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Coronavirus live updates: Justin Trudeau's wife tests positive, Europe shuts schools, sporting world in crisis Coronavirus live updates: Justin Trudeau's wife tests positive, Australia bans gatherings, sporting world in crisis
(32 minutes later)
First case at UN headquarters; Australian Grand Prix cancelled, Italy deaths pass 1,000. Follow the latest news.First case at UN headquarters; Australian Grand Prix cancelled, Italy deaths pass 1,000. Follow the latest news.
New Zealand’s opposition leader Simon Bridges has tweeted his approval of the announcement by Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison in the last hour that from Monday all non-essential mass gatherings will be banned. He has urged his country’s government, led by Jacinda Ardern, to do the same.
New Zealand has five confirmed cases of Covid-19 and two probable cases. The country has not had any new cases in five days.
Singapore will deny from Monday entry or transit to visitors who have been in Italy, France, Spain or Germany in the last 14 days, as part of measures to control the fast-spreading coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday.
The southeast Asian travel hub, which also advised against non-essential travel to the four countries, will immediately halt docking by cruise ships, it added.
Singapore has a similar ban in place for travellers from Iran, South Korea and China, where the virus first surfaced late last year.
RNZ reports a further two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in French Polynesia, a day after the territory announced its first confirmed case, which was the first confirmed case in the Pacific Islands.
President Edouard Fritch announced yesterday that French Polynesian politician Maina Sage had been confirmed with the virus after returning from Paris on 7 March. Sage was resting at home in self-isolation in Tahiti. She is French Polynesia’s representative in the French National Assembly (French Polynesia being an overseas French collectivity).
During her time in Paris, Sage served on a National Assembly commission with France’s culture minister Franck Riester, who has also been confined in France after contracting Covid-19.
Today, RNZ reports that two more cases have been confirmed – one of whom was a person close to Sage and the other was a Swiss tourist who fell ill on the atoll of Fakarava. He has been flown to Tahiti.
There has been widespread fear across the Pacific region about the coronavirus outbreak. An epidemic of measles across the Pacific last year highlighted the potential for transmission of infectious diseases, adding to existing burdens on public health systems from non-communicable diseases.
Here’s our report from yesterday:
In short, the position of Australia’s Scott Morrison is, as he has just said: “People can go about their normal essential business they do each day.”In short, the position of Australia’s Scott Morrison is, as he has just said: “People can go about their normal essential business they do each day.”
They should however avoid gatherings over 500 people – excluding schools and university lectures – from Monday, and reconsider non-essential travel.They should however avoid gatherings over 500 people – excluding schools and university lectures – from Monday, and reconsider non-essential travel.
Morrison also says Parliament will continue as normal.Morrison also says Parliament will continue as normal.
Australia’s New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says, “It’s safe to go to school. When it’s not, we will shut down that particular school and work with the school community to reopen at the appropriate time.”Australia’s New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says, “It’s safe to go to school. When it’s not, we will shut down that particular school and work with the school community to reopen at the appropriate time.”
Australian PM Scott Morrison is asked:Australian PM Scott Morrison is asked:
So you are willingly going to a game this weekend which from Monday - a mass gathering, which you recommend people don’t attend. How is that responsible?So you are willingly going to a game this weekend which from Monday - a mass gathering, which you recommend people don’t attend. How is that responsible?
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says, “I do have still plans to go to the football on Saturday. This is an arrangement we are putting in place for next week as a precaution. This is an early-stage action that we are undertaking to make sure we get ahead of this. I would be going on on Saturday because I had previously planned to, and these are measures we are putting on from next week, and there are further measures that will come in over time, I would expect.”Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says, “I do have still plans to go to the football on Saturday. This is an arrangement we are putting in place for next week as a precaution. This is an early-stage action that we are undertaking to make sure we get ahead of this. I would be going on on Saturday because I had previously planned to, and these are measures we are putting on from next week, and there are further measures that will come in over time, I would expect.”
Australia’s Scott Morrison said that by advising against mass gatherings he was acting on the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principals Committee. That committee will also be the principal advisory body to the new national cabinet.Australia’s Scott Morrison said that by advising against mass gatherings he was acting on the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principals Committee. That committee will also be the principal advisory body to the new national cabinet.
The cabinet will be made up of COAG members — premiers and chief ministers. They will also establish a national coordinating mechanism to ensure the response is consistent across jurisdictions.The cabinet will be made up of COAG members — premiers and chief ministers. They will also establish a national coordinating mechanism to ensure the response is consistent across jurisdictions.
Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, is speaking now.Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, is speaking now.
“We are not suggesting people should interrupt their normal daily work. It’s just avoiding those particular circumstances where transmission can be accelerated,” he says.“We are not suggesting people should interrupt their normal daily work. It’s just avoiding those particular circumstances where transmission can be accelerated,” he says.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government now advises Australians to reconsider non-essential travel.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government now advises Australians to reconsider non-essential travel.
It is “Level-Three” travel advice he says.It is “Level-Three” travel advice he says.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison says the government will be advising against “nonessential, organised gatherings of persons of 500 or more.”Australian prime minister Scott Morrison says the government will be advising against “nonessential, organised gatherings of persons of 500 or more.”
“That of course does not include schools. It does not include university lectures. It does not mean people getting on public transport or going to airports or things of that nature.”“That of course does not include schools. It does not include university lectures. It does not mean people getting on public transport or going to airports or things of that nature.”
In Australia now, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is speaking at a COAG meeting:In Australia now, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is speaking at a COAG meeting:
The government will be moving to a position from Monday where they advise against mass public gatherings of 500 people or more. But this does NOT include schools and universities, says Morrison.The government will be moving to a position from Monday where they advise against mass public gatherings of 500 people or more. But this does NOT include schools and universities, says Morrison.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now from a Council of Australian Governments meeting after it was reported that the government has been advised mass gatherings should be cancelled.Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now from a Council of Australian Governments meeting after it was reported that the government has been advised mass gatherings should be cancelled.
Government leaders met in Parramatta on Friday for the COAG meeting, where chief health officers told them urgent social distancing measures were necessary to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.Government leaders met in Parramatta on Friday for the COAG meeting, where chief health officers told them urgent social distancing measures were necessary to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Morrison says:Morrison says:
The Australian market has come roaring back in afternoon trade to be less than 2% down for the day.The Australian market has come roaring back in afternoon trade to be less than 2% down for the day.
It’s not entirely clear what’s caused the dramatic turnaround, but the most likely answer is that the Reserve Bank has pumped $8.2bn into short-term bank funding this morning.It’s not entirely clear what’s caused the dramatic turnaround, but the most likely answer is that the Reserve Bank has pumped $8.2bn into short-term bank funding this morning.
The AFR reports that the funding package was designed to head off a looming credit squeeze caused by market panic over the coronavirus crisis and US president Donald Trump’s cack-handed response to it.The AFR reports that the funding package was designed to head off a looming credit squeeze caused by market panic over the coronavirus crisis and US president Donald Trump’s cack-handed response to it.
Benchmark index the ASX200 fell as much as 8% on Friday but by 3pm was surging upwards to be just 1.78% below Thursday’s closing price.Benchmark index the ASX200 fell as much as 8% on Friday but by 3pm was surging upwards to be just 1.78% below Thursday’s closing price.
South Korea reported more recoveries from the coronavirus than new infections on Friday for the first time since the country’s first patient was confirmed on 20 January, raising hopes that Asia’s biggest epidemic outside China may be slowing.South Korea reported more recoveries from the coronavirus than new infections on Friday for the first time since the country’s first patient was confirmed on 20 January, raising hopes that Asia’s biggest epidemic outside China may be slowing.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 110 new cases had been confirmed on Thursday - compared to 114 a day earlier - taking the total to 7,979. But 177 fully recovered patients were released the same day, it added.Officials said the number of new infections in Daegu, the southern city at the centre of the outbreak, and the neighbouring province of North Gyeongsang had declined “dramatically”, but there were concerns over a spike in cases at a call centre in Seoul, where 102 people have tested positive, and a government office in the administrative capital Sejong.Daegu and North Gyeongsang account for about 90% of cases in South Korea, with 60% of infections linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive religious sect with 210,000 followers.Despite the encouraging news, the country’s prime minister, Chung-Sye-kyun, who is leading efforts to contain the outbreak in Daegu, warned against complacency. “The battle against the coronavirus has now become a global fight going far beyond Daegu,” he said.The 110 cases detected Thursday, and reported by the KCDC on Friday, was the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks, and well below the 500-600 daily increases reported early this month. One death was confirmed on Thursday, bringing the country’s total to 67.Sixty-one of the latest cases were from Daegu, while 17 and 13 were in Sejong and Seoul, respectively.The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 110 new cases had been confirmed on Thursday - compared to 114 a day earlier - taking the total to 7,979. But 177 fully recovered patients were released the same day, it added.Officials said the number of new infections in Daegu, the southern city at the centre of the outbreak, and the neighbouring province of North Gyeongsang had declined “dramatically”, but there were concerns over a spike in cases at a call centre in Seoul, where 102 people have tested positive, and a government office in the administrative capital Sejong.Daegu and North Gyeongsang account for about 90% of cases in South Korea, with 60% of infections linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive religious sect with 210,000 followers.Despite the encouraging news, the country’s prime minister, Chung-Sye-kyun, who is leading efforts to contain the outbreak in Daegu, warned against complacency. “The battle against the coronavirus has now become a global fight going far beyond Daegu,” he said.The 110 cases detected Thursday, and reported by the KCDC on Friday, was the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks, and well below the 500-600 daily increases reported early this month. One death was confirmed on Thursday, bringing the country’s total to 67.Sixty-one of the latest cases were from Daegu, while 17 and 13 were in Sejong and Seoul, respectively.