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Coronavirus live updates: US suspends all travel from Europe for 30 days, excluding UK Coronavirus live updates: US suspends all travel from Europe for 30 days, excluding UK
(32 minutes later)
Tom Hanks tests positive, US NBA basketball season suspended indefinitely, as WHO declares pandemic. Follow the latest.Tom Hanks tests positive, US NBA basketball season suspended indefinitely, as WHO declares pandemic. Follow the latest.
In New Zealand, the ministry of health said there had been no new cases of coronavirus for the fifth consecutive day in a row.
The two people who had been hospitalised for the virus were now recovering at home.
Yesterday around the country 100 tests for the virus took place around the country, the ministry of heath’s Ashley Bloomfield said. Daily monitoring of those in self-isolation was “usually a phone call” he said.Around 9000 people are currently in self-isolation in New Zealand, and the director said there had been no reports of non-compliance. “We’re operating in an environment where it’s high trust,” Bloomfield said, though his ministry were conducting research into how to “force” people into self-isolation if they needed too.
In Australia, travel agencies and airlines are among Australian stocks smashed by Donald Trump’s decision to close US borders to travel from Europe.
Flight Centre stock tumbled almost 18% by 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon while online rival Webjet was down 14.6%. Shares in Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, were down 10.4%.All three stocks have been consistently sold down since the market first began its coronavirus slide on 21 February.The stockmarket sell-off, which began as Australian prime minister Scott Morrison unveiled a stimulus package with little in it for ordinary workers, has gripped the entire market.Just two stocks recorded small rises – contractor Cimic Group, formerly known as Leighton Holdings, and medical imaging software group Pro Medicus, which bounced back after a savaging on Wednesday.
Back to US president Donald Trump’s remarks earlier.
The White House has clarified one of the key details about Trump’s measures. The president said that trade and cargo from Europe would be banned along with passengers. But the administration later said that the president misspoke and that trade would continue between the US and Europe.Trump himself also clarified this point via Twitter:
The total number of coronavirus cases worldwide now stands at 126,135, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
These are the highest infection figures globally:
Two more Formula One team members have been tested for the coronavirus at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, taking the total having undergone checks for the infection to five.
The race weekend begins in earnest with the first free practice session on Friday afternoon, with no indication that racing will be cancelled.
In the Philippines, staff at the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) headquarters in Manila are working from home after a visitor to the bank tested positive for Covid-19.
“The Bank’s Manila headquarters facility will be closed from 12 March to undertake cleaning and disinfecting. Bank operations will continue. ADB Management will make a decision in coming days on when to reopen the Bank premises,” the bank said in a statement.
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, marked his 3,000th day in office battling the coronavirus’s effects on the world’s third-biggest economy and speculation that this summer’s Tokyo Olympics could be cancelled or postponed.
Abe, who became the longest-serving leader last November - after two separate periods in office - this week announced 1tn yen (US$9.6 bn) in emergency funds for businesses hit by the coronavirus outbreak. The package includes 500 billion yen in zero-interest loans for small and medium-sized firms who suffer cash shortages due to dramatic declines in sales.
Japan’s health and welfare ministry on Thursday said it had confirmed a further 50 cases of the virus, bringing the country’s total to 620. Fifteen people have died from Covid-19 in Japan. The ministry’s figures do not include almost 700 cases and six deaths among passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined in Yokohama for more than two weeks.
South Korea has reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus, as well as six more deaths, bringing the country’s total number of infections to 7,869, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Thursday.South Korea has reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus, as well as six more deaths, bringing the country’s total number of infections to 7,869, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Thursday.
The new cases, detected on Wednesday and reported Thursday morning, marked the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks. Sixty-six people have died from the illness in South Korea, where more than 60% of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, a city of 2.5 million people in the country’s south-east.Of the new cases reported on Thursday, 73 were in Daegu and eight were in nearby North Gyeongsang province, the KCDC said.The new cases, detected on Wednesday and reported Thursday morning, marked the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks. Sixty-six people have died from the illness in South Korea, where more than 60% of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, a city of 2.5 million people in the country’s south-east.Of the new cases reported on Thursday, 73 were in Daegu and eight were in nearby North Gyeongsang province, the KCDC said.
In Australia, Triple J host Avani Dias is reporting that a person who attended a Melbourne music festival with a crowd of 12,000 has tested positive for coronavirus.In Australia, Triple J host Avani Dias is reporting that a person who attended a Melbourne music festival with a crowd of 12,000 has tested positive for coronavirus.
The Australian sharemarket is continuing to fall following US president Donald Trump’s announcement he was banning travel from Europe (except the UK).At around 1pm on Thursday the benchmark ASX200 was down more than 7%.The Australian sharemarket is continuing to fall following US president Donald Trump’s announcement he was banning travel from Europe (except the UK).At around 1pm on Thursday the benchmark ASX200 was down more than 7%.
Actor Rita Wilson’s recent Instagram posts before she and husband Tom Hanks announced that they have been infected with coronavirus show her in front of the Sydney Opera House.Actor Rita Wilson’s recent Instagram posts before she and husband Tom Hanks announced that they have been infected with coronavirus show her in front of the Sydney Opera House.
She also performed songs from her new album at the Sydney Opera House on 7 March.She also performed songs from her new album at the Sydney Opera House on 7 March.
She also appeared on Australia’s Today Show on 9 March.She also appeared on Australia’s Today Show on 9 March.
Two hours ago she posted a video of her performance on the show.Two hours ago she posted a video of her performance on the show.
Here are the main takeaways from US president Donald Trump’s address earlier today, in which he announced a travel ban on flights from Europe – not including the UK – to the US for 30 days.
Here is everything we know about Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s coronavirus diagnosis so far:
In the US, the NBA announced that it will suspend the season after Wednesday night’s games until further notice, as it deals with the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement came after a player on the Utah Jazz preliminarily tested positive for covid-19 ahead of a game between that team and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game was called off moments before tip-off, and the player had not been in the arena.
The league said it would use the hiatus to determine next steps amid the pandemic.
In Australia, production on the Baz Luhrmann film actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are in the country to film had been set to begin on Monday.
In the film, Elvis, slated for 2021, Hanks is set to play Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager.
In a statement the US production company behind the film, Warner Bros, said it was “taking precautions” to protect its employees.
“The health and safety of our company members is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world,” the company said in a statement provided to the New York Times.
A few reactions now as the world learns that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for coronavirus in Australia:
The Australian market has fallen further after US president Donald Trump announced the country would close its borders to Europe, excluding the UK.After dropping throughout the morning as the Australian government announced a stimulus package, the benchmark ASX200 index took an additional tumble at lunchtime on Thursday to be down about 3.9% for the day.
The news that Tom Hanks has tested positive for coronavirus in Australia now brings into focus where the actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, who has also tested positive have been spending their last few days.
Hanks’ most recent Tweet before the announcement that he had the virus today was on March 8th, from Bondi Beach in Sydney:
A little more on Tom Hanks confirming he and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for coronavirus in Australia:
Hanks posted a photograph from a Gold Coast hospital.Hanks and Wilson are in Australia filming Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film.
Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have coronavirus. He wrote in a post on Instagram:
“Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.”
Asian stock markets fell sharply as Donald Trump addressed the US from the Oval office.The ASX200 in Sydney, which had edged back up after a rough start to the day, dropped around 1% to 2.5%. The Nikkei is Tokyo made a similar move to 2.54% down for the day.US futures dropped from -0.2% to -1.2%.
The travel ban from Europe also very bad news for European airlines. The Atlantic route is the most profitable in the world. Good news for British Airways though that UK exempted.