping measures Beijing has used to contain the epidemic.

Chinese health authorities logged 44 new infections nationwide for Saturday, including 41 cases in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people where the epidemic began and which officials have sealed off since late January as part of an unprecedented quarantine effort locking down tens of millions of people.

The remaining three cases—two in Beijing and one in northwestern Gansu province—were “imported,” meaning the patients were infected abroad, China’s National Health Commission said Sunday.

High-Speed Trains, International Flights: How the Coronavirus Spread

Saturday’s tally was the lowest one-day case count China has reported since it started disclosing such figures in late January. It also marked the second straight day in which China reported new infections in double digits, down from hundreds of cases a day a month ago.

These figures “indicate that current prevention-and-control measures are scientific and effective,” health commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a Sunday news briefing. Since late January, Chinese authorities have implemented full or partial lockdowns in cities and communities across the country, curbing the movement of hundreds of millions of people.

Similar measures are now being imposed in Italy, the European country worst-hit by the coronavirus, where authorities early Sunday ordered a lockdown of more than a quarter of its population in the country’s economic heartland.

The mass quarantine across much of northern Italy—effective until April 3—marked the most sweeping step any European country has taken against the coronavirus, which has sickened 5,883 people in Italy as of Saturday evening, of which 233 have died and 589 have recovered.

The Italian lockdown came after the World Health Organization urged governments to take decisive action to halt the spread of an epidemic that has infected more than 100,000 people around the world, citing China’s containment measures as an example.

People stock up on basic goods at a supermarket in Milan, Italy, on Sunday.

Photo: carlo cozzoli/Shutterstock

The Maldives, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, reported its first two cases on Saturday. The government responded by imposing stricter health screenings for travelers and quarantine arrangements, adding to an earlier decision to deny entry to travelers who arrive from or transit through Italy, according to statements from its presidential office.

The global spread of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, has kept China on alert for more imported infections, according to Mr. Mi, the health commission spokesman. The commission has logged 63 such cases so far, out of about 80,700 cases in total.

Municipal authorities in Beijing and other major Chinese cities have imposed stricter health screenings and even quarantine measures against travelers arriving from countries badly hit by the coronavirus, including South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy.

In Iran, the number of deaths from coronavirus jumped sharply on Sunday to 194, a 33% spike since the day before, while the total number of coronavirus infections reached 6,566, up from 5,823 on Saturday, Iran’s health ministry said.

Iranian authorities have urged people to cease traveling inside the country in a bid to contain the virus. In a letter to the health minister, a group of doctors has demanded a closure of all pilgrimage and tourist places across the country.

The government on Sunday imposed a partial ban on flights and maritime travel to the popular holiday island of Kish for the Persian New Year later this month, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. The partial ban comes after the first death from the virus on the island was confirmed on Saturday.

Iran Air, the country’s flag carrier airline, on Sunday canceled all flights to Europe due to restrictions placed on the airline by European countries “for unclear reasons,” Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said in a statement carried by the IRNA state news agency.

Separately Sunday, Chinese authorities reported at least 10 deaths from the collapse Saturday of a hotel in the southeastern city of Quanzhou that was used for quarantining people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients.

Rescuers have pulled 48 people from the rubble, including the 10 dead, and more than 20 people remained missing as of Sunday afternoon, according to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management.

Write to Talal Ansari at Talal.Ansari@wsj.com and Chun Han Wong at chunhan.wong@wsj.com

Coronavirus

Live Updates

What We Know

How to Prepare

Breaking Down the Costs

Travel Q&A

Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZXMvbmV3LWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNhc2VzLWRyb3AtaW4tY2hpbmEtYXMtaXRhbHktaW1wb3Nlcy1xdWFyYW50aW5lLTExNTgzNjYyMzQy0gEA?oc=5

2020-03-08 17:48:05Z
52780650229887

Coronavirus updates: Cruise ship Grand Princess to dock in California - CBS News

A cruise ship hit by the new coronavirus is headed to the port of Oakland, California, authorities said Sunday, though passengers were destined to stay aboard the ship for at least another day.

California's Office of Emergency Services (OES) said a joint state and federal effort will get underway Monday to disembark passengers from the ship in the port of Oakland. Sick passengers will be taken to medical facilities in California, and those who don't require immediate care will be housed in federal facilities "for testing and isolation." 

California residents will be brought to facilities within the state, and non-residents will be taken to locations in other states, including a military base in Marietta, Georgia. OES said 1,000 passengers are California residents.

In an interview on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the administration is "still working" on determining where the disembarked passengers would be held.

OES said the ship will leave Oakland after all passengers are disembarked, and 1,100 crew members will remain quarantined and receive treatment on the ship off the coast of California.

Nineteen crew members and two passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. The ship is carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 different countries, according to The Associated Press. 

The president, speaking Friday at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said he would prefer not to allow the passengers onto American soil but would defer to the recommendations of medical experts. 

"They would like to have the people come off. I'd rather have the people stay but ... I told them to make the final decision," the president said.  

"Those that will need to be quarantined will be quarantined. Those who will require medical help will receive it," Vice President Michael Pence said Friday.

The number of cases worldwide continues to climb. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, there have been more than 107,000 confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday morning. More than 60,000 people have recovered, and more than 3,600 people have died. 

There have been 20 deaths in the U.S. — 17 in Washington state and one in California, as well as the two in Florida. There are confirmed cases of the virus in 32 states and Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2xpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1vdXRicmVhay1kZWF0aC10b2xsLXVzLWluZmVjdGlvbnMtbGF0ZXN0LW5ld3MtdXBkYXRlcy0yMDIwLTAzLTA4L9IBdmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2FtcC9saXZlLXVwZGF0ZXMvY29yb25hdmlydXMtb3V0YnJlYWstZGVhdGgtdG9sbC11cy1pbmZlY3Rpb25zLWxhdGVzdC1uZXdzLXVwZGF0ZXMtMjAyMC0wMy0wOC8?oc=5

2020-03-08 16:02:42Z
52780648546239

Coronavirus updates: Cruise ship Grand Princess to dock in California - CBS News

A cruise ship hit by the new coronavirus is headed to the port of Oakland, California, authorities said Sunday, though passengers were destined to stay aboard the ship for at least another day.

California's Office of Emergency Services (OES) said a joint state and federal effort will get underway Monday to disembark passengers from the ship in the port of Oakland. Sick passengers will be taken to medical facilities in California, and those who don't require immediate care will be housed in federal facilities "for testing and isolation." 

California residents will be brought to facilities within the state, and non-residents will be taken to locations in other states, including a military base in Marietta, Georgia. OES said 1,000 passengers are California residents.

In an interview on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the administration is "still working" on determining where the disembarked passengers would be held.

OES said the ship will leave Oakland after all passengers are disembarked, and 1,100 crew members will remain quarantined and receive treatment on the ship off the coast of California.

Nineteen crew members and two passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. The ship is carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 different countries, according to The Associated Press. 

The president, speaking Friday at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said he would prefer not to allow the passengers onto American soil but would defer to the recommendations of medical experts. 

"They would like to have the people come off. I'd rather have the people stay but ... I told them to make the final decision," the president said.  

"Those that will need to be quarantined will be quarantined. Those who will require medical help will receive it," Vice President Michael Pence said Friday.

The number of cases worldwide continues to climb. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, there have been more than 107,000 confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday morning. More than 60,000 people have recovered, and more than 3,600 people have died. 

There have been 20 deaths in the U.S. — 17 in Washington state and one in California, as well as the two in Florida. There are confirmed cases of the virus in 32 states and Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2xpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1vdXRicmVhay1kZWF0aC10b2xsLXVzLWluZmVjdGlvbnMtbGF0ZXN0LW5ld3MtdXBkYXRlcy0yMDIwLTAzLTA4L9IBdmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2FtcC9saXZlLXVwZGF0ZXMvY29yb25hdmlydXMtb3V0YnJlYWstZGVhdGgtdG9sbC11cy1pbmZlY3Rpb25zLWxhdGVzdC1uZXdzLXVwZGF0ZXMtMjAyMC0wMy0wOC8?oc=5

2020-03-08 15:28:07Z
52780648546239

Coronavirus updates: Cruise ship Grand Princess to dock in California - CBS News

A cruise ship hit by the new coronavirus is headed to the port of Oakland, California, authorities said Sunday, though passengers were destined to stay aboard the ship for at least another day.

California's Office of Emergency Services (OES) said a joint state and federal effort will get underway Monday to disembark passengers from the ship in the Port of Oakland. Sick passengers will be taken to medical facilities in California, and those who don't require immediate care will be housed in federal facilities "for testing and isolation." 

California residents will be brought to facilities within the state, and non-residents will be taken to locations in other states, including a military base in Marietta, Georgia. OES said 1,000 passengers are California residents.

OES said the ship will leave Oakland after all passengers are disembarked, and 1,100 crew members will remain quarantined and receive treatment on the ship off the coast of California.

Nineteen crew members and two passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. The ship is carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 different countries, according to The Associated Press. 

The president, speaking Friday at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said he would prefer not to allow the passengers onto American soil but would defer to the recommendations of medical experts. 

"They would like to have the people come off. I'd rather have the people stay but ... I told them to make the final decision," the president said.  

"Those that will need to be quarantined will be quarantined. Those who will require medical help will receive it," Vice President Michael Pence said Friday.

The number of cases worldwide continues to climb. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, there have been more than 107,000 confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday morning. More than 60,000 people have recovered, and more than 3,600 people have died. 

There have been 20 deaths in the U.S. — 17 in Washington state and one in California, as well as the two in Florida. There are confirmed cases of the virus in 32 states and Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2xpdmUtdXBkYXRlcy9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1vdXRicmVhay1kZWF0aC10b2xsLXVzLWluZmVjdGlvbnMtbGF0ZXN0LW5ld3MtdXBkYXRlcy0yMDIwLTAzLTA4L9IBdmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL2FtcC9saXZlLXVwZGF0ZXMvY29yb25hdmlydXMtb3V0YnJlYWstZGVhdGgtdG9sbC11cy1pbmZlY3Rpb25zLWxhdGVzdC1uZXdzLXVwZGF0ZXMtMjAyMC0wMy0wOC8?oc=5

2020-03-08 15:02:18Z
CAIiEADu9OR0obeOM5zIQD9HHqwqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowyNj6CjDyiPICMLv-xAU

Coronavirus live updates: Italy's vast quarantine; Reprieve for a cruise ship; US death toll climbs to 19 - USA TODAY

John Bacon USA TODAY

Published 10:35 AM EDT Mar 8, 2020

Streets and shops were empty in Milan and vast swaths of northern Italy were essentially locked down Sunday as the government dug in against an advance of the global coronavirus sweeping across the nation at an alarming rate.

In the U.S., the death toll climbed to 19 this weekend, all but three fatalities in Washington state. More than 400 infections have been reported, but the number is rising almost as fast as tests for the virus can be conducted.

Italy's death toll rose to 233 on Sunday, and almost 6,000 infections have been confirmed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed the decree affecting the at least 15 provinces that are home to more than a quarter of Italy's 60 million people.

“For Lombardy and for the other northern provinces that I have listed there will be a ban for everybody to move in and out of these territories and also within the same territory,” Conte said. “Exceptions will be allowed only for proven professional needs, exceptional cases and health issues.”

Daily coronavirus updates: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox 

• Hotel in China collapses: Hotel was being used for coronavirus quarantine 
• Grand Princess still in limbo: 21 coronavirus cases detected on board
• Coronavirus myths, debunked: A cattle vaccine, bioweapons and a $3,000 test
• 100 years ago: Seattle was under siege by the deadliest flu in history. Here's what life was like.

Here's the latest on the outbreak of COVID-19: 

Cruise ship passengers get good news

The Grand Princess cruise ship will begin to allow guests to disembark Monday, three days after 21 people aboard tested positive for coronavirus. Princess Cruises announced early Sunday it had been informed by state and local officials that the ship, off the coast of California, would be able to dock in the Port of Oakland, cruise line public relations director Negin Kamali told USA TODAY. 

Guests who "require acute medical treatment and hospitalization" will be first to disembark. Kamali said it was "unclear" whether other passengers would also be allowed off the ship Monday, or whether they would have to wait further. 

The company announced Wednesday that those on board may have been exposed to coronavirus after sailing with 62 passengers who officials say had been on the ship's previous voyage to Mexico. A 71-year-old California man who had been on the Mexico cruise eventually died from the virus.

– Morgan Hines and Curtis Tate

10 dead in collapse of China isolation building

At least 10 people were dead and 23 missing as first responders in Beijing sifted through the debris of a collapsed building used to isolate arrivals from other parts of the country. State media said about 80 people had been inside the converted hotel when tragedy struck. The Health Ministry said at least 38 people were being treated at hospitals; the hotel’s owner was detained for questioning. Authorities said the building was undergoing renovations when the collapse occurred.

Virus is boom to some companies

Some companies are experiencing a boom in business from the coronavirus, even if there's no guarantee their products will curb the outbreak. Disinfectant room sprayers, commercial cleaning companies, online learning programs and even re-hydration beverages are drawing increase interest, experts say. Lawrence Muscarella, president of LFM Healthcare Solutions, said customers should ask manufacturers if their products have been proven to kill COVID-19, the current strain of the virus under scrutiny.

"You'd want a label claim from the manufacturer that says: 'Kills COVID-19,'" Muscarella said. "If it just says 'kills coronavirus,' ask if that includes COVID-19."

– Erin Richards

New York declares emergency

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Saturday to deal with the worsening crisis, as the number of cases jumped to 11 in New York City and 76 statewide.

The number of cases in New York City more than doubled in 24 hours, the governor said, in large part because of heavy emphasis on testing potential patients.

“We are testing aggressively," Cuomo said. “The more positives you find, the better.”

Florida reports first virus deaths outside of the West Coast

State health officials said two people in their 70s who had traveled overseas died in Santa Rosa County in Florida’s Panhandle and in the Fort Myers area. At least one of those deaths, viewed as a presumptive positive case, has not been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

When confirmed by the CDC, the two Florida cases would bring the total number of U.S. deaths to 19. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, has ordered the state's Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to "Level 2" to coordinate response to the outbreak. Level 2 activation is a preparatory, intermediate-level response that "may not require activation" of all emergency support functions, though "primary, or lead" responders are notified.

The Florida Department of Health also said six Florida residents have been diagnosed with coronavirus along with one non-Florida resident.

– Caryn Shaffer, Treasure Coast Newspapers, and Jeffrey Schweers, USA TODAY Network, Florida 

Europe struggles to combat virus

• In Spain, where eight people have died, authorities believe that an outbreak in the northern part of the country are linked to a funeral were many people became infected.

• In Britain, where a second person died Friday of the virus, the public was told to prepare itself for “social distancing,” which could include temporarily reducing socializing at entertainment or sporting events or reducing non-essential travel on public transport and recommendations to work from home.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy51c2F0b2RheS5jb20vc3RvcnkvbmV3cy9oZWFsdGgvMjAyMC8wMy8wOC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1saXZlLXVwZGF0ZXMtZ3JhbmQtcHJpbmNlc3MtY3J1aXNlLXNoaXAtYm91bmQtb2FrbGFuZC80OTUzNDk2MDAyL9IBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnVzYXRvZGF5LmNvbS9hbXAvNDk1MzQ5NjAwMg?oc=5

2020-03-08 13:07:30Z
52780651267701