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Coronavirus live updates: WHO declares Covid-19 a pandemic while Italy death toll jumps by 196 Coronavirus live updates: WHO declares pandemic as Italy extends lockdown measures
(32 minutes later)
World Health Organization chief says number of cases reported and number of countries affected ‘doesn’t tell the full story’World Health Organization chief says number of cases reported and number of countries affected ‘doesn’t tell the full story’
Italians are facing up to yet more stringent measures designed to combat the outbreak after learning on Monday they would be placed in lockdown conditions. The country’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has now said shops – barring supermarkets, food stores and chemists – will be shut down, while companies must close all their departments that are not essential to production.
Services such as hairdressers and beauty parlours will also be closed, along with bars and restaurants that cannot guarantee they can keep a distance of at least one metre between customers. Referring to the daily bulletins announcing the number of new cases and deaths, Conte said:
Conte’s office said the new measures would be in force from Thursday until 25 March.
In Sydney, Australia’s most populous city and the centre of the Australian outbreak of Covid-19, the premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian has just announced there are now 77 cases across that state, out of 128 in Australia.
Most of the cases are patients who have travelled overseas or who have had close contact with a confirmed case in Australia.
But NSW’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said there were cases presenting in the state without an obvious epidemiological link, suggesting the Covid-19 was spreading in the community undetected.
Panama’s government has ordered the temporary closure of all schools, public and private, due to coronavirus concerns, its health minister has said.
Olympic organisers have insisted the Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned in July, despite the sharp spike in Covid‑19 cases across the globe.Olympic organisers have insisted the Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned in July, despite the sharp spike in Covid‑19 cases across the globe.
Yoshiro Mori, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief, said his team were not considering changing plans for the Games – and that a board member who had suggested a delay because of the coronavirus had apologised.Yoshiro Mori, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief, said his team were not considering changing plans for the Games – and that a board member who had suggested a delay because of the coronavirus had apologised.
Sources at the International Olympic Committee are also stressing that nothing has changed, with those in the organisation pointing out there is still more than four months before the Games begin.Sources at the International Olympic Committee are also stressing that nothing has changed, with those in the organisation pointing out there is still more than four months before the Games begin.
Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s hint that he could advise against travel to the whole of Europe. The US president said:Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s hint that he could advise against travel to the whole of Europe. The US president said:
The White House’s coronavirus task force is recommending strategies to combat the outbreak in the hard-hit counties of King, Pierce and Snohomish in Washington state and Santa Clara in California.The White House’s coronavirus task force is recommending strategies to combat the outbreak in the hard-hit counties of King, Pierce and Snohomish in Washington state and Santa Clara in California.
In a statement released by the vice president Mike Pence’s office, the task force said its recommendations included workplaces encouraging telework and expanding sick leave policies, and community and faith-based organisations cancelling gatherings “of any size”, Reuters reports.In a statement released by the vice president Mike Pence’s office, the task force said its recommendations included workplaces encouraging telework and expanding sick leave policies, and community and faith-based organisations cancelling gatherings “of any size”, Reuters reports.
Earlier, the UK’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the number of cases could keep rising for months. He has since said he expects the outbreak not to last a year. The Labour MP, Chi Onwurah, asked when public health authorities will know their funding allocations for the next financial year starting in April.Earlier, the UK’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the number of cases could keep rising for months. He has since said he expects the outbreak not to last a year. The Labour MP, Chi Onwurah, asked when public health authorities will know their funding allocations for the next financial year starting in April.
Hancock replied:Hancock replied:
Care homes in the UK could face “very worrying staffing gaps” if the coronavirus outbreak worsens, a think tank is warning.Care homes in the UK could face “very worrying staffing gaps” if the coronavirus outbreak worsens, a think tank is warning.
Helen Buckingham, director of strategy at the Nuffield Trust, raised concerns that if carers are unable to work due to ill-health or their own caring responsibilities, it could have a “knock-on impact”.Helen Buckingham, director of strategy at the Nuffield Trust, raised concerns that if carers are unable to work due to ill-health or their own caring responsibilities, it could have a “knock-on impact”.
Additionally, she said vulnerable people in the social care sector may need to be hospitalised - putting pressure on the health service. It comes following the Budget announcement on Wednesday which made no mention of extra money for social care. Buckingham has said:Additionally, she said vulnerable people in the social care sector may need to be hospitalised - putting pressure on the health service. It comes following the Budget announcement on Wednesday which made no mention of extra money for social care. Buckingham has said:
The coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship entered its third day docked in the port of Oakland, California, with passengers continuing to slowly disembark to quarantine locations outside the city.The coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship entered its third day docked in the port of Oakland, California, with passengers continuing to slowly disembark to quarantine locations outside the city.
When officials made the call to reroute the cruise ship to Oakland instead of to its original destination of San Francisco, they said they based their decision on logistics – the port was larger and had a section that could easily be isolated.When officials made the call to reroute the cruise ship to Oakland instead of to its original destination of San Francisco, they said they based their decision on logistics – the port was larger and had a section that could easily be isolated.
But, to many in Oakland, a historically more racially diverse and impoverished city long overshadowed by its counterpart across the bay, the decision – however rational – opened old wounds, steeped in racial and environmental discrimination. The Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan, has said:But, to many in Oakland, a historically more racially diverse and impoverished city long overshadowed by its counterpart across the bay, the decision – however rational – opened old wounds, steeped in racial and environmental discrimination. The Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan, has said:
In the House of Commons, the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has criticised the decision to keep parliament open.In the House of Commons, the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has criticised the decision to keep parliament open.
Hancock replied:Hancock replied:
A Florida couple onboard a cruise ship stricken with the coronavirus has filed a $1m lawsuit against the boat’s operator, Princess Cruises, for failing to protect passengers amid the global Covid-19 outbreak. The lawsuit filed this week by Ronald and Eva Weissberger in a federal court in Los Angeles reads:A Florida couple onboard a cruise ship stricken with the coronavirus has filed a $1m lawsuit against the boat’s operator, Princess Cruises, for failing to protect passengers amid the global Covid-19 outbreak. The lawsuit filed this week by Ronald and Eva Weissberger in a federal court in Los Angeles reads:
Denmark is to close all schools, universities and day care facilities in the coming days to curb the spread of coronavirus, the country’s prime minister has said. All employees in the public sector with non-critical jobs are to be sent home starting on Friday, Mette Frederiksen added.Denmark is to close all schools, universities and day care facilities in the coming days to curb the spread of coronavirus, the country’s prime minister has said. All employees in the public sector with non-critical jobs are to be sent home starting on Friday, Mette Frederiksen added.
The US president, Donald Trump, has hinted that he may advise Americans not to travel to Europe and will discuss declaring a national emergency when he gives a televised address later on Wednesday. He is due to speak at 8pm EDT (midnight GMT).
Returning to the UK, the Labour MP Maria Eagle has asked the health secretary about the decision to allow Atlético Madrid fans to come to the UK for their team’s Champions League last 16 second leg match:
Hancock replied:
Egypt has registered seven new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 67, its health ministry has said.
Of the total number, at least 45 cases have been detected on a River Nile cruise ship in the popular tourist destination of Luxor, and a German tourist who died in a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
Of the registered cases, 27 people have recovered and eight have been released from a quarantine hospital – including six Egyptians and two foreigners, the health ministry added.
The number of cases in Costa Rica has increased to 22, up from 13, the Central American country’s health ministry has said.
The US state department has decided to suspend non-essential travel and will only permit mission-critical trips, three sources have told Reuters.
One, who spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity, said decisions about travel by employees stationed abroad would be made by US embassies and consulates, while Washington-based staff must obtain approval from their bureau. The agency did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
In France, the health minister Olivier Véran said that, because the virus is not spreading in a uniform way, we have to have specific approach ready everywhere to adapt to the situation.
He outlined two new clusters: in Corsica and around Montpelier in the south of the country, where all schools would be closed until 29 March. Vulnerable people are advised to stay at home.
There would be no external visits to old peoples’ homes for “several weeks”, he said, and “all measures will be taken to make situation more simple for the elderly and their relatives”.
Jérôme Salomon gave the updated figures in France. There are now 2,281 confirmed cases in 10 main cluster in France and 48 deaths, 25 male and 23 female.
Hancock sought to set out advice for staff as he said parliament would stay open. According to parliamentary staff union representatives, they should be allowed to work from home and have not yet been told how to handle thousands of visitors to Westminster during the coronavirus crisis.
Max Freedman, the chair of Unite’s parliamentary branch which represents MPs’ staff, has told the Guardian:
A joint letter to the Commons Speaker Sir Lyndsay Hoyle from the Prospect union, as well as the GMB and PCS unions, demands “clear guidance” on how parliamentary staff, including tourists guides and security guards, can minimise the risk of infection.
Ken Gall, chair of the joint union committee across parliament, wrote that there were many unanswered questions for Parliamentary staff.
While parliamentary staff are still expected to travel to Westminster, at least two government departments have told some staff to work remotely on Friday in preparation for asking thousands of civil servants to stay away from central London offices if the disease spreads dramatically, Whitehall sources have confirmed.
As No 10 begins preparations for allowing most civil servants to work from home, some staff at both the Department of Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Office have been told to stay away but continue to work, sources have said. A cabinet office spokesperson has said:
Referring to the announcement of the latest deaths in the UK, the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, has said:
He refers to the “seventh” and “eighth” deaths – they are the seventh and eighth on UK soil. Two more British people have died while abroad.
Responding to Hunt’s assertion that England’s deputy chief medical officer had said the peak for UK cases could come within the next fortnight, Hancock replied that Dr Jenny Harries had actually said the climb towards the peak is expected to intensify within the next couple of weeks – and it could go on climbing for months.
The former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, asks Hancock if he believes the virus can still be contained in the UK.
Hancock says the WHO’s decision to designate the outbreak as a pandemic means that organisation believes it will spread throughout the world.