Live updates: Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque shut for coronavirus
Cambodia says French national is eighth coronavirus case in country
A French national travelling from Paris via Singapore to Phnom Penh has been infected with the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday, bringing the country's tally of cases to eight.
The 35-year old man, who was travelling with his wife and their four-month old baby, tested positive for the virus on Sunday while the results of tests on his family members were not yet known, the ministry said.
"The wife and son of the French man, 35, are due to stay for a 14-day health follow-up at his brother's home...pending their results at the Pasteur Institute," the Ministry of Health said in the statement.
Cambodia banned the entry of visitors from Iran on Sunday, in addition to travellers from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the US to curb the spread of the virus.
France closes shops, restaurants, tells people to stay home
France will shut shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from Sunday with its 67 million people told to stay home to help fight the rapid acceleration of the coronavirus in a country where the number of cases has doubled in 72 hours.
The government had no other option, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told a news conference after the public health authority said 91 people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected.
"I have decided to close all non-essential locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops," he said. "We must absolutely limit our movements."
Exceptions to the shop ban will include food stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and tobacconists.
US, Germany wrestle over potential coronavirus vaccine
Berlin is trying to stop Washington from persuading a German company seeking a coronavirus vaccine to move its research to the United States, prompting German politicians to insist no country should have a monopoly on any future vaccine.
Germany's Health Ministry confirmed a report in newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which said President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure the company CureVac to the United States, and the German government was making counter-offers to tempt it to stay.
Turkey quarantines thousands of pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia
Thousands of Muslims returning to Turkey from a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia were being taken into quarantine on Sunday due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Turkish officials said.
Television pictures showed buses transporting pilgrims along the highway from Ankara's airport to the city as part of an operation to place those returning into student dormitories.
Turkey, which has only diagnosed six cases of coronavirus, has ramped up measures to halt its spread in recent days, closing schools and universities, holding sports events without spectators and halting flights to many countries.
Coronavirus can survive both hot, humid climates: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines answered to some of the rumours and myths about the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. When asked whether the new coronavirus can survive in hot and humid climates, WHO said that indeed it can spread to "countries with both hot and humid climates, as well as cold and dry".
"Wherever you live, whatever the climate is it is important to follow precautions," a twitter post said.
WHO Philippines reminded the public to "wash your hands frequently and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or a bent elbow" and "throw the tissue in the bin and wash your hands immediately afterwards."
Italians over 80 'will be left to die' as country overwhelmed by coronavirus
Coronavirus victims in Italy will be denied access to intensive care if they are aged 80 or more or in poor health should pressure on beds increase.
A document prepared by a crisis management unit in Turin proposed the plan reports The Telegraph.
Doctors fear that some patients denied intensive care will in effect be left to die.
The unit has drawn up a protocol, seen by The Telegraph that will determine which patients receive treatment in intensive care and which do not if there are insufficient spaces.
As coronavirus continues to spread in Italy, the country's capacity to provide intensive care is running short.
The document, produced by the civil protection deparment of the Piedmont region, one of those hardest hit, says: "The criteria for access to intensive therapy in cases of emergency must include age of less than 80 or a score on the Charlson comorbidity
Index [which indicates how many other medical conditions the patient has] of less than 5."
The ability of the patient to recover from resuscitation will also be considered.
One doctor said: "[Who lives and who dies] is decided by age and by the [patient's] health conditions. This is how it is in a war."
Number of corona cases in Italy still spiking
Italy has reported 2,547 new novel coronavirus cases and 252 deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single day since the outbreak began.
Italy has now confirmed 21,157 cases, second highest in the world after China, reported CNN.
The Italian Ministry of Health said Saturday evening that 1,966 people have recovered from the virus and 1,441 have died.
The ministry said 8,372 patients remain hospitalized across the country, with 1,518 of them in intensive care units.
Death toll from coronavirus or COVID-19 which is believed to have originated late last year in China has reached to 5,833 globally as of Sunday. Besides, 156,396 cases were reported from around the world.
Others latest on the spread of coronavirus around the world: Reuters
Deaths/Infections
- Some 153,864 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 5,800 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
- The number of new coronavirus cases imported into mainland China from overseas surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the first time on Friday, according to data released by the National Health Commission.
Europe
- The Spanish government draft measures say that all citizens must stay home except to buy food, go to the pharmacy, to the hospital, or to work or for other emergencies.
- Spain is the second-hardest hit country in Europe after Italy, with 5,753 cases recorded on Saturday, up by a third from Friday even as health authorities in Madrid, which has the highest number of cases, stopped testing people with only mild symptoms.
- Italy agreed a series of measures to improve health controls in factories, offices and other workplaces that have been allowed to stay open during the country's lockdown.
- The British government will ban mass gatherings from next week, an escalation of its crisis plan that critics had said was too relaxed.
- Germany urged people returning from Italy, Switzerland and Austria to self-isolate for up to two weeks. Germany also said it was amending a decree issued this month that required a government agency to approve exports of protective equipment such as masks, goggles and gloves.
- In France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the country must "close all non-essential locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops." However, he said Sunday's local elections would go ahead under strict sanitary conditions.
- Several hundred anti-government "Yellow Vest" protesters demonstrated in Paris, defying a ban on mass gatherings.
- Norway is to shut its ports and airports from Monday, although exemptions will be made for Norwegians returning from abroad as well as for goods, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Saturday.
- Greece said on Saturday it banned all flights that were still operating to and from Italy, after reporting two more fatalities from the coronavirus, raising the total number of deaths in the country to three.
- The Russian government said on Saturday it was closing the country's land border with Poland and Norway to foreigners from midnight as a precautionary measure.
- The Czech government shut most shops and restaurants for 10 days on Saturday. The surprise move came after other restrictions in recent days, including closing schools and banning public events such as sports games or concerts.
- In Denmark, Copenhagen health authorities confirmed the first death of a person infected with coronavirus on Saturday, when an 81-year old patient died in a hospital in the city.
Americas
- The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus aid package early on Saturday that would provide free testing and paid sick leave, in a bid to limit the economic damage from a pandemic that has shuttered schools, sports arenas and offices.
- President Donald Trump said he had taken a coronavirus test but his temperature was "totally normal," as he extended a travel ban to Britain and Ireland. Washington suspended travel from certain European countries for 30 days beginning at midnight on Friday.
- Honduras issued a country-wide red alert for two weeks starting on Saturday. The Central American country reported its third case earlier this week.
- Ecuador's government on Saturday announced the closure of its borders from Sunday to all foreign travelers, after local authorities confirmed a second death from the infection.
Asia
- Japan will aim to spearhead cooperation among major nations around the world to support a weakening global economy, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, warning that policy coordination was critical to fight "disruptions" in world financial markets.
- Abe said Japan is still preparing to host the Olympics, despite rising global concern about the viability of the summer Games.
- Indonesia's capital city will close all schools and order remote teaching for at least two weeks, Jakarta's governor said on Saturday, as the first cases were also reported in other parts of the archipelago. Indonesia's transport minister has been hospitalized in Jakarta after contracting coronavirus, a government official said, the country's most high-profile confirmed case so far.
- Mainland China had 11 new confirmed cases on Friday, up from eight cases a day earlier, but only four of those - all in the virus epicenter of Hubei province - were locally transmitted, according to data released on Saturday.
Middle east and Africa
- The death toll from infections in Iran rose on March 14 to 611, state TV said, citing a health ministry official who put the total number of those diagnosed with the disease at 12,729.
- The United Arab Emirates said it was shutting major tourism and cultural venues, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and the Ferrari World theme park, from March 15-31, as Gulf states stepped up measures.
- Jordan said it would stop all incoming and outgoing passenger flights from Tuesday as it tightens border controls and bans public gatherings and events to combat the spread of coronavirus.
- Yemen's Saudi-backed government said on Saturday it was suspending all flights to and from airports under its control for two weeks starting on March 18, except for flights with humanitarian purposes.
- The Palestinian Authority suspended prayers in mosques and churches in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, and Gaza's Hamas rulers said all the enclave's border crossings would be shut for travel.
- Rwanda has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, an Indian citizen who arrived in the East African nation from Mumbai on March 8, the Health Ministry said.
- Other African nations to have reported cases of the virus include Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia.
- Senegal's President Macky Sall on Saturday ordered all schools and universities closed for the next three weeks and religious festivals canceled. French authorities were trying to arrange emergency travel from Morocco to bring back hundreds of French nationals who found themselves unable to leave after flights to European countries were suspended.
- Sudan has ordered the closure of schools and universities for one month from Saturday, the prime minister's office said, adding that all public gatherings such as weddings and social events, will also be banned.
Economic Fallout
- Austria is making 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) immediately available to deal with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the conservative-led government said as it ditched a central pledge to balance its budget.
- Switzerland will make 10 billion Swiss francs ($10.52 billion) available in immediate aid to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
- The Indonesian government has prepared a 120-trillion-rupiah ($8.1 billion) stimulus package to support its economy.
- Japan's government is expected to cut its assessment of the economy in a monthly report due later this month.
- Norway's central bank said on Friday it had offered the first in a series of extraordinary loans to the banking industry, along with a surprise half-point cut in its key policy interest rate.
- France will help all companies in which the French state has a stake to weather the coronavirus crisis, its finance minister said on Friday, putting the growing cost of measures to soften the economic fallout at "dozens of billions".
- Germany's KfW state development bank has roughly half a trillion euros in support available to help support Europe's largest economy, which risks being stricken by the coronavirus epidemic, the Economy Minister said on Friday.
- China's central bank cut the cash that banks must hold as reserves on Friday for the second time this year, releasing 550 billion yuan ($79 billion) to help its coronavirus-hit economy.
Markets
- A gauge of stocks across the globe bounced back on Friday led by a late rally on Wall Street, after US President Donald Trump freed up $50 billion to tackle the pandemic.
Events Canceled, Postponed, Pared Back
- Walt Disney Co will close its theme parks in California and Florida and its resort in Paris from this weekend through the end of the month, the company said on Thursday.
- The impact of the coronavirus on sport swept into the southern hemisphere, with the cancellation of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix adding to an unprecedented shutdown of elite events and competitions around the globe.
- India suspended domestic soccer until the end of this month while domestic cricket was put on hold indefinitely.
- The World Trade Organization's major biennial meeting, due to be held in Kazakhstan in June, was canceled, setting back its efforts to update the global rules of commerce.
- All elite soccer matches in England, including the Premier League, were suspended until April 4 on Friday, English soccer's governing bodies said in a joint statement.
- The filming in Mexico of a big budget Steven Spielberg-produced Amazon mini-series, starring Spanish actor Javier Bardem, has been suspended due to concerns about the coronavirus, according to a letter sent to cast and crew on Friday and seen by Reuters.
- Dubai said on Saturday it was temporarily suspending operations at four major theme parks and tourist attractions until the end of March.
Central American countries step up efforts to contain coronavirus
Central American countries Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador on Saturday took further steps to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus in the region with measures ranging from bans on large gatherings to travel restrictions.
Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador all banned public gatherings to avoid the coronavirus spreading as quickly as it has in countries in Asia and Europe. Panama had banned large gatherings earlier, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, authorities in Panama said flights arriving from Europe and Asia would be temporarily suspended, with the exception of flights that transport doctors, medical equipment or other humanitarian aid.
China imported coronavirus cases exceed new local infections for second day
The number of new coronavirus cases that came to mainland China from overseas surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the second time on Saturday, data released by the National Health Commission (NHC) showed on March 15.
Mainland China had 20 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on March 14, up from 11 cases a day earlier. Of Saturday's cases, 16 involved travellers entering China from overseas, it said, Reuters reported.
The remaining four cases were recorded in the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak is believed to have first begun. Saturday also marked the tenth consecutive day where Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, recorded zero new infections outside Wuhan.
The latest numbers underscore how China, where the epidemic began in December, appears to now face a greater threat of new infections from outside its borders as it continues to slow the spread of the virus domestically.
Of the 16 imported cases, 5 were found in the capital Beijing and three in Shanghai. The provinces of Zhejiang, Gansu and Guangdong respectively reported four, three and one cases.
Spain, France, Philippines' capital go under lockdown to fight coronavirus
Spain and France imposed stringent measures to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak, the death toll kept climbing in China and the United States extended a travel ban.
In Spain, the government plans to put its 47 million inhabitants under partial lockdown from March 14 as part of a 15-day state of emergency plan, a draft of an official decree seen by Reuters said.
France will shut shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from today with its 67 million people told to stay home in a country where the number of cases has doubled in 72 hours, reuperts reported.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila region of the Philippines has gone under partial lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak from today.
Metro Manila, known officially as the National Capital Region, is comprised of 16 cities, home to about 12.8 million people, according to the latest data from the Philippines Statistic Authority, CNN reported.
The entire country has 64 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Trump tests negative for coronavirus, extends travel ban to Britain, Ireland
Trump tested negative for the coronavirus, two days after he stood next to a Brazilian official who was tested positive.
In the United States, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus aid package early on March 14 that would provide free testing and paid sick leave. President Donald Trump extended a travel ban to Britain and Ireland, a day after Washington suspended travel from certain European countries for 30 days beginning at midnight on March 13, Reuters reported.
Oregon reports its first coronavirus death
The Oregon Health Authority has reported the state's first death from the coronavirus.
The patient was a 70-year-old man in Multnomah County, who was hospitalized at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and died on March 13, CNN reported.
There are currently 36 presumptive positive cases in Oregon.
Estonia to bar foreign travelers from March 17
Estonia will stop foreign traveler from entering the country from March 17, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the country's government said in a statement on March 15.
Estonians, people living in Estonia, and foreigners whose family members live in Estonia will be able to enter the country, and everyone will be allowed to exit after the deadline, it said, Reuters reported.
The government said it plans for a two-week isolation for anyone entering, with exceptions for foreign trade transport.
Kuwait closes shopping malls and children's entertainment centers
Kuwait decided on March 14 to close all shopping malls except for those related to food supplies, the state news agency reported on Twitter.
The agency added that all children's entertainment centers and male and female salons will be closed to halt the spread of coronavirus, Reuters reported.
South Korea's coronavirus cases continue to fall
South Korea on Sunday reported 76 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths, a fall in new cases to double-digits for the first time in over three weeks, Reuters reported.
South Korea has been experiencing a downward trend in new cases and the latest numbers are significantly lower than the peak of 909 cases reported on February 29 and down from the 107 recorded on March 14.
Forty-one of the new cases were from the city of Daegu, the epicentre of the country's outbreak.
Japan coronavirus infections rise to 1,484
The number of coronavirus infections in Japan rose to 1,484 today, increasing by a faster pace than the previous day, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The total number of infections includes 697 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on charter flights from China, according to NHK data, Reuters reported.
Deaths in the country related to the virus stand at 29, up one from the previous day. The total number of deaths include 7 from the cruise ship.
Yemen suspends all flights for two weeks
Yemen's Saudi-backed government said on March 14 it was suspending all flights to and from airports under its control for two weeks starting on March 18, amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak.
A statement from the office of Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed said the suspension exempted flights for humanitarian purposes. The key airports his government controls are in Aden, Sayoun and Mukalla, Reuters reported.
Argentina bans entry to non-residents arriving from coronavirus-hit countries
Argentina banned entry to non-residents who have traveled to a country highly affected by coronavirus in the last 14 days, the government officially announced late on March 14.
The ban was established for 30 days. However, the bulletin did not specify which countries would be included in the ban, though Argentina already temporarily stopped issuing visas to travelers from the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Britain and many European countries, Reuters reported.
Argentina now has 45 cases of coronavirus, the health ministry said, up from 21 on March 12.
UK coronavirus deaths double in 24 hours
Ten more people in the UK have died in the last 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 21.
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 1,140 while 37,746 people have been tested, BBC reported.
Australia to impose 14-day self-isolation for all international arrivals
Australia will impose a 14-day self isolation on all international passenger arrivals from March 15 midnight to try and contain the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Australia will also ban cruise ships from foreign ports for an initial 30 days, he said, Reuters reported.
Australia has recorded more than 250 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
Israel to use anti-terror tech to counter coronavirus 'invisible enemy'
Israel plans to use anti-terrorism tracking technology and a partial shutdown of its economy to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 14.
Cyber tech monitoring would be deployed to locate people who have been in contact with those carrying the virus, subject to cabinet approval, Netanyahu said, Reuters reported.
"We will very soon begin using technology ... digital means that we have been using in order to fight terrorism," Netanyahu said.
In an escalation of precautionary measures, the country announced that malls, hotels, restaurants and theaters will shut down from Sunday, and said employees should not go to their workplaces unless it was necessary. However vital services, pharmacies, supermarkets and banks would continue to operate.
Norway to close ports, airports from March 16
Norway is to shut its ports and airports from Monday in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, although exemptions will be made for Norwegians returning from abroad as well as for goods, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on March 14.
The government is ready to do all that is needed to secure the economy, which has been hit by business shutdowns due to the virus outbreak, and will seek to import medical equipment from China, Solberg said, Reuters reported.
Planes carrying Norwegian citizens will still be able to land in Norway, and the government is negotiating with Norwegian Air and SAS to bring nationals home, she said.
The transport of goods to and from Norway will also continue, she later added.
The Nordic country will implement extensive controls of its land entry points, but will not shut its 1,630-kilometre (1,000-mile) border with neighboring Sweden, she said.
Norway recorded its second and third deaths linked to coronavirus on March 14, Norwegian news agency NTB said. The official number of infected persons has risen to around 950.
China returning to normal life as it lifting travel restrictions
Life in China has started to return to normal as the country is reopening the previously closed roads, towns, and provinces.
Some 1,119 highway entrances and exits across the country were closed during the worst of the outbreak. Now, all but two have reopened, according to state media outlet Xinhua, CNN reported.
Hundreds of previously-closed roads, towns, and provinces have also reopened. The national road network is "basically running normally," and 28 provinces have resumed inter-provincial travel.
Of 12,028 health and quarantine stations set up on highways, 11,198 have been removed.
270 passengers offloaded in India after coronavirus patient boards flight
Some 270 passengers of a Dubai-bound flight were offloaded in India's Kochi airport today after a UK national among them tested positive for novel coronavirus.
The passenger belonged to a group of 19 holidaying in the hill resort town of Munnar in Kerala and was under surveillance, a Cochin International Airport Limited spokesman said, NDTV reported.
Uzbekistan confirms first coronavirus case
An Uzbek citizen has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from France, Uzbekistan’s Healthcare Ministry said on Sunday, marking the first infection from the virus in the Central Asian country of 34 million.
It said it was taking the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus, Reuters reported.
Uzbekistan’s state airline said on Sunday it was suspending or curbing flights to a number of cities in Western Europe, Asia and the Middle East until the end of April.
Chile quarantines 1,300 aboard two cruise ships
Chile has quarantined more than 1,300 people aboard two cruise ships after an elderly Briton aboard one of them tested positive for the coronavirus, the health ministry announced On March 14.
Both ships are cruising the Chilean fjords in Patagonia.
The 85-year-old man showed symptoms of the virus after getting off the Silver Explorer ship in the far southern port of Caleta Tortel, 2,400 kilometers from Santiago, AFP reported.
The man was later transferred to a hospital in the city of Coyhaique where he tested positive for the virus.
The other ship, the Azmara Pursuit — with 665 passengers and nearly 400 crew — had earlier crossed into Chilean waters from the southern Argentine port of Ushuaia.
The ship was currently near the port of Chacabuco after authorities banned it from landing passengers there, on grounds that it was carrying suspected cases of the coronavirus.
The ship is on a 21-day cruise from Buenos Aires to Callao in Peru, just beside Lima.
The number of coronavirus cases in Chile reached 61 on Saturday, 18 more than on Friday. Manalich said Chile is in Phase 3 of the crisis, with means that in addition to those infected with COVID-19 coming from abroad, there may be local cases.
Thailand reports 32 new coronavirus cases in biggest single-day rise
Thailand reported 32 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday in the largest daily jump in infections since the outbreak began, bringing its total tally to 114, health officials said.
The new patients include 17 people infected at pubs and boxing stadiums, persons who were in contact with foreigners, and those who returned from overseas, Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the health ministry's permanent secretary, told a new conference.
The health ministry will on Monday propose to a virus centre chaired by the prime minister to reduce people entering Thailand, to close entertainment places with high risk, and to cancel people gathering activities, Sukhum said.
One person has died of the virus in Thailand. Thirty seven people have recovered and been discharged from hospital, Reuters reported.
On March 11, Thailand said it would temporarily suspend issuing visas on arrival to visitors from 19 countries and territories, including China, to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque shut as precaution against coronavirus by Muslim clerics
Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock will shut their doors until further notice, religious authorities said on Sunday, in a move to protect worshippers at Islam's third holiest site.
Prayers will still be held on the huge open area around the two shrines and other Muslim prayer sites on the sacred compound known to Muslims worldwide as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Har ha-Bayit, or Temple Mount.
"The Islamic Waqf department decided to shut down the enclosed prayer places inside the blessed Aqsa Mosque, and until further notice, as a protective measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus," Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, the Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Reuters.
The number of novel coronavirus cases top 152,000 globally, prompting countries to take unprecedented response.