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Coronavirus live news: outbreak reaches every US state as Australia says measures could last six months Coronavirus live news: outbreak reaches every US state as Australia says measures could last six months
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EU implements strictest travel ban in history; Australian PM declares ‘human biosecurity emergency’; British restaurants and museums close. Follow the latest updates.EU implements strictest travel ban in history; Australian PM declares ‘human biosecurity emergency’; British restaurants and museums close. Follow the latest updates.
More on Australia’s latest steps in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which were announced Thursday morning.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison told Australians to “stop hoarding” as he announced sweeping new measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, a global do-not-travel order, and strict new rules for visiting aged care homes.
In a massive step-up of the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister announced that a national cabinet of state and federal leaders had agreed on Tuesday night to an indefinite new ban on indoor groups of 100 people or more, with exemptions for schools, public transport, universities, prisons, courts, supermarkets and worksites.
The new measure, to be effective immediately, comes after a ban on mass gatherings of more than 500 people was put in place on Monday, prompting the widespread cancellation of sporting and cultural events.
While declaring a national human biosecurity emergency under the Biosecurity Act on Tuesday morning, Morrison ruled out an Italian-style national lockdown and urged calm, taking aim at those panic buying, saying it was “un-Australian” and unnecessary.
“Stop hoarding,” he said. “I can’t be more blunt about it. Stop it. It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.
Florida, Illinois and Arizona held primaries on Tuesday despite the coronavirus outbreak – and there were predictable glitches.
Voters faced confusion, a shortage of poll workers, and shifting or closed polling stations on Tuesday in Florida, Illinois and Arizona – the three key states that still held their primaries despite concerns over coronavirus and pressures to delay the elections.
The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have hit back at China in separate statements following the large-scale expulsion of US journalists, accusing Beijing of having a cold war mindset and carrying out an “unprecedented attack on freedom of the press”.
The New York Times’s executive editor said the move to force out foreign reporters was “especially irresponsible” during the coronavirus pandemic.
UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has just emailed its customers announcing rations. The company wrote in an email seen by the Guardian:
“From tomorrow, Wednesday 18th March, customers will be able to buy a maximum of three of any grocery product and a maximum of two on the most popular products including toilet paper, soap and UHT milk. We have enough food coming into the system, but are limiting sales so that it stays on shelves for longer and can be bought by a larger numbers of customers.”
Hong Kong reported 10 new cases on Tuesday, equalling its highest daily record from February. Half were imported cases.While the region is widely recognised as one of a few countries to have had success in keeping the infection rate low, authorities are very concerned about a second wave. It has issued an outbound travel red alert for everywhere in the world other than Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China.
From Thursday all international arrivals must undergo mandatory quarantine at home for 14 days, and the announcement sparked a rush of people - particularly students - to come home.Two students who flew back from London on London and a 24-year-old who was working in Denmark declared on arrival that they felt unwell. They were taken to hospital immediately, where they tested positive for the virus.Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Hong Kong centre for health protection urged students not to come back from overseas if they are already feeling sick.“Those who have symptoms should seek medical advice in the local health authority instead of going back to Hong Kong because this may pose risks to other people who are travelling on the flight,” Chuang said.“For those without symptoms, it depends on their situation. If they are advised by their school, or their parents want them to come back to Hong Kong, I think they can. But they have to take good personal environmental hygiene measures, especially during their stay in the airport as well as on the flight.”
Joe Biden has won both the Florida and Illinois primaries, building on a remarkable surge as he barrels toward the Democratic presidential nomination at a time when the nation is gripped by concern about the new coronavirus.
Arizona polls indicate Biden has an advantage there as well.
Biden celebrated his primary victories in Florida and Illinois, saying his campaign had had a “very good night” and moved closer to securing the nomination.
The former vice president then made a pitch for unity, directly addressing the supporters of Bernie Sanders and asserting it was time to “put politics aside.”
Biden said he and Sanders shared a “common vision” to provide Americans with affordable health care and reduce income inequality in the country.
Biden commended the “remarkable passion and tenacity” of Sanders’ supporters, asserting they had “shifted the fundamental conversation in this country.”
“I hear you,” Biden told his opponent’s supporters. “I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”
The message was clearly meant to unify Democratic voters as Biden looks ahead to his likely general-election race against Trump.
Bernie Sanders started speaking before the polls closed Tuesday and didn’t mention the election results, instead sticking to policy while addressing supporters via livestream. During the coronavirus outbreak, he said, We must make sure everyone who has a job right now receives the pay checks they need.”
Donald Trump has officially secured the Republican presidential nomination after winning the Florida and Illinois primaries tonight.
New York City may soon compel most people to stay in their homes except in emergencies or when shopping for essentials, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday, an order already imposed by San Francisco to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Any decision to issue the “shelter-in-place” order is likely to be made in the next 48 hours, but even if imposed, it would likely still allow more than 8 million residents to make necessary trips out to buy food or medicine, the mayor said as the number of confirmed cases in the city rose to 814. City officials acknowledged on Tuesday they still did not have all the medical resources they were seeking and that they had been receiving protective equipment from the federal government that was past its expiry date. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he did not think sheltering in place would be effective. “I don’t think you can really do a policy like that just in one part of the state. So I don’t think it works,” he told CNN. “As a matter of fact, I’m going so far that I don’t even think you can do a statewide policy,” Cuomo said.
The city has already asked New Yorkers to stay home when they can and has closed schools and limited bars and restaurants to takeout or delivery. But if there is still not enough compliance, the city may soon enforce new rules restricting people to their homes unless they can prove they have a good reason to stay outside, Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said in an interview.
Google has been accused by two US senators of seeking to exploit consumers fear over Covid-19 for profit following allegations that the company is targeting “predatory” and “price-gouging” ads for scarce goods, including protective masks and hand sanitiser, to vulnerable users.Google has been accused by two US senators of seeking to exploit consumers fear over Covid-19 for profit following allegations that the company is targeting “predatory” and “price-gouging” ads for scarce goods, including protective masks and hand sanitiser, to vulnerable users.
Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal, two Democratic senators, have called on the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to address what they called Google’s “pattern of misbehaviour”.Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal, two Democratic senators, have called on the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to address what they called Google’s “pattern of misbehaviour”.
In a letter to both the DOJ and FTC, the senators said the ads were being sold by Google even though they contradict the company’s own policy against capitalising on “sensitive events”.In a letter to both the DOJ and FTC, the senators said the ads were being sold by Google even though they contradict the company’s own policy against capitalising on “sensitive events”.
Google said on 10 March that it would ban the ads, but media reports since then indicate that the ads have continued to appear, especially in news articles associated with the pandemic.Google said on 10 March that it would ban the ads, but media reports since then indicate that the ads have continued to appear, especially in news articles associated with the pandemic.
South Korea reported 93 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its total infections to 8,413, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The daily tally is slightly up from 84 recorded on Tuesday but marked the fourth day in a row that the country has reported fewer than 100 new infections.South Korea reported 93 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its total infections to 8,413, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The daily tally is slightly up from 84 recorded on Tuesday but marked the fourth day in a row that the country has reported fewer than 100 new infections.
Mainland China had 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the country’s National Health Commission said, down from 21 cases a day earlier.Mainland China had 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the country’s National Health Commission said, down from 21 cases a day earlier.
Of the 13 new cases, all but one were imported. The total number of important cases is now 155.Of the 13 new cases, all but one were imported. The total number of important cases is now 155.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,894, the health authority said in a statement on Wednesday. The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,237 as of the end of Tuesday, up by 11 from the previous day. All new deaths were in Hubei province. Only one of these was outside the capital city of Wuhan.That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,894, the health authority said in a statement on Wednesday. The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,237 as of the end of Tuesday, up by 11 from the previous day. All new deaths were in Hubei province. Only one of these was outside the capital city of Wuhan.
The World Health Organization called for “aggressive” action in south-east Asia to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus, warning Tuesday that some countries were heading towards community transmission of the deadly disease.
Infections have soared across the region in recent weeks, forcing several countries to introduce drastic measures ranging from closing their borders to foreign arrivals and imposing nighttime curfews to closing schools and cancelling sports events.
There are concerns that weaker public health care systems in many or the region’s countries will be unable to cope with a major outbreak.
“We need to immediately scale up all efforts to prevent the virus from infecting more people,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO’s regional director.
“We clearly need to do more, and urgently.”
Malaysia has the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia with 673 cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
Many of the country’s infections have been linked to a global Islamic event held last month and attended by almost 20,000 people.
On Monday, the prime minister announced a ban on Malaysians travelling overseas.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has told the country that hoarding is ‘unAustralian’:
A few days ago Morrison had a similar message for the country, saying he hoped Australians would not “lose our sense of Australianness in all of this”.
California governor Gavin Newsom warned Tuesday that most schools will likely remain closed for the rest of the school year because of coronavirus.
The school year in California typically runs from the end of August to the beginning of June.
Currently, about 6.1 million students are out of school, as 98.8% of the state’s schools have shut down to curb the spread of coronavirus.
“I would plan and assume it is unlikely that many of these schools, few if any, will open before the summer break,” Newsom said in a news conference.
As of Monday night, there were 472 positive cases in California, and 11 deaths.
Newsom said the state has released publicly the detailed guidelines to homeschool curricula, as well as put an emphasis on online learning. “We want to make sure that learning is still occurring, he said.
“We will get back to the life we have lived,” he said. “I get asked every day if this is the new normal. This is a moment in time.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned Republican senators on Tuesday that failure to act on a proposed coronavirus rescue package could lead to U.S. unemployment as high as 20% and lasting economic damage, a person familiar with the closed-door meeting said. Mnuchin met with senators to persuade them to pass a US$1 trillion stimulus package that would send cash to Americans within two weeks and backstop airlines and other companies.
Eight new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New Zealand today, all from people recently arrived from overseas. The total number of coronavirus in New Zealand is now 20.
“We expected more cases,” director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.Bloomfield urged those who had arrived from overseas before the Monday self-isolation measures came into force to “voluntarily self-isolate” to protect the community.
150 “close contacts” of a student from Logan Park High School in Dunedin will be tested for the virus, after the student positive after catching it from a family member. The high school is closed for the rest of the week. No other schools have been asked to close in New Zealand, and the ministry of education is urging parents to continue sending their children to school. Meanwhile police have been undertaking self-isolation compliance visits, dropping in on a random sample group of travellers who arrived into New Zealand after the new self-isolation requirements came into effect on Monday. In a statement police said the ministry of health had requested police conduct the visits to check on the “compliance and welfare” of 50 individuals.The visits involved police “visually sighting” those in self-isolation, and asking them questions about their well-being.Police said they were “pleased with the high level of compliance with most people taking the isolation seriously”.
Economists at ratings agency S&P say the much-feared worldwide recession has arrived and they now estimate global GDP will grow 1%-1.5% in 2020 with the risk that it could sink even lower.
The economic impact of coronavirus on China was much greater than initially thought, chief economist Paul Gruenwald said in a note on Wednesday, and the increasingly severe lockdown in Europe and the US will continue to crush demand.
“The initial data from China suggests that its economy was hit far harder than projected, though a tentative stabilisation has begun,” said Gruenwald. “Europe and the U.S. are following a similar path, as increasing restrictions on person-to-person contacts presage a demand collapse that will take activity sharply lower in the second quarter before a recovery begins later in the year.”
The S&P team have also been looking at Asia-Pacific and predict that growth in the region will more than halve to less than 3%. That’s according to an article S&P Global Ratings published today, titled “Asia-Pacific Recession Guaranteed.”
“An enormous first-quarter shock in China, shutdowns across the U.S. and Europe, and local virus transmission guarantees a deep recession across Asia-Pacific,” said Shaun Roache, the chief Asia-Pacific economist.
“By recession, we mean at least two quarters of well below-trend growth sufficient to trigger rising unemployment.
“Our estimate of permanent income losses is likely to at least double to more than US$400 billion,” said Roache. “For credit markets, a key question is how these losses are distributed across sovereigns, firms, banks, and households.”
China is gradually recovering from an enormous economic blow early in 2020. February data confirm a huge shock to activity in the first quarter. Investment accounts for about 45% of China’s economy--and fixed asset investment in January and February combined plunged by almost 25% compared with a year ago. Over the same period, industrial production and retail sales fell by 14% and 21%.
“These are unprecedented numbers,” said Mr. Roache. “This not only confirms a hard hit to China’s growth but indicates that the authorities are not smoothing the data.”
Police in Puyallup, Washington have asked criminals to stop committing crimes in light of the coronavirus epidemic.
The Puyallup Police Department posted on Facebook:
“Due to local cases of #Covid-19, PPD is asking all criminal activities and nefarious behavior to cease. We appreciate your anticipated cooperation in halting crime & thank all the criminals in advance. We will certainly let you know when you can resume your normal criminal behavior. Until then.... #washyourhands & #behaveyourself”
The US death toll has passed 100, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths stands at 108. The number of infections across the country, where the virus has now reached every state, is 6,423, making it the eighth-highest globally.
West Virginia became the last of the 50 US states to report a positive case of new coronavirus on Tuesday, meaning the pandemic has now touched every part of the world’s richest and most powerful nation.
Watch as Ireand’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, delivers stark warnings and calls for unity in the wake of the coronavirus crisis:
Speaking on St Patrick’s Day, Varadkar called for citizens to isolate, for pubs and restaurants to close and social gatherings to be cancelled. Varadkar also said the most vulnerable would be looked after, insisting banks, government and utilities were there to help.
Coronavirus is now in every US state, more European and other countries are in lockdown and urging citizens to return home and the Australian government has warned of a possible six months of isolation measures.
Around the world, people are trying to return to their home countries or coming to terms with being stuck where they are for the time being. Stay with us for the latest developments.
Criminal trials are to be halted in England and Wales, the lord chief justice announced. Lord Burnett said no new trial should start in any crown court unless it is expected to last for three days or fewer. Any longer cases due to start before the end of April are to be postponed.
Australians were told to expect at least six months of severe disruption. The prime minister and chief medical officer delivered a series of new restrictions, saying Australians should avoid international travel and groups of more than 100 people, as well as other measures.
The virus reached every US state as West Virginia became the last to diagnose a case. All 50 states in the union now have at least one confirmed case. The USA has seen 93 deaths as a result of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University figures.
The UK government announced that £330bn in business loans would be made available to support firms struggling to cope with the repercussions of the outbreak.
85,000 prisoners were temporarily released in Iran due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The death toll in Italy has risen by 16% in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 2,503. The number of confirmed cases also rose to 31,506.
British cultural buildings have closed their doors temporarily. These include the Natural History Museum, the British Museum and the Royal Academy.
The French Open has been postponed, along with the European Championship which has been postponed until 2021, Uefa has decided.
The EU is set to endorse the strictest travel ban in its history as France joined Italy and Spain in full lockdown and Donald Trump told Americans to change their behaviour, acknowledging for the first time that beating the coronavirus could take months.
The UK’s chief scientific advisor said that around 55,000 people in the country have coronavirus and the aim is for fewer than 20,000 people to die from it.
Britain’s three largest airports have warned that they may have to close down operations unless there is government intervention to help them weather the coronavirus crisis.
Saudi Arabia is to stage a virtual G20 summit in the coming days in a bid to show world leaders have coordinated medical and economic plans to control coronavirus.