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Coronavirus live news: UK local and mayoral elections postponed to 2021, as WHO calls Europe 'centre of pandemic' Coronavirus live news: UK local and mayoral elections postponed to 2021, as WHO calls Europe 'centre of pandemic'
(32 minutes later)
Mount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positiveMount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positive
The US president says the step will “open up access to up to $50bn” and ordered all 50 states to set up centres to deal with the virus and activate contingency plans.
Trump is speaking now. He opens by saying the US has made more progress than “other areas of the world”, attributing that to an “early” decision to “close the borders”.
Denmark is shutting its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday, in a move unprecedented in peacetime as part of efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus.
The restrictions will come into force at 11am GMT on Saturday and continue until at least 13 April, the country’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen has said.
Danish citizens and foreigners working in Denmark will still be free to enter and leave the country. The transport of goods, including foods, medicine and industry supplies, will also not be affected, she said.
The country of 5.7 million people has reported 801 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far and no deaths.
Large swathes of Denmark have been in lockdown since Thursday after the government shut all schools and universities and sent home all public sector workers with non-critical jobs in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.
The government has notified neighbouring countries Germany, Norway and Sweden as well as the European Commission, Frederiksen said, adding that authorities would need a few days to fully establish the border controls.
What is a US national emergency?
Donald Trump, as US president, has the power to declare a national emergency, which gives power to the federal government to more freely redistribute funds to state and local governments in a time of the crisis.
The president is set to declare a national emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak under the Stafford Act, which was signed into law in 1988 and is designed to encourage local municipalities to design and run their own disaster mitigation efforts, with federal assistance.
The last time Trump declared a national emergency was in February 2019 when he declared a national emergency to divert funding for his border wall. That national emergency was declared under a different act, the 1976 National Emergencies Act.
Amid reports he’s preparing to declare a national emergency, the US president Donald Trump is due to speak soon. Our US politics live blog will be covering it and I’ll post those updates that are relevant to the pandemic here as well.
In addition to the measures we reported earlier, Poland says it will ban foreigners from entering the country from Sunday and impose a 14-day quarantine on its citizens returning home. Morawiecki has said:In addition to the measures we reported earlier, Poland says it will ban foreigners from entering the country from Sunday and impose a 14-day quarantine on its citizens returning home. Morawiecki has said:
Nadine Dorries, a junior health minister in the UK’s government who tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week, says her mother has now been confirmed as having contracted the virus.Nadine Dorries, a junior health minister in the UK’s government who tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week, says her mother has now been confirmed as having contracted the virus.
Azerbaijan has banned wedding celebrations and other public events, the authorities have said the day after the country recorded its first death.Azerbaijan has banned wedding celebrations and other public events, the authorities have said the day after the country recorded its first death.
The measures, which come into force on Saturday, also include shuttering museums, cinemas and theatres. The authorities said the country’s border with Georgia will be closed for 10 days and that all large cultural and sporting events will be postponed by a month.The measures, which come into force on Saturday, also include shuttering museums, cinemas and theatres. The authorities said the country’s border with Georgia will be closed for 10 days and that all large cultural and sporting events will be postponed by a month.
The former Soviet country said on Thursday that a woman who had been quarantined after returning from neighbouring Iran had died from the virus.The former Soviet country said on Thursday that a woman who had been quarantined after returning from neighbouring Iran had died from the virus.
Schools and universities in the country have been closed since the beginning of March and the authorities extended the closure of the border with Iran for another two weeks on Thursday. Azerbaijan has so far recorded 19 cases.Schools and universities in the country have been closed since the beginning of March and the authorities extended the closure of the border with Iran for another two weeks on Thursday. Azerbaijan has so far recorded 19 cases.
Tunisia will immediately suspend prayers in mosques, close cafes at 4pm every day, and ban all cultural, sports and economic gatherings to combat the spread of the coronavirus, its prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh has said.Tunisia will immediately suspend prayers in mosques, close cafes at 4pm every day, and ban all cultural, sports and economic gatherings to combat the spread of the coronavirus, its prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh has said.
The government has also closed Tunisia’s maritime borders, suspended all flights to and from Italy, in addition to reducing flights with Egypt, Germany, Britain and France. Tunisia has confirmed 16 cases; mostly among recent arrivals from Europe. And the disease is expected to hit its crucial tourism sector hard.The government has also closed Tunisia’s maritime borders, suspended all flights to and from Italy, in addition to reducing flights with Egypt, Germany, Britain and France. Tunisia has confirmed 16 cases; mostly among recent arrivals from Europe. And the disease is expected to hit its crucial tourism sector hard.
In London, parliament is limiting visitor access from Monday and introducing restrictions on overseas travel. The Speakers of the Commons and the Lords, Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Fowler, have said:In London, parliament is limiting visitor access from Monday and introducing restrictions on overseas travel. The Speakers of the Commons and the Lords, Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Fowler, have said:
The number of people in Germany with coronavirus has climbed again – this time to 3,634. The eighth death in the country was announced on Friday and a German man died in Egypt last week.The number of people in Germany with coronavirus has climbed again – this time to 3,634. The eighth death in the country was announced on Friday and a German man died in Egypt last week.
In a brief press conference, the chancellor Angela Merkel pledged government support for the economy and for society “on all levels”. She described the widespread closure of schools, the announcement of a massive credit programme for businesses and a work reduction programme to support workers and employers as far-reaching measures that would help ease the burden. In contrast to the financial crisis of 2008/9, she said:In a brief press conference, the chancellor Angela Merkel pledged government support for the economy and for society “on all levels”. She described the widespread closure of schools, the announcement of a massive credit programme for businesses and a work reduction programme to support workers and employers as far-reaching measures that would help ease the burden. In contrast to the financial crisis of 2008/9, she said:
Merkel said she hoped all citizens would show solidarity by keeping their distance. She said it was an “apparent paradox” that the weakest, oldest and those with pre-existing conditions could be best helped if social contact was avoidedMerkel said she hoped all citizens would show solidarity by keeping their distance. She said it was an “apparent paradox” that the weakest, oldest and those with pre-existing conditions could be best helped if social contact was avoided
Meanwhile, Berlin’s senate has decided – along with 12 of Germany’s 16 other states – to close all schools and kindergartens. To its list of cultural institutions forced to close, which included theatres, opera houses museums and concert halls, it has now added nightclubs and bars.Meanwhile, Berlin’s senate has decided – along with 12 of Germany’s 16 other states – to close all schools and kindergartens. To its list of cultural institutions forced to close, which included theatres, opera houses museums and concert halls, it has now added nightclubs and bars.
The famous fish hall in the northern port city of Hamburg has closed for the first time in its 300-year history, authorities said.The famous fish hall in the northern port city of Hamburg has closed for the first time in its 300-year history, authorities said.
India has reported its second coronavirus death. Its ministry of health and family welfare said the person lived in the capital, New Delhi.India has reported its second coronavirus death. Its ministry of health and family welfare said the person lived in the capital, New Delhi.
In Poland, public gatherings are to be limited to 50 people, restaurants, bars and casinos are to close and no inbound flights will be allowed from Sunday onwards, the country’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said.
He said food deliveries would still be allowed and the flight ban would not include charter flights.
The American singer, Kelis, has cancelled her two UK gigs next week, which were scheduled for Manchester on Monday and London on Tuesday. She has said:
The singer, who is touring to mark 20 years since the release of her debut album, Kaleidoscope, said she hope the shows can be rescheduled for the summer.
The number of cases in Germany has increased from the 3,000 reported earlier on Friday to 3,062, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. It said five people had died after testing positive for the virus.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, a State Department official has confirmed the Chinese ambassador was “summoned with regard to what the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said over Covid-19”.
Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the accusation on Thursday on his Twitter account.
An editorial in the official China Daily on Friday intensified a war of words with the United States, blasting “China-bashers”. Earlier this week, the US national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said China reacted slowly to the emergence of the coronavirus, probably costing the world two months when it could have been preparing.
The US State Department has summoned the Chinese ambassador over a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson’s comments about claims that the US military was responsible for bringing the new coronavirus to the province of Wuhan at the start of the outbreak.
That’s just breaking now on Reuters.
Some more interrogation now of that ‘Herd Immunity’ strategy which appears to be a par of the UK government’s response to the pandemic.
While questioning the logic that underpins it, this piece by a virologist in The Converstion online journal questions how much of the discussion around herd immunity is actually part of the policy being pursued.
Jeremy Rossman, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Virology and President of Research-Aid Networks, University of Kent, argues:
Many of Britain’s biggest insurers are pulling down the shutters to new travel insurance customers, with Aviva, Direct Line and Churchill the latest to stop selling policies as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Responding to the moves, the consumer body Which? said the government, insurers and the travel sector needed to “urgently” work together to tackle the challenge because “the industry depends on people having the confidence to travel knowing they will be covered”.
On Wednesday 11 March, LV became the first big insurer to stop selling travel insurance to new customers. Then on Friday 13 March, Direct Line and Churchill said they had taken a decision to temporarily suspend the sale of travel insurance to new customers “so we can focus on our existing customers”.
The World Health Organisation has been rolling out details of a new disease Solidarity Response Fund.
It enables private individuals, corporations and institutions around the world to come together to directly contribute to global response efforts, and has been created by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, together with WHO.
The director general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said earlier that Europe is now at the centre of the global coronavirus outbreak.
School closures lasting four weeks could cut 3% from the UK’s GDP, costing the economy billions of pounds, according to research being considered by the government as it weighs up the benefits and risks of shutting down classrooms.
Advisers at the Department for Education and No 10 are examining a range of options from complete closure of all schools and colleges in England, which would affect around 7 million children, to more nuanced policies.
Measures being looked at include those effected in Japan, where schools sent home individual classes and age groups when a certain percentage of children were infected, and Austria, where elementary schools have stayed open to effectively act as daycare for the children of essential workers.
Belgium has followed a similar path. Other countries have closed all schools.
Extraordinary times - or carnage - in the business world. After we reported earlier that Lufthansa was considering an application for financial aid from the German government news now also breaks that Delta Airlines is in talks with the White House regarding support that can be provided.
That’s according to a memo to employees from the company’s CEO, and which has been reported by Reuters.