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Coronavirus live updates: Justin Trudeau's wife tests positive, Europe shuts schools, sport events cancelled | Coronavirus live updates: Justin Trudeau's wife tests positive, Europe shuts schools, sport events cancelled |
(32 minutes later) | |
Mount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positive | Mount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positive |
Romania’s interim prime minister, Ludovic Orban, announced on Friday that he and other senior party leaders were going into a 14-day self-imposed quarantine after a party colleague tested positive for coronavirus, Kit Gillet reports. | |
The senator, Vergil Chitac, had attended a recent party leadership meeting. | |
Orban also announced that all ministers in his cabinet would be tested for the virus, and would remain isolated in their offices in order to avoid direct contact with others. He recommended that journalists be tested, too. | |
As of Friday afternoon, Romania had 73 confirmed cases of the virus, with no fatalities. Six individual have been discharged from hospital. | |
Schools have already been cancelled across the country, with events of over 100 people banned and museums shut. On Friday, the Romanian Football Federation announced that it was suspending all games until the end of the month. | |
Authorities in France are tightening controls on mass gatherings, limiting numbers to no more than 100, after previously saying no more than a 1,000 would be allowed. | |
The prime minister, Edouard Philippe, told TF1 television that the new limit would come into force immediately. | |
The coronavirus has killed 61 people in France and infected 2,876, according to figures released by the health ministry late on Thursday. | |
Austria has just announced it is following Italy in closing almost all shops except for supermarkets and chemists, Kate Connolly reports. | |
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that the communities of Paznautal and St Anton would be placed under quarantine. | |
The coronavirus epidemic is causing inreased stress and anxiety, particularly among people with existing mental health problems, practitioners and campaigners have said, Jessica Murray and Harriet Sherwood report. | |
Reactions to the crisis can include feeling overwhelmed, fearful, sad, angry and helpless, according to experts. Some people may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating. Fear of contact with others, travelling on public transport or going into public spaces may increase, and some people will have physical symptoms, such as an increased heart rate or upset stomach. | |
The World Health Organization has acknowledged that the crisis is generating stress, and has advised people to avoid watching, reading or listening to news that causes feelings of anxiety or distress. | |
Stephen Buckley, of the mental health charity Mind, said: “We know that the coronavirus and its impact are causing stress and worry for many people. If you already have a mental health problem, it’s possible that the worries of coronavirus may be affecting how you’re coping.” | |
Anyone from anywhere in the world arriving in Malta will have to undergo two weeks of mandatory self-quarantine, the country’s prime minister, Robert Abela, announced on Friday. | |
Anyone breaking the order will face a £1,000 fine for each breach, the Times of Malta reports. Police will carry out spot checks to ensure that the quarantine is observed. The paper quoted Abela as saying: | |
If someone breaches it every day of the quarantine, then they will have to pay €14,000. We will not tolerate people not abiding by quarantine terms. | |
Malta closed all schools, universities and childcare centres earlier this week. | |
Cyprus has been told that a much-anticipated trip to the island by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall next week will be postponed because of the global pandemic, Helena Smith reports. | |
The royals were due to spend three days in the former British colony in a tour that also included visits to Bosnia and Jordan. It was to be the first royal visit since Queen Elizabeth’s trip to Cyprus in 1993. | |
A Clarence House spokesman said: | |
Health authorities in Cyprus’s internationally recognised southern sector have confirmed 14 cases of coronavirus so far. Another five more have been announced in the island’s breakaway Turkish-run north, bringing the total to 19 islandwide. | |
Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, believes more needs to be done to coordinate international action on tackling the coronavirus, his official spokesman has said, Heather Stewart, the Guardian’s political editor, reports. | |
In a briefing to reporters on Friday, his spokesman said: | |
He added that Johnson has discussed the handling of the outbreak with presidents Macron and Trudeau in the past few days, and will hold more talks with leaders today. | |
Former chancellor Alistair Darling told the BBC’s Today on Friday that he was concerned about the lack of coordination. He said: | |
A civil protection plan has been activated by Iñigo Urkullu, the president of the Basque country, which allows the Spanish region’s government to order the confinement of people to stop the spread of the disease. | A civil protection plan has been activated by Iñigo Urkullu, the president of the Basque country, which allows the Spanish region’s government to order the confinement of people to stop the spread of the disease. |
“We need to use all containment and prevention measures as the situation is serious. We’re not over the worst yet,” Urkullu said on Friday morning. | “We need to use all containment and prevention measures as the situation is serious. We’re not over the worst yet,” Urkullu said on Friday morning. |
The Basque country has confirmed 346 cases of the coronavirus, and here have been 11 deaths. | The Basque country has confirmed 346 cases of the coronavirus, and here have been 11 deaths. |
Separately Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warned against all but essential travel to the regions that the Spanish Ministry of Health have designated as areas of community transmission of coronavirus. | Separately Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warned against all but essential travel to the regions that the Spanish Ministry of Health have designated as areas of community transmission of coronavirus. |
They are Madrid and La Rioja, and the municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria (both in the Basque Country) and Miranda de Ebro (in Castilla y León). | They are Madrid and La Rioja, and the municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria (both in the Basque Country) and Miranda de Ebro (in Castilla y León). |
In Scotland, launch events for the Edinburgh International Festival have been cancelled and Scottish football authorities have postponed the rest of the season, following advice from the Scottish government to scrap large gatherings above 500 people. | In Scotland, launch events for the Edinburgh International Festival have been cancelled and Scottish football authorities have postponed the rest of the season, following advice from the Scottish government to scrap large gatherings above 500 people. |
The Edinburgh International Festival announced it will cancel all gatherings associated with its 2020 programme launch, initially set to run from 18th to 25th of March in Edinburgh and London. | The Edinburgh International Festival announced it will cancel all gatherings associated with its 2020 programme launch, initially set to run from 18th to 25th of March in Edinburgh and London. |
Instead the Festival is creating a digital event to be broadcast live on 18th March, 12pm on its Facebook page. | Instead the Festival is creating a digital event to be broadcast live on 18th March, 12pm on its Facebook page. |
Fergus Linehan, festival director at Edinburgh International Festival, said: “At this point, the Festival is almost 5 months away. For now we remain committed to running the International Festival as planned. In hope that the pandemic will be curbed by August, we must continue to provide security for our artists and for our sector. | Fergus Linehan, festival director at Edinburgh International Festival, said: “At this point, the Festival is almost 5 months away. For now we remain committed to running the International Festival as planned. In hope that the pandemic will be curbed by August, we must continue to provide security for our artists and for our sector. |
“We hope that in August, our Festival will provide a much-needed moment of joy after what will have been a challenging summer. To reassure our audiences, we have also revised our refunds policy to offer anyone with Coronavirus related concerns a ticket refund.” | “We hope that in August, our Festival will provide a much-needed moment of joy after what will have been a challenging summer. To reassure our audiences, we have also revised our refunds policy to offer anyone with Coronavirus related concerns a ticket refund.” |
The Scottish FA and Scottish Professional Football League announced the postponement of this weekend’s and following midweek’s fixtures, starting with tonight’s Premiership match between Motherwell and Aberdeen and the Championship match between Queen of the South and Ayr United. | The Scottish FA and Scottish Professional Football League announced the postponement of this weekend’s and following midweek’s fixtures, starting with tonight’s Premiership match between Motherwell and Aberdeen and the Championship match between Queen of the South and Ayr United. |
The suspension will also affect non-professional and grassroots games until further notice, Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA chief executive said. | The suspension will also affect non-professional and grassroots games until further notice, Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA chief executive said. |
Ethiopia has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, Agence-France Presse reports, shortly after Kenya became the first east African country to report a case of the disease. | Ethiopia has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, Agence-France Presse reports, shortly after Kenya became the first east African country to report a case of the disease. |
A 48-year-old Japanese man who had arrived in the country on 4 March 4 from Burkina Faso was confirmed to have contracted the virus, the French news agency reported the Ethiopian health ministry as saying. | A 48-year-old Japanese man who had arrived in the country on 4 March 4 from Burkina Faso was confirmed to have contracted the virus, the French news agency reported the Ethiopian health ministry as saying. |
PA Media reports that a school in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, has been closed due to a case of coronavirus. Lanark Grammar school in Lanark was closed by South Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire. | PA Media reports that a school in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, has been closed due to a case of coronavirus. Lanark Grammar school in Lanark was closed by South Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire. |
Dr John Logan, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, said: | Dr John Logan, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, said: |
Tony McDaid, executive director for education at South Lanarkshire council, said: | Tony McDaid, executive director for education at South Lanarkshire council, said: |
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to Madrid and some other regions of Spain. | The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to Madrid and some other regions of Spain. |
Turkey has announced its second confirmed case of Covid-19, two days after the virus finally reached the tourism and travel hub, Bethan McKernan, the Guardian’s Turkey and Middle East correspondent, reports. | Turkey has announced its second confirmed case of Covid-19, two days after the virus finally reached the tourism and travel hub, Bethan McKernan, the Guardian’s Turkey and Middle East correspondent, reports. |
The new patient is a relative of the first, who contracted the novel coronavirus after a visit to Europe. Both are in isolation and are in a stable condition, health minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday morning. | The new patient is a relative of the first, who contracted the novel coronavirus after a visit to Europe. Both are in isolation and are in a stable condition, health minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday morning. |
The new case follows extra measures announced Thursday evening by Ibrahim Kalin, a senior aide to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to contain the spread of the virus. | The new case follows extra measures announced Thursday evening by Ibrahim Kalin, a senior aide to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to contain the spread of the virus. |
Turkey’s spring school holiday will be moved up one week to 16 March, after which there will be at least one week of online remote teaching. Universities will also be closed for at least three weeks from Monday and all sports events will take place without spectators until the end of April. | Turkey’s spring school holiday will be moved up one week to 16 March, after which there will be at least one week of online remote teaching. Universities will also be closed for at least three weeks from Monday and all sports events will take place without spectators until the end of April. |
Turkey, a tourist hub linking Europe and western Asia, had around 50 million visitors last year. It also hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, including some 3.5 million Syrians. Aid agencies have warned of possibly catastrophic consequences if the coronavirus reaches vulnerable undocumented and refugee populations in the region. | Turkey, a tourist hub linking Europe and western Asia, had around 50 million visitors last year. It also hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, including some 3.5 million Syrians. Aid agencies have warned of possibly catastrophic consequences if the coronavirus reaches vulnerable undocumented and refugee populations in the region. |
Hospitals in Istanbul and the capital Ankara have been set up to test and quarantine patients suspected of having the virus. | Hospitals in Istanbul and the capital Ankara have been set up to test and quarantine patients suspected of having the virus. |
The border with Iran, one of the worst affected countries, remains shut, and flights to several destinations with high rates of infection were cancelled last month. International travel for public servants is now under review. | The border with Iran, one of the worst affected countries, remains shut, and flights to several destinations with high rates of infection were cancelled last month. International travel for public servants is now under review. |
On Thursday, Kalin also advised against all travel excluding extraordinary circumstances and 14-day self-quarantine on return to Turkey for all citizens and foreigners. | On Thursday, Kalin also advised against all travel excluding extraordinary circumstances and 14-day self-quarantine on return to Turkey for all citizens and foreigners. |
Erdoğan is still set to meet with his German and French counterparts in Istanbul next Tuesday, as well as possibly Boris Johnson, for talks on the fighting in Syria’s Idlib province. | Erdoğan is still set to meet with his German and French counterparts in Istanbul next Tuesday, as well as possibly Boris Johnson, for talks on the fighting in Syria’s Idlib province. |