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Coronavirus live updates: Trump suspends all travel from Europe to US for 30 days, excluding UK Coronavirus live updates: Trump suspends all travel from Europe to US for 30 days, excluding UK
(32 minutes later)
Global recession fears intensify; Tom Hanks tests positive in Australia; NBA basketball season suspended indefinitely. Follow the latest.Global recession fears intensify; Tom Hanks tests positive in Australia; NBA basketball season suspended indefinitely. Follow the latest.
Here’s the latest on Formula 1 coronavirus news:
Amid fears that the coronavirus is already spreading in the Formula One paddock at the Australian Grand Prix, the world champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is “shocked” the race is going ahead.
Up to eight team members have now been tested for the coronavirus and placed into self-isolation as further doubt is cast over the running of the race on Sunday. Hamilton delivered a withering assessment of why he believed the meeting was taking place, commenting that “cash is king”.
With European markets opening shortly, her is a brief look at what the reaction to Trump’s measures – as well as the Australian government’s stimulus package – have been in Australia.
Panic selling drove Australian shares down 7.36% on Thursday after the market gave the thumbs down to a government stimulus package before being electrified by a sweeping ban on European travel imposed by US president Donald Trump.
More than 25% of the market’s value, or more than $520bn (US$335bn), has been wiped from the value of Australian shares since 21 February, when coronavirus chaos began to grip the market.
The steep fall – the second of more than 7% this week and the worst single day plunge since the global financial crisis – once again battered airlines, travel agents and mining stocks, but no sector of the economy was immune to the punishment.
Preventing Japanese from gathering to enjoy cherry blossom season because of coronavirus would be like “taking hugs away from Italians,” the governor of Tokyo said on Thursday.
Yuriko Koike however urged people to refrain from traditional “hanami” parties where friends and family gather under cherry blossom trees for food and drink, AFP reports.
After a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Koike said: “We discussed what to do with hanami. It is open-air. The metropolitan government wants people to admire the flowers.”
“I think taking hanami away from the Japanese is like taking away hugs from Italians,” she said.
“But we would like to ask people to refrain from, for example, spreading blue tarps and enjoying fun parties at Ueno Park like every year,” she added, referring to a large central Tokyo park popular with revellers.
Meteorologists expect cherry blossoms to begin blooming around March 17 in Tokyo.
More on actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who announced today that they have tested positive for coronavirus while in Australia. The Guardian can confirm that the couple is now in isolation in a hospital on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Here’s everything we know so far:
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be tested for the new coronavirus Thursday after he meets with Cabinet officials who were exposed to infected people and have now self-quarantined, officials said Thursday.
Duterte has no symptoms of Covid-19 but wanted to make sure he is healthy and could continue to engage with the public.
Philippine health officials have reported 49 cases of infections and two people, a Chinese and a Filipino, have died.Duterte on Monday declared a state of public health emergency when the number of people infected with coronavirus rose to 33 from just 3 cases last week.
Meanwhile in Formula One news from Australia, Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says:
“I am really very surprised that we are here. For me it is shocking that we are all sitting in this room (press conference).”
More F1 team members were tested for the coronavirus at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne earlier today, as further doubt was cast on the running of this weekend’s race. No results have yet been made available.
Two members of the Haas team and one from McLaren, who were identified with fever symptoms on Wednesday, underwent tests for the coronavirus before going into self-isolation.
We’ll have more on this shortly.
As Europe wakes up, we’re seeing more reaction to Donald Trump’s travel ban announced late on Wednesday from the Oval Office.
The ban, in case you’re just joining us is on foreign citizens entering the US if they have been in Europe in recent weeks.
The 30-day curbs, starting Friday, exclude Britain, Ireland and other countries outside the European Schengen passport-free travel area.
European Council president Charles Michael tweeted a few minutes ago:
China is focusing on restarting factories and businesses hit by strict containment policies which prevented millions of people from travelling and returning to work after extended China Lunar New Year holidays.China is focusing on restarting factories and businesses hit by strict containment policies which prevented millions of people from travelling and returning to work after extended China Lunar New Year holidays.
Factory activity plunged to its worst level on record in February, and while more businesses have reopened in recent weeks as containment measures are eased, analysts do not expect activity to return to normal levels until April.Factory activity plunged to its worst level on record in February, and while more businesses have reopened in recent weeks as containment measures are eased, analysts do not expect activity to return to normal levels until April.
Airlines were hit particularly hard during the last several weeks, with Chinese airlines reporting a total loss of 20.96 billion yuan in February. The total number of airline passengers last month fell 84.5% year-on-year in comparison to the same time last year, China’s aviation regulator said Thursday. The Hubei government on Wednesday said Wuhan will allow some key industries to resume work.Airlines were hit particularly hard during the last several weeks, with Chinese airlines reporting a total loss of 20.96 billion yuan in February. The total number of airline passengers last month fell 84.5% year-on-year in comparison to the same time last year, China’s aviation regulator said Thursday. The Hubei government on Wednesday said Wuhan will allow some key industries to resume work.
Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has announced further restrictions on certain goods amid wide-spread panic buying in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has announced further restrictions on certain goods amid wide-spread panic buying in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
On Thursday the company announced it would begin rationing tissues, hand sanitiser, paper towels and rice. It also announced a further restriction on the sale of toilet paper. The company had previously introduced a four-pack per person limit on toilet paper after shelves were left bare by shoppers fearing being caught without a domestic essential.On Thursday the company announced it would begin rationing tissues, hand sanitiser, paper towels and rice. It also announced a further restriction on the sale of toilet paper. The company had previously introduced a four-pack per person limit on toilet paper after shelves were left bare by shoppers fearing being caught without a domestic essential.
The new limits are:The new limits are:
Tissues - two pack limit per shopTissues - two pack limit per shop
Paper towel, serviettes and wipes - one pack limit per shopPaper towel, serviettes and wipes - one pack limit per shop
Toilet paper - one pack limit per shopToilet paper - one pack limit per shop
Hand sanitiser - two unit limit per shopHand sanitiser - two unit limit per shop
Bulk rice (2kg+) - one pack limit per shopBulk rice (2kg+) - one pack limit per shop
China had eight new coronavirus infections in Hubei province as of the end of Wednesday, the first time the epicentre of the pandemic recorded a daily tally in single-digits, as more businesses reopened with local authorities cautiously easing strict containment measures.China had eight new coronavirus infections in Hubei province as of the end of Wednesday, the first time the epicentre of the pandemic recorded a daily tally in single-digits, as more businesses reopened with local authorities cautiously easing strict containment measures.
As the spread of the virus continues to slow, Hubei province announced on Thursday a further loosening of travel restrictions and will also allow some industries to resume production in two of its cities and two counties.As the spread of the virus continues to slow, Hubei province announced on Thursday a further loosening of travel restrictions and will also allow some industries to resume production in two of its cities and two counties.
Hubei’s economy, driven by manufacturing and trade, including a sizable auto sector in the provincial capital Wuhan, had been virtually shuttered. Wuhan reported all of the new cases on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Outside of Hubei, mainland China had seven new cases, including six cases imported from abroad. Overall, the 15 new confirmed cases in mainland China on Wednesday was a drop from 24 cases a day earlier. That brings the total number of confirmed cases recorded in mainland China to 80,793. As of Tuesday, 62,793 people have recovered and been discharged from hospital, or nearly 80% of the overall infections. As of the end of Wednesday, the death toll in mainland China had reached 3,169, up by 11 from the previous day. Hubei accounted for 10 of the new deaths, including seven in Wuhan.Hubei’s economy, driven by manufacturing and trade, including a sizable auto sector in the provincial capital Wuhan, had been virtually shuttered. Wuhan reported all of the new cases on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Outside of Hubei, mainland China had seven new cases, including six cases imported from abroad. Overall, the 15 new confirmed cases in mainland China on Wednesday was a drop from 24 cases a day earlier. That brings the total number of confirmed cases recorded in mainland China to 80,793. As of Tuesday, 62,793 people have recovered and been discharged from hospital, or nearly 80% of the overall infections. As of the end of Wednesday, the death toll in mainland China had reached 3,169, up by 11 from the previous day. Hubei accounted for 10 of the new deaths, including seven in Wuhan.
A dramatic attempt by Donald Trump to limit the spread of coronavirus by banning travel to the US from most of Europe for 30 days has failed to stem heavy losses on financial markets and prompted one top economist to warn that a global recession was now “highly probable”.A dramatic attempt by Donald Trump to limit the spread of coronavirus by banning travel to the US from most of Europe for 30 days has failed to stem heavy losses on financial markets and prompted one top economist to warn that a global recession was now “highly probable”.
In a sombre primetime address from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, the US president boasted that the travel ban and series of other measures designed to cushion the economic blow of the outbreak amounted to “the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in history”.In a sombre primetime address from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, the US president boasted that the travel ban and series of other measures designed to cushion the economic blow of the outbreak amounted to “the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in history”.
But Asian stock markets and Wall Street futures trading plunged deep into the red even as Trump laid out his plans, with investors betting that the $250bn package would not be enough to reverse the creeping shutdown of the world’s largest economy.But Asian stock markets and Wall Street futures trading plunged deep into the red even as Trump laid out his plans, with investors betting that the $250bn package would not be enough to reverse the creeping shutdown of the world’s largest economy.
Here’s the latest on Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson who, in case you are just joining us, have confirmed that they have tested positive for coronavirus while in Australia to film the Baz Luhrmann production Elvis.
Australia’s Channel Nine presenters David Campbell and Belinda Russell are being tested for coronavirus because they interviewed Rita Wilson at the network’s Sydney studios on Monday.
Campbell, Russell and a number of unnamed Nine staff who came into contact with the visiting singer and producer have gone into self-isolation and are being tested.
Campbell told 2GB Wilson did not shake hands when she came to Nine on Monday.
“She came into the Today Extra studios on Monday and she was delightful and really nice and she didn’t have any symptoms of anything,” Campbell said.
“She was cautious. She actually made a joke coming into the studios, saying we shouldn’t shake hands, we should bump elbows. So we bumped elbows.”
Late on Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump announced in an address from the Oval Office that he was introducing a travel ban from Europe – not including the UK or non-Schengen Travel Area states – to the US.
The United States did not coordinate on the sweeping restriction aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus with European officials before Trump announced it, a European diplomat told Reuters.
The ban on foreign citizens entering the country if they have been in Europe in recent weeks will heap more pressure on airlines already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, analysts said, hitting European carriers the hardest. The 30-day curbs from Friday, which exclude Britain, Ireland and other countries outside the European Schengen passport-free travel area, are similar to those that went into effect targeting China on 1 February. Combined with a fresh U.S. State Department advisory asking citizens to reconsider the need to travel globally, the move could create chaos at dozens of airports across Europe as passengers attempt a last-minute rush to fly to the United States before the ban takes effect. As well as slashing arrivals, the move is set to decimate spending by European tourists in the United States. There were 5.8 million arrivals from the biggest markets of Germany, France, Italy and Spain in 2018, according to U.S. data, which said they spent nearly $22 billion combined.
The dollar slid on Thursday, after President Donald Trump disappointed markets with a coronavirus plan light on details, Reuters reports. The greenback dropped 1% to 103.32 yen, fell as much as 0.6% to $1.1333 against the euro and lost 0.6% to the safe-haven Swiss franc, while stocks plunged. Trump announced on Wednesday a ban on travellers from 26 European countries entering the United States for a month.
He unveiled economic steps to counter the virus but his address from the Oval Office was light on medical measures beyond assurances that “the virus has no chance against us”. “The market was looking for more,” said Moh Siong Sim, currency strategist at the Bank of Singapore. “A travel ban is part of the solution, but the more important parts are still missing. They are really the public health measures: Paid sick leave, free testing, free treatment,” he said. Futures markets reacted swiftly. They are now pricing in the US Federal Reserve moving the lower end of its benchmark funding band to zero when it meets next week, if not before. “The deflationary shock that we had assumed would trigger a US entry into the zero-yield world is turning out to be a combo of trade war, oil price war and Covid-19 virus,” J.P. Morgan’s long-term strategists Jan Loeys and Shiny Kundu said in a note. “(There are) close to even odds now of an official US recession this year.”
In Australia, the ASX has closed down 7.36%, in a blow to the country’s share market representing more than AU$100bn ($US65bn) in losses.
The United States did not coordinate on a sweeping restriction on European travel aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus with European officials before U.S. President Donald Trump announced it late on Wednesday, a European diplomat told Reuters.
Trump, in a televised address, said his government had been in frequent contact with U.S. allies on the 30-day restriction, but European Union officials were not notified about the decision ahead of time, said the diplomat, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “There was no heads-up, no coordination as the president claimed,” the diplomat said. No comment was immediately available on the decision from the EU delegation in Washington. Trump’s order curbing travel from Europe to the United States, except from Britain, beginning on Friday, could complicate already strained trade ties between Brussels and Washington. EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan canceled a scheduled visit to Washington for next week earlier on Wednesday. After sowing confusion by suggesting that *trade and cargo* from Europe would also be banned, Trump later clarified that *trade will in no way be affected* by the restriction. In fact, the travel curbs will sharply curtail trade in services.
Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 70, health officials said.
All of the new patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection. “The Hong Kong tourist came alone and already went back. The 11 infected are all Thai,” said Sopon Iamsirithawon, director-general of the Communicable Diseases Department. It was the biggest jump in cases for weeks in Thailand, which was one of the first countries outside China to report infections of the new COVID-19 virus that has since swept much of the world.
Rural Australian pharmacists are struggling to source essential medications due to overwhelming demand on wholesalers amid the coronavirus crisis, the Guardian’s Felicity Nelson reports.
The spread of Covid-19 has not yet caused a national shortage of medications and experts say there is no need whatsoever to panic buy.
But the flood of orders from pharmacies has led to temporary shortages in some rural areas.At least three major drug wholesalers have written to pharmacists warning of unprecedented demands for stock and apologising for supply chain challenges, according to documents seen by The Medical Republic and shared with Guardian Australia.
On Today’s episode of Science Weekly Extra: what happens once someone is infected with the new coronavirus?
Following our first Covid-19 episode last week, we received an incredible response, with so many interesting new areas to explore. One of those was what exactly happens once someone is infected with this new virus. As Nicola Davis find outs, whilst scientists are still racing to figure the exact details out, insights can be gleaned from other viral infections like influenza.
Australia has extended its existing travel ban for China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, and is reviewing whether to extend a travel ban to Europe.
AAP has meanwhile reported that the Australian Capital Territory has confirmed its first case of Covid-19.
The man aged in his 30s was tested for Covid-19 at the Weston Creek Walk-in Centre clinic on Wednesday, with the positive result confirmed on Thursday.
He’s being treated at Canberra Hospital and precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of staff and the broader community.
On Thursday the national security committee of cabinet met and decided to extend the existing ban on travel from China, Iran, South Korea and Italy by one week.
Under the rules of the travel ban:
Foreign nationals are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they left the affected country;
Australian citizens and permanent residents are able to enter Australia but are required to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the day they left the affected country.
In Sydney, Australia, somebody has used skywriting to remind the city’s people to “Wash hands”.