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Coronavirus: Italy death toll rises to 34 as Dominican Republic reports first case – latest updates Coronavirus: Italy death toll rises to 34 as Dominican Republic reports first case – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
US, Australia and Thailand also report first deaths from coronavirus while bans are put in place around the world on large gatherings. Follow live newsUS, Australia and Thailand also report first deaths from coronavirus while bans are put in place around the world on large gatherings. Follow live news
The number of cases in France has increased to 130, the head of the public health service has said.
The Trump administration has accused the public of overreacting to the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, and insisted that stocks would bounce back.
The S&P 500 index dropped 11.5% last week as coronavirus spread - the worst weekly drop since the 2008 global financial crisis.
“The stock market that saw some downturns this week, it will come back,” Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the government’s response to the virus, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The fundamentals of this economy are strong.” he added.
Pence also said the government was doing “everything possible” to prevent the virus from spreading and that he was “confident” the United States was prepared.
U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar told Fox News Sunday that the public was over-reacting to the current threat.
The situation in the US
A Washington man in his 50s with underlying health conditions was the first American to die from the virus, officials confirmed on Saturday. How the man contracted the virus is still not known.
Over the weekend, new cases were confirmed in Chicago and Rhode Island.
Morocco is set to postpone sports and cultural events over coronavirus fears, the government health committee has announced. It’s currently unclear how widespread this measure will be.
Morocco says it has tested 25 people suspected of having the coronavirus but all have been negative, and the country does not have any confirmed cases.
Oman has suspended Italian tourist flights from Salala airport for a month, in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus.
Qatar has also announced a temporary ban on visitors from Egypt via intermediate points, the state news agency reported on Sunday.
Two new cases were confirmed in Qatar on Sunday, bringing its total to 3.
A school in Dublin is set to close for two weeks after a student tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Irish Times.
The teenager is the first person in the Republic of Ireland to test positive for the virus, and the case was announced on Saturday evening. The individual became ill in recent days after returning from Italy and is currently in isolation in a Dublin hospital.
Students at the school are being told to self-isolate at home if they start presenting symptoms.
The Dominican Republic has confirmed its first case of coronavirus – a tourist visiting the country from Italy.The Dominican Republic has confirmed its first case of coronavirus – a tourist visiting the country from Italy.
The patient is a 62-year-old man, who is in a stable condition. He has been taken to an isolation room in a military hospital near the capital, the country’s health minister, Rafael Sanchez, said at a press conference.The patient is a 62-year-old man, who is in a stable condition. He has been taken to an isolation room in a military hospital near the capital, the country’s health minister, Rafael Sanchez, said at a press conference.
Another tourist, a 56-year-old man from France, is under observation at hospital and awaiting test results for coronavirus.Another tourist, a 56-year-old man from France, is under observation at hospital and awaiting test results for coronavirus.
On Friday, the Dominican Republic cancelled all flights from Milan for 30 days. The government also said that all travellers retuning from Italy would have to undergo epidemiological reviews at airports.On Friday, the Dominican Republic cancelled all flights from Milan for 30 days. The government also said that all travellers retuning from Italy would have to undergo epidemiological reviews at airports.
Non-essential British embassy staff in Tehran are being withdrawn with immediate effect due to the virus, Sky news are reporting. Non-essential British embassy staff in Tehran are being withdrawn with immediate effect due to the virus, Sky News are reporting.
Speaking at a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale, north London, Boris Johnson praised the work of Public Health England. Speaking at a laboratory at the Public Health England national infection service in Colindale, north London, Boris Johnson praised the work of PHE.
He said there were likely to be more cases of coronavirus but said: “we’ve got a great plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus and I’m confident that in the NHS we’ve got professionals who are able to cope with it.” He said there were likely to be more cases of coronavirus but said: “We’ve got a great plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus and I’m confident that in the NHS we’ve got professionals who are able to cope with it.”
He also gave tips for stopping the spread of coronavirus:He also gave tips for stopping the spread of coronavirus:
The Prime Minister will be chairing another COBRA meeting on coronavirus tomorrow. “We will be setting out the various measures in the way public should be responding, and public bodies should be responding.” “The best way we can help the NHS and help ourselves to stop the spread of the illness is to wash our hands. It’s 20 seconds, it’s two times happy birthday. With hot water and soap.”
The prime minister will be chairing another Cobra meeting on coronavirus on Monday. “We will be setting out the various measures in the way public should be responding, and public bodies should be responding.”
He wouldn’t be drawn on the details of what these measures might look like. “I don’t want to go now into the kind of things that might be necessary,” he said. “There’ll be questions we might need to consider about very big public events.”He wouldn’t be drawn on the details of what these measures might look like. “I don’t want to go now into the kind of things that might be necessary,” he said. “There’ll be questions we might need to consider about very big public events.”
Boris Johnson also said the government may need to consider closing schools, but expressed that he wanted them to remain open and did not want children to be sent home “unnecessarily”. Johnson also said the government may need to consider closing schools, but expressed that he wanted them to remain open and did not want children to be sent home “unnecessarily”.
“Coronavirus is of concern, but we amply have the resources to deal with it. Believe me, we are going to beat this,” he said.“Coronavirus is of concern, but we amply have the resources to deal with it. Believe me, we are going to beat this,” he said.
The number of confirmed cases in Italy has risen to almost 1,700, and the death toll has increased by five to 34, Reuters reports.The number of confirmed cases in Italy has risen to almost 1,700, and the death toll has increased by five to 34, Reuters reports.
There were 1,128 cases and 29 death as of last night.There were 1,128 cases and 29 death as of last night.
This is the largest jump the spread of the virus in one day, Sky News says.This is the largest jump the spread of the virus in one day, Sky News says.
Good evening, I’m Molly Blackall, taking over the live coverage of coronavirus for the next few hours.Good evening, I’m Molly Blackall, taking over the live coverage of coronavirus for the next few hours.
If you spot something I miss, do drop me a tweet: @mollyblackall.If you spot something I miss, do drop me a tweet: @mollyblackall.
Boris Johnson has been on a visit to laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale, north London.Boris Johnson has been on a visit to laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale, north London.
Iraq has reported six new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of cases there to 19, Reuters reports citing the health ministry.
The WHO’s director of pandemic diseases, Sylvie Briand, is endorsing the elbow bump and footshakes as safer alternatives to shaking hands.
A patient who has tested positive for coronavirus in Rotterdam, had been staying for a week at another hospital in the Netherlands, the news site Nu.nl reports.
The patient had stayed at the Beatrix hospital in nearby Gorchem, for a week without being tested, the site said. The hospital did not respond to comment but said it is closed to visitors and new patients.
The reason the Louvre in Paris was forced to close on Sunday (see earlier) was that staff refused to work due to coronavirus fears, AFP reports.
Around 300 staff met in the morning and voted “almost unanimously” not to open, Christian Galani of the CGT labour union told AFP, leaving many would-be visitors disappointed..
Louvre management later confirmed the museum was closed for the entire day, and said it would refund ticket-holders.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and will keep you informed as the situation develops,” the museum said on its website.
On Saturday, the government announced several measures to try and curb the outbreak in France, including cancelling all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces.
“The Louvre is a confined space which welcomes more than 5,000 people a day,” said Galani, adding: “there is real concern on the part of staff.”
One of the people who has tested positive for the virus was a resident of Bradford who had travelled to Italy while two others are from Leeds and had travelled to Iran.
Dr Simon Padfield, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health England Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with three cases of Covid-19 confirmed in West Yorkshire.
“One of the cases is a resident of Bradford who became infected whilst in Italy and the other two cases are residents of Leeds who both became infected whilst in Iran.”
And after a case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Essex, Public Health England (PHE) East said “close contacts” of the patient were being given health advice about symptoms.
Dr David Edwards, consultant in health protection, said: “Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19 who is an Essex resident.
The Czech Republic has confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said on Sunday.
Health officials said at a news conference the three patients showed mild symptoms and had travelled from places in northern Italy.
China has confirmed two new cases on Covid-19 from people who had travelled to Iran.
Preventing a Covid-19 epidemic in the UK is looking increasingly unlikely, according to Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, University of East Anglia.
Today’s sharp increase in confirmed cases in the UK shows the country is entering the “next stage of the epidemic” he said.
In remarks distributed by the Science Media Centre, Prof Hunter added:
Swansea council says its schools will open as normal on Monday despite a confirmd case of covid-10 case in the city - the first in Wales.
In a statement it the risk of catching the virus remains low and “no extra measures” need to be taken beyond those set out by Public Health Wales.