Trump tests negative for coronavirus - White House doctor - BBC News

US President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, the White House physician has said.

"This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative," Sean Conley said in a statement on Saturday.

Mr Trump underwent a test days after hosting a meeting at his Florida resort with a Brazilian delegation, some of whom have tested positive.

Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to the Brazilian president, was among those later confirmed to have the disease.

"One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the president remains symptom-free," Mr Conley said.

• US to extend travel ban to UK and Ireland
• Can the US catch up on coronavirus testing?

Mr Trump, aged 73, did not self-isolate after that meeting, saying he had no symptoms.

But after a barrage of further questions during a new conference at the White House, he said he would get tested.

He was checked on Friday, the White House physician said.

"I have been in daily contact with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and White House Coronavirus Task Force, and we are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation," Mr Conley's statement said.

Official US advice is that people who have contact with a confirmed case should stay at home for 14 days.

The US has more than 2,700 confirmed cases, with 54 deaths.

On Friday, President Trump declared a national state of emergency to release $50bn (£40bn) to fight the spread of the virus.

What about the Mar-a-Lago visit?

Mr Wajngarten, a press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, posted a photograph of himself standing close to Mr Trump.

The Brazilian official tested positive several days after that visit.

Other Brazilians in Mr Bolsonaro's entourage at Mar-a-Lago have since tested positive including lawyer Karina Kufa, Senator Nelsinho Trad and Brazil's ambassador to the US, Nestor Forster.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez - who also met Mr Wajngarten during his US trip - announced on Friday that he had been infected.

The Brazilian delegation also met Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, also present at Mar-a-Lago, has announced that he will self-quarantine "in an abundance of caution".

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Which other politicians have been tested for the virus?

Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would enter 14 days of self-quarantine after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for the virus.

Speaking to reporters, the prime minister said he was taking advice from doctors and "it was explained to me that as long as I show no symptoms at all there is no value in being tested".

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez tested positive for the virus, the government confirmed.

Officials said they both remained in the prime minister's residence at La Moncloa in Madrid and were doing fine.

Spain is Europe's worst-hit country after Italy.

Meanwhile in the UK, health minister and Conservative MP Nadine Dorries was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this week.

Ms Dorries said she has been self-isolating at home.

Ten more people in the UK have died in the past 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 21.

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Last month, Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi was confirmed as being infected.

The minister was earlier seen sweating profusely at a news conference.

Iran is one of the countries worst-hit by the virus, with more than 600 deaths confirmed.

The virus has spread to every province in Iran, and people are fearful that the true scale of the outbreak is even worse than is being disclosed.

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2020-03-15 05:56:34Z
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Rocket attack hits base housing American troops, Iraq officials say - CBS News

 A barrage of rockets hit a base housing U.S. and other coalition troops north of Baghdad, Iraqi security officials said Saturday. The attack occurred just days after a similar attack killed three servicemen, including two Americans. 

At least two Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack at Camp Taji, according to the Iraqi officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. 

The officials said over a dozen rockets landed inside the base. Some struck the area where coalition forces are based, while others fell on a runway used by Iraqi forces. The was no immediate comment from the coalition regarding Saturday's attack. 

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The attack was unusual because it occurred during the day. Previous assaults on military bases housing U.S. troops typically occurred at night.

The previous rocket attack against Camp Taji on Wednesday also killed a British serviceman. It prompted American airstrikes Friday against what U.S. officials said were mainly weapons facilities belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia group believed to be responsible.

However, Iraq's military said those airstrikes killed five security force members and a civilian, while wounding five fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organization including an array of militias, including some Iran-backed groups.

Iran-backed Shiite militia groups vowed to exact revenge for Friday's U.S. strikes, signalling another cycle of tit-for-tat violence between Washington and Tehran that could play out inside Iraq.

America's killing of Iraqi security forces might also give Iran-backed militia groups more reason to stage counterattacks against U.S. troops in Iraq, analysts said.

"We can't forget that the PMF is a recognized entity within the Iraqi security forces; they aren't isolated from the security forces and often are co-located on the same bases or use the same facilities," said Sajad Jiyad, a researcher and former managing director of the Bayan Center, a Baghdad-based think tank.

"Now the (Iran-backed) groups who supported the initial strike in Taji, who were the most outspoken, feel obliged, authorized, maybe even legitimized to respond, ostensibly to protect Iraqi sovereignty but really to keep the pressure up on Americans," he added.

"There are no red lines anymore," Jiyad said.

Wednesday's attack on Camp Taji was the deadliest to target U.S. troops in Iraq since a late December rocket attack on an Iraqi base that killed a U.S. contractor. That attack set in motion a series of attacks that brought Iraq to the brink of war.

After the contractor was killed, America launched airstrikes targeting Kataib Hezbollah, which in turn led to protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. A U.S. drone strike in Baghdad then killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top commander responsible for expeditionary operations across the wider Mideast. Iran struck back with a ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq, the Islamic Republic's most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

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2020-03-14 20:18:46Z
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Spain impose nationwide lockdown due to virus, closes all stores except groceries and pharmacies - CNBC

Spain's government announced Saturday that it is placing tight restrictions on movements and closing restaurants and other establishments in the nation of 46 million people as part of a two-week state of emergency to fight the sharp rise in coronavirus infections.

Spain has followed Italy's path in implementing a similar lockdown after both European countries failed to contain the virus in regional hotspots.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez detailed the battery of exceptional measures in a nationally televised address after holding a Cabinet meeting that lasted over seven hours. The delay was reportedly due to discrepancies in the coalition government of Sanchez's Socialists and the anti-austerity United We Can.

"From now we enter into a new phase," Sanchez said. "We won't hesitate in doing what we need to beat the virus. We are putting health first."

Sanchez added that all police forces, including those run by local authorities, will be put under the orders of the Interior Minister and that the armed forces could be deployed it necessary.

According to the government decree, people will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, commute to work, go to medical centers and banks, or take trips related to the care for the young and the elderly. Those limitations are effective immediately.

Effective immediately, Spain is also closing all restaurants, bars, hotels, schools and universities nationwide, and other non-essential retail outlets, a move some of the hardest-hit communities have already carried out.

Health authorities said Saturday that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, half of them in Madrid, since the first case was detected in Spain in late January. That represents a national increase of over 1,500 in 24 hours.

Sanchez acknowledged on Friday that the number of infections could reach 10,000 in the coming days.

Italy extended the strict restriction on movements from the north to the entire country on March 9 when it registered over 9,000 infections. It then went further on March 11 and closed all retail outlets except some supermarkets and pharmacies.

Spain's central government had been criticized by some regional authorities, who run the nation's decentralized public health system, for taking too long to shut down the entire country.

The decision by Sanchez comes after some regions of Spain with viral clusters had taken steps to close restaurants and other non-essential establishments. The regional leaders of Madrid and northeast Catalonia had criticized Sanchez for taking too long to tighten the screws on transport and restrict the circulation of people.

Residents in Madrid and Barcelona awoke Saturday to shuttered bars and restaurants and other non-essential commercial outlets as ordered by regional authorities the day before.

The normally bustling streets of Spain's two biggest cities were noticeably quieter as the message sinks in that social distancing is the only way to stop the global pandemic after its eruption in China.

The strain on Madrid's medical system had led local authorities to devise a plan to convert hotels into temporary wards to care for less serious patients and clear space in the overburdened critical care areas.

Spooked shoppers packed some supermarkets early in the morning despite calls for calm from authorities and supermarket owners.

Business owners fear that the closures will be crippling, especially in Spain's huge tourism industry, but they are resigned to comply. Even though the airports remained open, some flights bound for Spain turned around as word spread of the lockdown.

"We had to close and remain shut for 15 days," restaurant owner Rachel Paparardo said in Barcelona, Catalonia's largest city. "But this is nothing, it is just so more people don't get infected and we can recover from this."

In the capital, however, the town hall was forced to close parks after many people continued their Saturday morning jogs and other outdoor pastimes. Police in the capital resorted to airborne drones with speakers to urge people to go home in some parks, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

"I live in the city center and I like to see it empty," said Madrid resident Carmen Melon. "I like to see that I think people are being responsible and the people who have to stay at home are doing it. Today I have to work, just one hour, but later I will stay home too."

Sports and television personalities have joined authorities and public health care workers in their pleas for people to remain indoors in order to reduce the spiking contagion curve.

"It is the moment to act responsibility and to stay home," Barcelona star Lionel Messi wrote on Instagram Saturday.

A state of emergency also allows the central government to legally confiscate goods and take over control of industries and private facilities, including private hospitals to boost the robust public system. It's only the second time that the government has evoked it since the return of democracy in the late 1970s. The other was declared during a 2010 air traffic controllers' strike.

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2020-03-14 20:39:51Z
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Coronavirus travel: President Trump considering domestic travel restrictions, adds UK to ban - USA TODAY

Dawn Gilbertson USA TODAY

Published 2:50 PM EDT Mar 14, 2020

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday said the government is considering domestic travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic and added United Kingdom and Irelandto the Europe travel restrictions that went into effect late Friday.

They did not offer specifics ondomestic flight restrictions but Trump said earlier this week that they would be considered if "an area gets a little bit out of control'' in terms of coronavirus cases.

Pence said at a White House news conference Saturday that a "broad range of measures'' are under consideration.

"But no decisions have been made yet,'' he said.

Asked if people should be traveling, Trump recommended against it.

"If you don't have to travel I wouldn’t do it,'' he said. "We want this thing to end. We don't want a lot of people getting infected.''

New United Kingdom and Ireland restrictions

The United Kingdom and Ireland were excluded from the Europe travel ban announced earlier this week but have been added due to a spike in cases there.

The broadened ban means residents of the UK and Ireland will not be allowed to travel to the United States for 30 days beginning late Monday.  

U.S. residents won't be banned from flying to the United States but they will face airport screenings upon their return and will be asked to self quarantine for 14 days.

Officials said U.S. citizens in the UK or Ireland do not need to rush home ahead of the deadline because the ban does not apply to them.

 "They will be allowed into the US,'' Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security said.

In response to the broadened ban and the resulting falloff in travel demand, airlines are likely to sharply cut flights between the US and London and Ireland. Delta and American Airlines, for example, suspended all flights between the United States and the 26 European countries covered by the initial ban. 

Europe travel restrictions: Here's what you need to know

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2020-03-14 18:53:18Z
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President Trump says he has taken the coronavirus test - watch live press conference - CBS News

President Trump said he took the test for the novel coronavirus Friday night, and is awaiting results. 

"I also took the test last night. I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday," Mr. Trump said at a press conference Saturday with members of the Coronavirus Task Force. The president was repeatedly questioned about whether he had taken a test during a press conference Friday. 

"We're using the full power of the federal government to defeat the virus," Mr. Trump said.

Coronavirus: The Race To Respond ›

More in Coronavirus: The Race To Respond

He also urged people not to travel domestically, saying: "If you don't have to travel, I wouldn't do it." Mr. Trump said he was "seriously" considering restricting travel from the UK and Ireland, after he announced travel restrictions from Europe earlier this week. Pence confirmed that restrictions would be put in place. Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that these restrictions do not apply to cargo or to American citizens.

Mr. Trump announced a national emergency on Friday "to unleash the full power of the federal government." Hours later, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation to give direct relief to Americans impacted by the spreading virus, including provisions on free testing and paid sick leave and family leave.

Speaking to the press on Saturday, Mr. Trump called the bill passed in the House "very, very bipartisan," and thanked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for negotiating the package. The Senate is expected to consider the bill next week.

"We want to get it over with quickly, and with very little death," Mr. Trump said about the coronavirus. He also said that "we've created a number of new stars," referring to task force members.

The president also expressed optimism about the stock market, which has fallen in recent weeks, saying he expected a "tremendous bounce" once the crisis has passed.

"I think you're going to have a tremendous bounce when this is over," Mr. Trump said.

On Friday, Mr. Trump announced actions including a public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations. He also denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available. 

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2020-03-14 18:08:00Z
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Trump administration to extend European travel ban to include UK and Ireland - Fox News

The Trump administration will extend its European travel ban to include the U.K. and Ireland as part of continuing efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump said Saturday, before saying he was also looking at the possibility of domestic travel restrictions as well.

“We are looking at it very seriously, yeah, because they’ve had a little bit of activity unfortunately,” he said when asked in the White House briefing room about reports that the European travel ban would be extended. “So we’re going to be looking at that -- we actually already have looked at it and that is going to be announced.”

Asked if he was considering any domestic travel restrictions, Trump said: "Yes, specifically from certain areas, yes we are."

"We're working with the states and we're considering other restrictions, yes," he said.

Vice President Mike Pence confirmed later in the briefing that the travel from U.K. and Ireland would be suspended as of midnight Monday night EDT. He said it was after the unanimous recommendation from health experts at the White House.

EUROPEAN UNION LASHES OUT AT TRUMP OVER TRAVEL BAN AMID CORONAVIRUS CHAOS

Pence emphasized that Americans currently abroad will be allowed to return home, but will be tested for the virus on their return through certain, limited airports. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said that it specifically applies to foreign nationals who have been in the U.K. or Ireland in the last 14 days and that it does not apply to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and foreign diplomats. It also does not apply to cargo.

Wolf also said that major cruise lines have agreed to suspend outbound trips for 30 days, that smaller lines had followed suit, and that in some limited cases the government had given orders to "a small handful" to not sail. Those restrictions began late Friday, he said.

As for whether the administration is considering travel restrictions within the U.S., Pence referred back to Trump's remarks and said "we're considering a broad range of measures, but no decisions have been made yet."

Trump announced late Wednesday that travel from Europe would be restricted for 30 days -- but he initially exempted the U.K. and Ireland. The Department of Homeland Security went on to clarify that the ban affects most foreign nationals who were in Europe’s passport-free “Schengen Area” within 14 days prior to traveling to the U.S.

On Saturday, officials did not explicitly say whether the U.K. and Ireland ban would be subjected to the same 30-day timeframe as the broader ban.

The area in question consists of 26 countries, including France, Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. The Trump administration had slapped a travel ban on foreign nationals who had visited China and Iran last month.

“The U.K. basically has got the border, strong borders and they're doing a very good job, they don't have much infection and hopefully they'll keep it that way,” he said when asked why the U.K. had been exempt.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a close ally of Trump, who has in turn supported Johson's push to take Britain out of the European Union. Critics had questioned whether Britain’s exemption was politically motivated.

The move also provoked anger from European leaders, who said they weren’t consulted and that the global pandemic requires “cooperation rather than unilateral action.”

“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”

In a sign of the increasing measures being taken across the country to protect the public from the coronavirus, all members of the media had their temperatures taken before the briefing -- and one journalist was turned away. Trump said he had his temperature taken as well, and also said he had been tested for the virus.

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"I also took the test," Trump said. "I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday people were asking that I take the test."

Asked about his temperature, Trump told reporters on his way out it was "totally normal." Trump said his coronavirus test has been sent out to a lab and the results will take one or two days.

Fox News' Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.

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2020-03-14 17:59:58Z
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Trump gives update on coronavirus and European travel ban - ABC News

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1. Trump gives update on coronavirus and European travel ban  ABC News
2. Coronavirus Live Updates: Trump Says He’s Been Tested; Outbreak Hits 49 States  The New York Times
3. Europe becomes new coronavirus epicenter  CBS This Morning
4. Coronavirus updates live: Trump reaches aid deal with Democrats as cases mount  NBCNews.com
5. Trump just proved he's finally taking coronavirus seriously. But how much will this late start cost us?  The Independent
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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2020-03-14 17:20:04Z
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