Singapore ceased port calls for all cruise vessels and will bar the entry and transit of visitors with recent travel history to Italy, France, Spain and Germany. New York City declared a state of emergency, bringing the financial and cultural capital of the US to a standstill.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the coronavirus the epidemic of the century and the leading US infectious-disease official said America’s testing system is failing, as the death toll from the coronavirus approached 5,000.
Walt Disney Co shut its theme parks in Florida, California and Paris. Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie tested positive for the coronavirus, as the Canadian prime minister placed himself in self-isolation.
France’s Macron was slated to speak with President Donald Trump on Friday amid Europe’s anger about flight bans the US has imposed. A stocks rout continued after US equities posted their worst drop since 1987.
Key Developments:
- Confirmed cases at 132,527 globally, with 4,952 deaths
- Stock rout builds in Asia as Nikkei plunges
- NCAA basketball, baseball and NHL all suspend play
- Disney shuts resorts, suspends cruises
- Italy’s deaths surged despite lockdown
Latest developments:
Australian minister tests positive
Australia's home affairs minister Peter Dutton said he had tested positive for the new coronavirus and entered hospital quarantine on Friday.
"This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat," said the minister, who is an influential member of the government and a key architect of Australia's controversial immigration laws.
"It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice."
Indonesia unveils fresh stimulus
Indonesia unveiled an emergency fiscal stimulus plan worth 22.9 trillion rupiah ($1.5 billion).
The package , which includes a raft of tax breaks, would contribute to a widening of the budget deficit to 2.5% of gross domestic product, compared to an initial target of 1.76%, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said. “These won’t be the last measures,” she said.
The new package, which follows $745 million in stimulus announced last month, comes amid a deteriorating outlook for Indonesia’s economy. Despite only 34 confirmed cases so far, the country has been hit hard by the risk aversion sweeping global markets, with Indonesia’s stock index now in bear territory and the currency down more than 7% in the past month.
Tourism bore the initial brunt of the virus’s economic fallout, but the impact is now spreading to other sectors, Mrs Indrawati said. While last month’s package aimed at supporting the tourism sector and low-income households, the new stimulus targets manufacturers.
Among the highlights:
- Import tax waived for 6 months on some goods
- Corporate tax reduced by 30% for 6 months for 19 sectors
- Government to cover income tax for workers with gross income below 200 million rupiah per year in some manufacturing industries.
Singapore imposes travel curbs
The city-state said it will cease port calls for all cruise vessels with immediate effect and bar the entry and transit of visitors with recent travel history to Italy, France, Spain and Germany.
The temporary border restrictions for the European countries will come into effect from March 15, the health ministry said in a statement. They will be reviewed regularly based on the global situation, it said.
Singaporeans were also advised to defer all non-essential travel to the four European countries as they "have had very high numbers of cases and very high rates of increase", according to the government.
They should exercise caution when traveling to all countries affected by the outbreak, including Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom, it said.
In addition, all ticketed cultural, sports and entertainment events, with 250 participants or more, are to be deferred or cancelled, the government said.
As of March 12, almost a quarter of the city-state’s total number of confirmed cases were imported. Of the 23 imported cases in the last ten days, 13 had travel history to Europe and six were from Indonesia, the government said.
In an address to the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that while he expects more imported cases, the situation in Singapore remains under control. He also assured citizens that the government wasn’t going to lock down the city but would take steps to help firms and workers weather the economic fallout from the outbreak.
Five new cases in Thailand
The Public Health Ministry reported five new cases on Friday, bringing the total to 75. (more details to come)
Olympics on track
Japan is on track to hold the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as planned, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said, after US President Donald Trump suggested a possible delay of a year.
"I am aware of President Trump's comments, but we are working closely with the IOC [International Olympic Committee], the organising committee, and Tokyo in preparing for the Games as planned," Mr Suga told reporters.
Mr Trump said on Thursday that officials should consider delaying the games for a year amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying the summer event would not be the same without spectators.
Mormon Church halts gatherings
The Mormon Church announced it is suspending all public ceremonies and gatherings of its members around the world over the new coronavirus pandemic.
The church said it took the measures after consulting government and medical officials, and had "sought the Lord's guidance in these matters".
The suspension until further notice affects "all public gatherings of Church members" including worship and conferences, a letter to members said.
"Where possible, leaders should conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology," added the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as it is officially known.
China reports 8 new cases
Mainland China had eight new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Thursday, the country's National Health Commission said on Friday, down from 15 cases a day earlier.
That brings the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,813.
The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,176 as of the end of Thursday, up by seven from the previous day.
In the central province of Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, there were six new deaths, with the provincial capital of Wuhan accounting for all of the fatalities.
First case at UN in New York
A female diplomat from the Philippines mission to the United Nations tested positive for coronavirus, according to a note sent to UN missions, making the woman the first known case at the world body's New York headquarters.
"As of today, the Philippine Mission is in lockdown, and all personnel are instructed to self-quarantine and to seek medical attention should they develop the symptoms. We are assuming that all of us have been infected," wrote Philippines acting UN ambassador Kira Azucena.
According to the online UN directory of diplomatic staff, there are about 12 diplomats at the Filipino mission, which is on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
The Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin posted on Twitter that the diplomat was young, spritely and "doing well," adding that she had recently returned from Florida.
The sick diplomat represented the Philippines in the UN General Assembly's legal affairs committee. Azucena said the diplomat was last at UN headquarters on Monday for about half an hour when she was asymptomatic.
Trudeau’s wife tests positive
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for the coronavirus and will remain in isolation, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
Justin Trudeau, who has put himself in self-isolation and is working from home, “is in good health with no symptoms” and will not be tested at this stage, according to the statement.
PGA cancels events
PGA Tour said it was canceling the Players Championship. The golf organization also cancelled events across all tours in the coming weeks.
The decision is the latest in the sports world. US professional basketball, baseball and hockey organisations have all suspended play.
South Korea adds 110 cases
The health ministry announced 110 more cases, bringing the total tally to 7,979. Deaths rose by one to 67, while 510 patients have been released after recovery.
Disney shuts resorts
Walt Disney Co is closing its theme parks in Florida, California and Paris in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and will suspend all new cruise departures starting Saturday.
The closings in Florida and France followed a decision earlier Thursday to shutter the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Disney has already closed its parks in Asia. The entertainment giant isn’t alone in shuttering theme parks. Universal Studios Hollywood is also closing on Saturday.
American Air pilot tested positive
American Airlines Group Inc said it is in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials after a pilot tested positive.
The pilot is undergoing treatment, and the Allied Pilots Association is contacting the pilot’s co-workers. Neither the union nor the airline would confirm when the pilot became ill, say if he or she was flying recently or release any personal information.
Arsenal manager tests positive
Arsenal soccer club manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement on the London Premier League team’s website.
Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Arteta, including the first-team squad and coaching staff, will self-isolate, the statement said. The Premier League will convene an emergency club meeting Friday on future fixtures.
Australian Grand Prix cancelled
Formula One confirmed it will cancel this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix event in Melbourne, adding to the ranks of major global sports disrupted by the ourbreak.
The decision was taken after a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for coronavirus, Liberty Media Corp-owned Formula One, the FIA governing body and Australian Grand Prix Corp said in a statement.
The event, which includes practice and qualifying sessions, attracted 324,000 spectators to Melbourne across four days in 2019, including 102,000 on race day, according to the Victoria state government.
Duterte locks down Manila
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he’s placing the capital region of Manila in a lockdown for a month to help contain the outbreak.
Mr Duterte is also restricting entry for travellers from countries with local transmission, and suspending domestic travel to and from Metro Manila — a region of more than 12 million people — from March 15 to April 14, subject to daily review.
US schools closures spread
Large school districts across the US announced closures to prevent the virus’s spread.
San Francisco is planning to close all public schools for three weeks starting March 16. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said every school in state would shut for two weeks. In Ohio, governor Mike DeWine said schools would close for a three-week period.
Washington governor Jay Inslee ordered the closure of all schools, public and private, in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties from March 15 until April 24.
King County, which includes Seattle, has the highest number of cases and the majority of deaths in the state, most of which have occurred among patients at a nursing home.
Belgium nears lockdown
Belgium ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants and other leisure venues, caretaker Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced in Brussels.
All public schools will suspend classes as of Monday until April 3, the start of a two-week Easter holiday. Stores selling non-essential goods are being told to close their doors on Saturdays, to avoid contact between people not regularly meeting. Food stores and pharmacies will remain open in the weekend.
NYC declares emergency
Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency for New York, saying the city would enforce its decree against many public gatherings to combat the new coronavirus outbreak.
“All of our large venues will no longer have gatherings,” the mayor said at a news conference. “I suspect it will be a number of months.”
The order also applies to restaurants and bars, he said. Venues under 500 capacity will operate at 50% occupancy.
He called the overall numbers of new virus cases “striking and troubling.”
“We now have 95 confirmed cases, 42 new since yesterday,” the mayor said, “29 in mandatory quarantine, more than 1,700 in voluntary quarantine.”
France to close all schools
France ordered the closing of nurseries, schools and universities from the beginning of next week to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which President Emmanuel Macron called the worst health crisis in a century.
France urged people to work from home, limit travel, and keep the most fragile citizens and people over 70 in their houses.
“The government will use all the financial means necessary to save lives, whatever the cost,” the president said.
New York to ban events over 500 people
New York governor Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of more than 500 people to slow the virus’s spread.
He also banned visitors to nursing homes, though the restrictions didn’t apply to them, nor to hospitals, schools or mass transit.
He said the density rules will apply to Broadway, starting Thursday night.
Mr Cuomo reported 112 new cases in New York for a total of 328. There were no deaths, he said.
Trump had limited Interaction with infected Brazil official
The White House said President Trump had “almost no interactions” with a visiting staff member of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro.
The aide had attended a dinner with the president at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend and has since tested positive with the coronavirus.
Pictures show the aide, Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro’s communications secretary, side by side with Trump, wearing a “Make Brazil Great Again” hat. “I’m not concerned,” Mr Trump said at a news conference.
UK sees peak in 10-14 weeks
UK infections are likely to be between 5,000 and 10,000, the government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, said in a press conference alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Vallance said the peak of the outbreak may be 10 to 14 weeks away in the UK.
The number of cases will rise sharply and more people will die, Mr Johnson said, as he described the outbreak as “the worst public health crisis for a generation”. Mr Johnson also confirmed the government has moved on from trying to contain the virus to instead focus on delaying the worst of outbreak.
Italy deaths surge by third
The death toll in Italy rose to 1,016 from 827, civil protection officials said. The European nation has 15,113 total cases, up from 12,462 previously reported.
Virus threatens to overwhelm EU health care
The coronavirus threatens to exceed health care capacity across the European Union, according to the bloc’s disease prevention office.
Trends across Europe mirror those seen earlier in China, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which called for and “immediate targeted action” to counteract the spread of the disease.
The virus has reached all EU countries and the UK, with a total of 17,413 cases in the region as of March 11, with more than half of those cases in Italy, the agency said.
“In a few weeks or even days, it is likely that similar situations to those seen in China and Italy may be seen” in other countries in the region, the organisation said in a statement.
US testing system 'a failing'
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told lawmakers Thursday that the US testing system for coronavirus is “a failing” and not yet ready to ramp up to test more Americans.
“The idea of anyone getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we’re not set up for that,” he said at a House Oversight Committee hearing.
