The United States on Thursday surpassed 1,600 confirmed or presumptive cases of the coronavirus, and the death toll climbed to 41. Kansas reported its first death Thursday.
Wall Street recorded historic losses as fears intensified over the economic fallout from the pandemic, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 10 percent, and the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 both down by 9 percent.
It was the worst point drop ever for the Dow and its worst performance since the market crash in 1987.
Disruptions in the sports world continued, with March Madness canceled, the suspension of MLB's spring training and a pause on the National Hockey League season.
Health and government officials continue to call for the end of large gatherings, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suspended public gatherings worldwide, the Smithsonian announced it will close indefinitely all museums in Washington, D.C. and New York City and Broadway theaters canceled performances through April 12.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
- Here's what to know about the coronavirus.
- MAPS: Where cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and worldwide.
Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.
This live coverage has ended. Continue reading March 13 Coronavirus news.
Oregon, Michigan latest to order statewide school closures
Oregon’s governor on Thursday night ordered the closure of K-12 schools statewide until the end of month, citing health concerns and staffing problems related to the novel coronavirus.
Michigan’s governor Thursday night ordered all public school buildings closed to students starting Monday until April 5 in what she said was a move to slow the spread of the coronavirus illness COVID-19.
Earlier Thursday, Maryland’s governor said all public schools in the state would be closed starting Monday through March 27. Ohio's governor also announced a similar move set to begin at the end of the school day Monday and lasts through April 3.
Jet Blue: Passenger who didn’t tell airline test was pending is now banned
JetBlue said Thursday that a passenger who arrived at a Florida airport reportedly as a positive coronavirus case didn’t tell anyone at the airline that a test was pending.
The airline identified the plane that landed Wednesday evening as Flight 253.
That is the plane that NBC affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach reported landed at Palm Beach International Airport from JKF in New York with a passenger who tested positive for COVID-19. That person is isolated, and people who were near the passenger are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms.
"In reviewing last night’s event, we determined the customer boarded our flight knowing he was awaiting results for a coronavirus test without disclosing it to anyone at JetBlue,” airline communications manager Derek Dombrowski said in a statement.
The airline is asking that anyone who is feeling unwell, thinks they have the coronavirus, or is awaiting testing to avoid travel. “Last night’s event put our crewmembers, customers, and federal and local officials in an unsettling situation that could have easily been avoided, and as such, this customer will not be permitted to fly on JetBlue in the future,” Dombrowski said.
NBA games on hold for at least 30 days
The National Basketball Association said Thursday that games will be on hold for at least 30 days.
“We intend to resume the season, if and when it becomes safe for all concerned,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a letter to fans posted online
The suspension was announced after a player for the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus.
Roundup of coronavirus coverage
Why wearing a face mask is encouraged in Asia, but shunned in the U.S. [Time]
For seniors, the college season's sudden end is a uniquely brutal heartbreak [Sports Illustrated]
'It's corona time': TikTok helps teens cope with the coronavirus pandemic [The Guardian]
The tickets home were $5,000. They paid it. [The New York Times]
American Airlines to reduce, suspend some flights
American Airlines will reduce international capacity this summer in response to customer demand amid the coronavirus outbreak, the airline said Thursday. It is also suspending some flights from some U.S. airports to Europe.
The changes will reduce international capacity for the summer season by 34 percent, the airline said.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump said Wednesday that travel would be restricted from most of Europe for 30 days, although there are exceptions.
The airline will continue to operate flights to and from Europe for up to seven days to give people a chance to return home. But flights between Charlotte, North Carolina, Philadelphia, and Raleigh/Durham, also in North Carolina, to some European destinations would be suspended.
PGA cancels Players Championship
Alaska identifies first case
Officials in Alaska have identified the state’s first presumptive positive case of the coronavirus illness COVID-19 and said that the person is a foreign national “transiting through” the state.
“It was just a matter of time” before Alaska saw its first case, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said at a press conference.
The positive test will be sent to the CDC for confirmation. The person knew about coronavirus and had been self-monitoring, and as soon as he developed symptoms he notified officials, Dr. Anne Zink, chief medical officer of Alaska, said. He self-isolated the entire time.
Wife of Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tests positive
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife has tested positive for COVID-19, the official said in a statement Thursday night.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is in isolation with mild symptoms but is feeling well, the statement said.
The prime minister will remain in isolation for 14 days. He will not be tested because he is not showing symptoms, according to the statement.
Trudeau plans to address Canadians Friday.
Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris to close
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort will close through the end of the month, and Disney Cruise Line will suspend all new departures through the same time period over fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The resorts will be closed starting Monday. The suspension of cruise departures will take place Saturday.
"The Walt Disney Company will pay its cast members during that closure period," a company spokesperson said. The hotels and retail and dining complexes will remain open. The Walt Disney Company is also asking employees at its U.S. properties who able to work from home to do so.
The move comes after previous announcements that Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure would close beginning Saturday morning.
NBA player Kevin Love pledges $100,000 to help Cavaliers support staff
Kansas reports first death, declares state of emergency
Gov. Laura Kelly announced the first coronavirus death in Kansas and announced a state of emergency.
"Unfortunately, today we learned of the first COVID-19 related death in our state," Kelly said at a press conference Thursday night. "The death was of a male in his 70s in Wyandotte County who lived in a long term care facility. He had other underlying health conditions and was receiving care at a local hospital at the time of his death."
"Every effort is being made to mitigate the spread of the virus, including quarantining all who are known to have been in contact with this individual," Kelly said.
"The situation also demanded that I declare an emergency, which will grant my administration the ability to activate state resources and mobilize personnel where needed in the state."
As of Thursday, Kansas had seven confirmed cases of the virus. The death in the state brings the national coronavirus death toll to 41.
Behind Trump's coronavirus shift
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump jetted back to Washington on Monday after a weekend of golfing and fundraising in Florida, an intervention was awaiting him back at the White House.
Administration officials, increasingly concerned about the messaging and response to the coronavirus, had spent the weekend scrambling to craft a strategy to shift the president’s response, which had been focused on downplaying the threat and accusing the media of creating undue concern, according to people involved in the effort.
San Francisco and Houston closing all public schools
The cities of San Francisco and Houston both announced on Thursday that all public schools would be temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns.
San Francisco Unified School District said schools would close for three weeks starting Monday, March 16.
“Health officials have advised that it is likely our community will be seeing many more cases of COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months and this will require a measured, sustained response,” SFUSD Board President Mark Sanchez said in a statement.
The Houston Independent School District announced it was closing schools starting Friday, March 13. Classes will resume on Tuesday, March 31.
Mormon Church calls off all public gatherings around the world
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, announced on Thursday that it was suspending public gatherings worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We continue to monitor the changing conditions related to COVID-19 throughout the world," the church said in a statement on its website. "We have considered the counsel of local Church leaders, government officials and medical professionals, and have sought the Lord’s guidance in these matters."
"Beginning immediately, all public gatherings of Church members are being temporarily suspended worldwide until further notice."
Smithsonian to close museums and zoo in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian announced on Thursday that all museums in Washington, D.C. and New York City, as well as the National Zoo in D.C., will be closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The closures will begin on Saturday, March 14.
"Due to the rapidly changing nature of the situation, we are not announcing a reopening date at this time and will provide updates on a week-to-week basis on our websites," the Smithsonian Institution said in a statement.
New York to Alex Jones: Stop pushing fake coronavirus cures
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has warned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to stop selling fake coronavirus cures, according to a statement from her office released Thursday.
James sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding Jones stop selling products such as toothpaste, dietary supplements and creams that make coronavirus claims via the website for InfoWars, Jones' media company. The letter refers to claims made on the site on March 7.
There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine or treatment for the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“As the coronavirus continues to pose serious risks to public health, Alex Jones has spewed outright lies and has profited off of New Yorkers’ anxieties,” James said in a statement.
James also sent cease and desist letters to two companies in New York that claim their products are coronavirus treatments. Alex Jones was not immediately available for comment.
Disney postpones release of 'Mulan,' 'The New Mutants' and 'Antlers'
Disney has postponed the theatrical release of "Mulan" amid growing concerns over coronavirus.
The studio has also removed "The New Mutants" and "Antlers" from its slate. All three movies have been delayed indefinitely as Disney looks for new release dates. Disney said in a statement the move was out of "an abundance of caution."
For now, Disney's "Black Widow" is still expected to hit theaters May 1. Since so many big movies are vacating their release dates, Universal's "Trolls: World Tour" is the only film from a major Hollywood studio that's still opening until May. But that could change if movie theaters are forced to close.
"Mulan" is the latest high-profile tentpole to shift its release date as Hollywood grapples with the novel virus that's rapidly spread across the world. On Thursday, Universal pushed "Fast 9" back a year, while Paramount indefinitely shelved "A Quiet Place 2." Earlier in the month, James Bond entry "No Time to Die" was delayed from April until November.
Maryland to close all public schools
Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Thursday that all public schools in the state of Maryland will be closed starting Monday, an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus.
“It is crucial that we take immediate measures to slow the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in school communities around the State,” said Dr. Karen Salmon, superintendent of schools for Maryland. “During the time of school closure, all public school buildings and school buses should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent spread of the virus upon the return of students and staff to school.”
Afternoon roundup of coronavirus coverage, cont'd
The FDA is forcing the CDC to waste time double-testing some cases [ProPublica]
What happens when a new pandemic hits an ancient city? [National Geographic]
Labs rush to study coronavirus in transgenic animals. Some are in short supply. [Nature]
11 things to stream if you're stuck at home [The Hollywood Reporter]
Utah Jazz player confirms he caught coronavirus
Congresswoman Katie Porter presses CDC director to confirm coronavirus testing will be free
Airlines, cruises, and hotel stocks take a pummeling after Trump's travel ban
The travel sector tumbled dramatically the day after the Trump administration ordered a 30-day travel ban on some foreign visitors to help curb the coronavirus outbreak.
United Airlines shares fell by about 20 percent, Delta Air Lines tumbled by about 15 percent, and American Airlines declined by more than 10 percent. The International Air Transport Association estimates the virus could lead to a $113 billion revenue loss across the global airline industry.
The cruise industry, which has been at the center of public attention on the virus since an outbreak on a Carnival cruise ship, continued to dovetail. Carnival Corporation, which said it is voluntarily pausing its Princess Cruise operations for the next two months, saw its shares fall by more than 31 percent. Royal Caribbean shares fell by roughly 32 percent and Norwegian Cruise Line fell by 35 percent.
With such a dramatic halt on travel, the hotel and hospitality stocks have plunged. Hilton Worldwide stock fell by more than 27 percent, Hyatt Hotels share price dropped roughly 15 percent and Marriott International declined by more than 6 percent.
New York City declares state of emergency
Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared a state of emergency for New York City. The move comes on the same day Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned gathering of more than 500 in the state of New York.
New York City has 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Thursday afternoon.
NYPD says 'no plans' to shut down transit despite text messages
There are no plans to shut down transit or movement to and from New York City, according to a senior NYC law enforcement official.
A spokesperson for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio also emphasized that the text messages were not true.
Many people in the New York City area have reported receiving text messages on Thursday afternoon claiming that the city would be shut down in coming days.
Coronavirus calls for social distancing and an end to shaking hands. Here's what we're losing.
Keep your social distance, avoid crowded places — and above all, don’t shake hands! I understand the rationale for these directives from public health officials as we increase our efforts to fend off the spread of the coronavirus, but, oh, how I mourn what we are losing as a result.
It's so simple, you may not have noticed its impact. You extended your hand and reached for someone else’s to shake. But hidden in this simplest of nonverbal exchanges was an opportunity to make a lasting impression and experience human connection.
Now that opportunity is rapidly vanishing. It might be better to forgo handshakes than make ourselves more vulnerable during a pandemic, but we should be aware of what we are giving up and why it matters to our humanity.
Several drive-through testing sites open in U.S.
Several drive-through testing sites have opened in the U.S., including locations in Colorado, Washington, California, Utah and Indiana.
In Denver, patients with a doctor's order for the test can drive up, and a health care worker will collect a sample through the window. The sample collection takes 10 to 15 minutes, and patients will be informed of their results within 72 hours, the state's Department of Public Health and Environment said in a statement. On Thursday, the Denver drive-through site reached capacity at 11 a.m. local time.
At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, patients must be screened over the phone before arriving for a test.
At Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, patients with a doctor's order for a test will be given an appointment time to show up.
NCAA cancels March Madness
The NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, known as March Madness, on Thursday in response to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The cancellation will also extend to all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.
The move comes after most of the NCAA’s conferences suspended their individual tournaments, including its "power conferences," the Pac-12, Big 10, ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Team USA's Olympic baseball qualifying tournament postponed
A baseball tournament of six national teams, vying for a spot at this summer's Olympics, was postponed on Thursday over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Team USA had been set to compete against the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico starting on March 22 in Surprise, Arizona. The same qualifying tournament included Cuba, Venezuela, Canada and Columbia playing in Tempe.
"The tournament will be rescheduled and those dates will be announced at a later time," according to USA Baseball.
Disneyland closing on Friday through the end of the month
"We are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month. The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open," a spokesperson for Disneyland Resort said in a statement to NBC News.
"We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time."
Lindsey Graham, who was at Mar-a-Lago last weekend, plans to self-quarantine
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., plans to self-quarantine as he awaits the results of a coronavirus test, his office said in a statement.
“Senator Graham was at Mar-a-Lago last weekend," Graham's office said. "He has no recollection of direct contact with the President of Brazil, who is awaiting results of a coronavirus test, or his spokesman who tested positive."
Dow falls 10 percent in worst day since 1987 crash
Wall Street recorded historic losses on Thursday as fears intensified over the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic amid what some saw as an anemic response from the White House.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 10 percent, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both down 9 percent. It was the worst point drop ever for the Dow, and its worst performance since the "Black Monday" market crash in 1987.
Banks, travel, and energy sectors both notched up double-digit losses, after President Donald Trump issued a temporary ban on entry into the U.S. for some foreign travelers.
“It’s going to all bounce back and it’s going to bounce back very big,” Trump said Thursday.
Congress, Trump admin close to a deal on coronavirus relief bill
A deal on the coronavirus legislative package is close, a congressional source from each party and an administration official told NBC News on Thursday.
"We are close, not done yet, there could be hiccups along the way," the administration official said, adding that progress is being made on the two main sticking points: paid leave and the Hyde Amendment.
The official adds there is a cooperative spirit between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during these negotiations and that both sides are working as quickly as possible to get a deal done.
House leaders are still hopeful for a vote later Thursday on the legislation but nothing is done until a deal is reached. The administration official remained more skeptical that a vote would happen Thursday.
Major League Baseball to suspend spring training, delay regular season over coronavirus
Major League Baseball announced Thursday it will suspend spring training in response to the coronavirus outbreak and delay the start of the regular season by at least two weeks.
"Following a call with the 30 Clubs, and after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. today announced that MLB has decided to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic," the statement from MLB said.
"This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, Clubs and our millions of loyal fans."
The league says that all pre-season games will be cancelled as of 4 p.m. E.T. on Thursday. MLB will announce contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular season at an "appropriate time" with the "hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible."
Major TV networks skip the red carpet, go virtual for 'upfront' presentations
NBC and CBS will skip the red carpet and go virtual for their annual "upfront" presentations, both companies announced Thursday.
The upfronts, where TV networks show future programming to advertisers in the hopes of securing billions of dollars, are usually star-studded events held at major venues in New York City.
Fox and Discovery announced later that they also would cancel their upfronts, and Disney and Hulu said they also would switch to streaming their presentations. Hulu is owned by Disney and Comcast, the parent company of NBC Universal, which owns NBC News.
“This year’s Upfront Presentation will ensure everyone’s safety, while allowing us to give fans and marketers a preview of the upcoming season,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman of Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal, noting that the presentations would be televised and streamed instead.
CBS parent ViacomCBS said in a statement that it would make a video and share it with advertisers.
E.U. and U.K. cancel face-to-face talks on post-Brexit trade
European Union negotiators will not travel to London for a second round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal because of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Both sides are currently exploring alternative ways to continue discussions, including if possible the use of video conferences,' the E.U. and U.k. negotiating teams said in a joint statement Thursday, adding that they were looking at "alternative ways" of keeping the talks alive, including video conferencing.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus across the United Kingdom rose 29 percent to 590 over the past 24 hours. Ten people have died in the UK since the outbreak.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson he said wants a comprehensive trade deal in place by the end of the year. Earlier Thursday, he warned that many more families are "going to lose loved ones before their time," as his government's chief scientific adviser warned that between 5,000 and 10,000 people were likely infected with COVID-19 in the U.K.
Ohio closing public schools for three weeks, gov announces
GOP lawmakers continue to use 'Wuhan virus' or 'Chinese coronavirus'
Republican lawmakers have persisted in using "Wuhan virus" or "Chinese coronavirus," despite remarks by Democrats and the director of the CDC that such phrases are inaccurate and even racist.
The racist rhetoric around the virus could potentially be a tactic in distracting from Trump’s handling of the situation, Rep. Grace Peng said.
Supreme Court closing to the public
Statement from the court:
"Out of concern for the health and safety of the public and Supreme Court employees, the Supreme Court Building will be closed to the public from 4:30 p.m. on March 12, 2020, until further notice. The Building will remain open for official business, and case filing deadlines are not extended."
‘It is a failing. Let’s admit it,' Fauci says of coronavirus testing capacity
America has failed to meet the capacity for coronavirus testing that it needs, a top public health official publicly acknowledged Thursday.
“The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a House hearing about coronavirus test kits in the United States, which were initially dogged by technical glitches. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”
Broadway theaters canceling performances through April 12
Third person at CBS tests positive
A third person at CBS News has tested positive for coronavirus, the company confirmed to NBC News.
CBS News President Susan Zirinsky shared the news in an early morning call with staff on Thursday.
The company confirmed on March 11 that two staff members had tested positive for the virus, and advised staff to work from home while offices were "cleaned and disinfected."
The ViacomCBS-owned company also shifted production of its morning program, "CBS This Morning" to Washington D.C. on Wednesday.
Afternoon roundup of coronavirus coverage
Meet the firefighters, nurses and janitors on the coronavirus front lines [The New York Times]
Singapore was ready for coronavirus — and other countries, take note [Wired]
U.S. migrant deportations risk spreading coronavirus to Central America [The Guardian]
Fed may go into its crisis tool kit soon. What's in it? [Reuters]
Starbucks stores may go drive-thru only or limit seating [The Seattle Times]
Gov. Cuomo bans gatherings of more than 500 people in New York state
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that the state would ban all gatherings of 500 or more people.
The announcement could massively affect concerts, sporting events and more scheduled in New York City and throughout the state and could carry major financial consequences.
The order comes after the Washington governor, Jay Inslee, banned events of more than 250 people across three counties in his state.
States urge alternative voting methods ahead of Tuesday primaries
As coronavirus continues to spread, election officials in the four states holding presidential primaries next Tuesday are encouraging Americans to vote by unconventional means to avoid crowds.
That usually means voting by mail or voting early to avoid large crowds in states where those things are an option — as is the case in those holding primaries March 17.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the coronavirus a pandemic Wednesday, and has recommended that election officials“[e]ncourage voters to use voting methods that minimize direct contact with other people and reduce crowd size at polling stations.”
“We have really been pushing as much as we can for voters who are concerned by polling places to take advantage of voting by mail,” Matt Dietrich, public affairs officer at the Illinois State Board of Elections, told NBC News. “That’s obviously the easiest way to avoid any kind of exposure to crowds, or lines or other people.”
Sticking points in aid bill talks: paid sick leave and abortion
Two issues are emerging as sticking points in negotiations between the White House and Speaker Pelosi on the Coronavirus aid bill.
The first and seemingly the bigger sticking point is paid sick leave, according to three sources familiar with the negotiations. Republicans are worried it creates new requirements for businesses that will last beyond Coronavirus.
The other is abortion, according to five sources familiar with the contours of the negotiation.
Why abortion? Well distrustful negotiators look for ways to advance their own priorities in must-pass legislation or prevent the other side from doing the same.
In this case: The White House believes provisions in the Pelosi bill that pertain to the Violence Against Women Act could open the door to federal funds for abortion. In response, the White House wants to add Hyde Amendment language to the bill — restricting the use of federal funds for abortion. Speaker Pelosi has long been an opponent of the amendment.
World Bank orders staff in D.C. to work from home and suspends global work travel
The World Bank Group ordered staff in Washington, D.C. to work from home and suspended global work travel due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to an email from its managing director of operations sent midday Wednesday.
The email, obtained by NBC News, advised all staff in Washington, D.C. to adopt home-based working starting Friday until further notice and mandated it for any employee age 65 or older or with chronic medical conditions. The bank also shut down its on-site childcare. Staff on "mission travel" were asked to return to their base location as soon as possible.
White House considering letting some staffers work from home
The White House has started preparing for some staffers to work remotely and senior administration officials are weighing further guidelines amid growing coronavirus concerns in Washington, according to administration officials.
The Office of Management and Budget is discussing the possibility of telling White House employees who aren’t required to be in the building to work from home, said an administration official. Another person compared the plans as akin to the way non-essential personnel work from home during a government shutdown.
No final decision on a coronavirus staffing policy has been made, the officials said.
The Trump campaign, for its part, has started offering a teleworking option, said communications director Tim Murtaugh. Most staff that would normally be on the road handling upcoming events had been working out of the campaign’s Virginia headquarters, making the office more crowded than usual.
White House: Trump and Pence not being tested for coronavirus
From White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham:
“The White House is aware of public reports that a member of the Brazilian delegation‘s visit to Mar-a-Lago last weekend tested positive for COVID-19; confirmatory testing is pending. Exposures from the case are being assessed, which will dictate next steps. Both the President and Vice President had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time.
“As stated before, the White House Medical Unit and the United States Secret Service has been working closely with various agencies to ensure every precaution is taken to keep the First & Second Families, and all White House staff healthy.
“To reiterate CDC guidelines, there is currently no indication to test patients without symptoms, and only people with prolonged close exposure to confirmed positive cases should self-quarantine.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and will update everyone as we get more information.”
Italy's death toll tops 1,000 people
The death toll in Italy has risen to 1,000 people, and the country's confirmed cases of coronavirus swelled to more than 15,000 people, Italian officials confirmed Thursday.
The Italian Civil Protection Agency said that the death toll now stands at 1,016, a nearly 23 percent increase from Wednesday. The total number of confirmed cases grew to 15,113 on Thursday, which is 21 percent more cases than the day before.
Italy has become a hotspot for the disease and the nation's leaders have put the entire country on a veritable lockdown that has turned Italy's tourist-filled cities into ghost towns.
Analysis: The twisted politics of Washington's coronavirus response
With President Donald Trump fading further into the background as a serious player on coronavirus action, House Democrats and Trump lieutenants are battling to bolster the federal response.
Separately for the most part, but with some collaboration, they are racing to shape legislative and executive policy solutions to a pandemic that has spread rapidly from the public health arena to infect the economic health of the nation. The officials — elected Democrats, Trump-administration Republicans and nonpartisan federal agency chiefs — are also seeking to deliver accurate and consistent information to the public about the importance of slowing down the virus, after weeks of Trump downplaying the risks.
In doing so, they find themselves fighting the fierce partisan instincts of Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who vowed to crush a bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spent much of her morning discussing with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the telephone.
Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell confirms positive coronavirus test
NHL suspends play over coronavirus
The National Hockey League said Thursday that it has paused its season, beginning with games set to take place on Thursday, over concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the news from the NBA that a player had tested positive had influenced the NHL's decision.
“[F]ollowing last night’s news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus – and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point – it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time,” Bettman said in a statement.
Trump: Restricting travel in U.S. a 'possibility' if coronavirus pandemic gets 'too hot'
President Donald Trump said Thursday that it's a "possibility" the administration could impose travel restrictions within the United States to limit exposure to the coronavirus if certain areas get "too hot."
"We haven't discussed that yet," Trump continued when asked about the option at a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. "Is it a possibility? Yes. If somebody gets a little bit out of control, if an area gets too hot."
"You see what they're doing in New Rochelle, which is good frankly," Trump said, referring to the city just north of Manhattan where there is a growing cluster of coronavirus cases. "It's the right thing, but it's not enforced, it's not very strong. But people know they're being watched. New Rochelle, that's a hot spot."
Imposing travel limits in the U.S. interior would a significant step in the effort to mitigate cases as coronavirus fears roil the economy and cripple various industries.
'Everyone's losing': College campus closures a stark reality for students
This week, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Michigan, and dozens of others schools moved classes online. Like Amherst, Wesleyan College, Grinnell College, and Harvard University, took it a step further, ordering students to leave campus for the remainder of the semester.
The universities say the decision to close is meant to stem the spread of the virus on campuses where students live in close quarters and aren’t too likely to heed public health warnings. But telling students to head home and take classes online for the rest of the semester isn’t as simple as it sounds, and for many students, it feels more devastating than contracting the virus itself.
Fed to feed $500 billion into markets as stocks continue to crater
The stock market pared losses Thursday afternoon after the Federal Reserve made a surprise announcement that it would be injecting $500 billion into Treasury markets choked by the coronavirus.
The move is intended to "support smooth functioning of funding markets as market participants implement business resiliency plans in response to the coronavirus," the Fed said in a statement posted on its website Thursday afternoon.
Treasury bonds have fallen to historic lows of 0.3 percent in the past week, but rallied to 0.68 percent Thursday afternoon.
Wall Street also rallied after the Fed announcement, with all three major averages down by just 6 percent, from their earlier losses of more than 9 percent.
Brazilian official who met Trump at Mar-a-Lago tests positive for coronavirus
A Brazilian official President Donald Trump met with over the weekend has tested positive for the coronavirus, but Trump said Thursday he's "not concerned" about their interaction.
Fabio Wajngarten, press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, posed for a picture with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Bolsonaro at Trump's Florida resort over the weekend that he posted on Instagram. The press office at Brazil's presidential palace confirmed to NBC News Thursday that Wajngarten had tested positive for the coronavirus.
His condition was not immediately clear. The office said he is in home quarantine. Bolsonaro is being monitored as well, the press office said in a statement.
Click here to read more.
McConnell says Senate will cancel recess
Coronavirus could 'wreak havoc' on U.S. jails, experts warn
An outbreak of coronavirus inside the walls of a U.S. prison or jail is now a question of when, not if, according to health experts. And interviews with several jail staffers, prisoner advocates and former correctional medical personnel revealed deep concerns over the potential for the illness to wreak havoc behind bars.
The U.S. has roughly 5,000 adult detention facilities — a mix of jails, which house inmates awaiting trial or serving short sentences, and prisons, where people convicted of serious crimes go to serve time. No cases have yet been reported in any of the facilities.
But the environments, with inmates packed together in often grimy spaces with limited ventilation, provide a prime breeding ground for the spread of infectious diseases, experts say.
Library of Congress to be closed to the public
All Library of Congress buildings and facilities will be closed to the public beginning 5 p.m. Wednesday until April 1 to reduce the risk of coronavirus as the disease continues spreading across the U.S., the library said in a statement Thursday.
Employees, authorized visitors and credentialed Capitol Hill staff will continue to have access to the facilities, the library said.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott plans to self-quarantine
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., plans to self-quarantine after coming into potential contact with a member of Brazilian President Bolsonaro's delegation in Miami, the lawmaker said in a statement."
"While I do not believe I interacted with the infected person, that individual was in the same room as me. The Embassy said the person had no symptoms leading up to or the day of the conference," Scott said.
"After consulting with the Senate’s attending physician and my personal doctor, I have been told that my risk is low, and I don’t need to take a test or quarantine," Scott added. "However, the health and safety of the American people is my focus and I have made the decision to self-quarantine in an abundance of caution. I am feeling healthy and not experiencing any symptoms at this time."
Prayers in Gaza City
Greece reports its first coronavirus related death
Greece reported its first fatality from a coronavirus infection Thursday as it extended a closure of schools to include cinemas, theatres and nightclubs to help prevent a spread of the disease.
The 66-year-old man had returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt at the end of February. He had been in hospital for little over a week and had underlying health issues, the country's health ministry said.
There were 117 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Greece on Thursday, with 18 new infections added in the past 24 hours. Most of those affected had mild symptoms, Sotiris Tsiodras, the health ministry coordinator, said.
The closure of gyms, cinemas, nightclubs and theatres would apply for a period of two weeks, and followed a decision in the week by authorities to shut schools across the country.
New Hampshire courts cancel all criminal, civil jury trials
New Hampshire Superior Courts will cancel all criminal and civil jury trials for the next 30 days starting on Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak, Chief Justice Tina Nadeau said in a statement Thursday.
Those called for jury duty service were told not to appear to the courthouse between March 13 and April 13, and those who had a report date on April 14 or later were encouraged to check the court's website for updates before appearing.
The court left open the opportunity to extend the 30-day period "on an ongoing basis." Plaintiff and defendants were told that if their cases were scheduled between those two dates they would be given notice of a new trial date.
What we know about the MLB's plans for the baseball season
Imagine if Pete Alonso smacks a home run in front of 41,922 empty Citi Field seats March 26 when the Mets are scheduled to open the regular season at home against the defending World Series champion Nationals.
One major league executive was asked about that exact scenario Wednesday, and said that all the buzz at spring training sites in Florida and Arizona this week has been team owners, executives and players contemplating — and preparing for — a brave new sports world in the time of the coronavirus.
NYC's Metropolitan Museum reportedly to close
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the most iconic museums in New York City, plans to temporarily close its three locations across the city starting on Friday, according to The New York Times.
“The Met’s priority is to protect and support our staff, volunteers, and visitors,” Daniel Weiss, the Met’s president and chief executive, said in a statement to The Times.
1st coronavirus death in Georgia
The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed on Thursday the state's first death from the coronavirus.
The patient, a 67-year-old man, had been hospitalized after testing positive for the illness Saturday. Public health officials said the man also had underlying health conditions.
In all, 39 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.
PGA Tour continues play — but without fans
The Professional Golf Association announced Thursday that the PGA Tour would continue holding tournaments but would close them to fans.
PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan said the change will go into effect Friday on the second day of The Players Championship.
Fans are still allowed to attend tournament play on Thursday, the first day of the Players Championship. Any fans who were scheduled to attend Thursday but now feel uncomfortable will be able to get a refund.
Monahan said he spoke with President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, where the Tour is headquartered. He said the situation was “incredibly fluid and dynamic.” The restriction will continue through the Valero Texas Open, which is scheduled to end on April 5.
DOJ building closed for santization overnight after employee self-quarantines
A Justice Department building in Washington, D.C., was shuttered overnight for sanitization after a government lawyer who traveled to California and then developed symptoms was deemed to be a presumptive case of coronavirus, U.S. officials tell NBC News.
An employee working in the DOJ Civil Division’s Liberty Square Building in Northwest Washington exhibited symptoms consistent with coronavirus, and is self-quarantining for two weeks on the recommendation of their doctor, according to an email from Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt sent to employees late Wednesday obtained by NBC News.
A Justice Department official told NBC News that the employee in question is an attorney in the department’s Office of Immigration Litigation who traveled to San Francisco last week for a court proceeding. The lawyer then returned to Washington and came into the office late last week and early this week before coming down with symptoms.
The official said that employees are being told that the lawyer is “presumptively” considered a coronavirus case but has still not been tested because of the strict eligibility requirements to qualify for a coronavirus test. The situation has created significant concern and uncertainty among Justice Department employees about whether they are at risk and whether they should continue traveling for official purposes, the official said.
NCAA’s five 'power conferences' cancel basketball tournaments
The NCAA’s five “power conferences,” the Pac-12, Big 10, ACC, Big 12 and SEC, all called off play on Thursday due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
In a flurry of tweets, the power conferences and others, including the Mid-American Conference and American Athletic Conference, announced the immediate cancellations of their tournaments. The Big East, which was in the middle of a game as other conferences were pulling out, canceled its tournament during halftime.
In some instances, the announcements came shortly before play was set to begin on the second day of play. The move comes a day after the NCAA announced that its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, known as March Madness, would be open to only essential staff and limited family members.
Pelosi: Mnuchin made 'very reasonable' suggestions for coronavirus relief bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Thursday morning that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin made several suggestions for the coronavirus relief bill that are "all very reasonable."
"I think that none of them is, would prevent us from moving forward with the bill," Pelosi said. "They are options that we considered in our own caucus, some of them. And we went one route, they want to go another route, that's fine."
Pelosi said she hopes that Republicans don't further "move the goal posts." The speaker spoke with Mnuchin for a third time Thursday after her press conference, according to her aide Drew Hammill on Twitter.
Paramount postpones global release of 'A Quiet Place Part II'
Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom/CBS, said on Thursday it was postponing the horror sequel "A Quiet Place Part II" until later this year, citing concerns about coronavirus and some bans on social gatherings. The movie was scheduled for release in North America on March 20.
“As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ... I’m gonna wait to release the film til we can all see it together. So here’s to our group movie date! See you soon!” tweeted John Krasinski, the movie's director.
Paramount said in a statement that it would move the worldwide release of the movie and would confirm future plans "once we have a better understanding of the impact of this pandemic on the global theatrical marketplace."
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to self-isolate amid outbreak
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be self-isolating amid the outbreak after his wife showed “mild flu-like symptoms” following a trip to London, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is being tested for the coronavirus and self-isolating, the statement said. The prime minister is not exhibiting any symptoms, according to the statement.
'Fast & Furious 9' delayed a year
The release of the ninth installment in the popular "Fast & Furious" movie franchise has been pushed back about a year amid the outbreak, Universal Pictures announced Thursday.
"F9" will now debut on April 2, 2021, instead of May 22, 2020, the studio said in a news release. (Universal Pictures, like NBC News, is a unit of the Comcast-owned NBCUniversal.)
What laws let U.S. officials ban travel and large gatherings?
Laws such as those that give the president, governors and mayors authority to impose travel restrictions and quarantines and to ban large public gatherings as a way to slow the transmission of disease are common worldwide. They're also some of the oldest on the books, stemming from the experiences of past pandemics, especially the plague in the mid-1300s and the 1918 Spanish flu.
President Donald Trump imposed the European travel ban by invoking his general authority to restrict immigration. Federal law says he can suspend the entry of any noncitizens "whenever the president finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States." This is the same provision Trump has invoked, with varying degrees of success, to limit travel from mostly Muslim countries and to restrict immigration at the southern border.
Separately, federal public health laws give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the power to detain and examine anyone arriving in the U.S. suspected of carrying a communicable disease. All states and the District of Columbia have laws, as part of their general police powers, authorizing quarantine, which is a restriction on people who may have been exposed to see if they become sick, and isolation, which is intended to stop people known to be sick from spreading a disease.
As far as banning large public gatherings, states give governors and mayors broad authority to act in emergencies.
“It’s going to all bounce back and it’s going to bounce back very big,” says Trump as markets dive
“It’s going to all bounce back and it’s going to bounce back very big,” President Donald Trump said Thursday, after Wall Street took another beating.
Trading on the New York Stock Exchange was halted twice Thursday, as concerns mount about the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the U.S. government's response to the pandemic.
The S&P 500 fell briefly into bear market territory Thursday morning, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged by more than 2,200 points, or 9 percent, and the Nasdaq index fell by 8 percent.
Italy deepens lockdown as coronavirus spreads
MILAN — Normally packed tourist sites, shops and restaurants stood deserted across Italy on Thursday, a day after authorities drastically tightened a nationwide lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Milan, the country’s financial capital, was a ghost town as residents woke up to an order to close all shops except supermarkets, food stores and pharmacies. In a city center normally bustling with shoppers, a handful of people mingled at a street market that had just one stand open.
In the university area of the city, almost all shops were closed and people, most wearing masks, lined up to get into a drug store. Inside, pharmacist Andrea De Leo, 26, said they were running out of masks but were expecting a new delivery at the end of the week. Despite the most severe restrictions since World War II, De Leo said that the city would persevere.
“We are getting used to this,” he said. “We will resist.”
GOP senator McSally urges cancellation of congressional break
Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., who’s up for re-election in November, said Thursday that congressional leaders should cancel recess until the House and Senate address the outbreak.
“Americans all over the country are looking to us to lead on mitigating the impact of this virus,” McSally said in a statement. “It is totally unacceptable for us to leave Washington, D.C., and recess without further acting to support our constituents.”
The House and Senate are on recess next week and there’s no guarantee Congress will pass an aid package before leaving for the break, although the House was scheduled to vote on a sweeping aid package Thursday.
Hillary Clinton weighs in
Pelosi calls travel ban 'strange,' questions why the U.K. is excluded
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci called her the night earlier to brief her on the travel ban that was announced by President Donald Trump in his Oval Office address.
Pelosi said that Fauci said it was a "scientific medical decision."
"It’s just strange because they’re saying it’s easy to travel among these countries but they’re separate from the U.K. Well you can just get on the Chunnel and you’ll be in the U.K.," she said.
Two more people die in the U.K.
Two more people have died from COVID-19 in the U.K., Britain's Department of Health and Social Care said Thursday.
A total of eight people have now died in the country from the respiratory illness and 590 people from the 29,764 tested, have been found to be carrying the disease.
Italians distancing themselves at supermarkets
People waited a safe distance apart from one another on Thursday as they lined up in a supermarket in the Italian city of Florence as the nationwide lockdown continued.
"There are very few people outside, and all walking," Francesco Corti, 49, told NBC News by phone Thursday, adding that people were "respecting" the distance between one another to try to avoid the spread of COVID-19, which killed 200 people in Italy on Wednesday alone.
"It’s pretty funny because you know the Italians love to stay very close to each other. It’s not happening these days," he said, adding that most people were remaining calm and trying to follow the government's advice.
He also said he had not seen panic-buying at the supermarket.
South Korea's coronavirus death toll reaches 67
Nearly 70 people have been killed by the coronavirus in South Korea, according to health authorities in the country.
The death toll from the global pandemic reached 67 on Thursday, according to information from South Korean health officials.
'That was simply the worst briefing': House Democrats react to meeting by administration officials
Many Democrats left a briefing for all House lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday frustrated with what they described as an unsatisfactory briefing in which they left with many lingering questions.
"That was simply the worst briefing I have ever received in seven or eight years of Congress," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., to reporters after the closed-door meeting.
"The administration has no good answers, no plan and no leadership. I think members from both parties are frustrated and angry and they have every right to be. I think its time for the White House to take the training wheels off and provide real leadership for this public health emergency," he added.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who represents most of the Seattle area, a region significantly impacted by the virus, praised some of the briefers like Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who she called "excellent."
"So, we just need to be honest with the American people about where we are," she said. "And I don't think that this president or some members of the administration are doing that."
After rush on airports, American Airlines is the first to cap prices on flights
American Airlines is placing price limits on U.S.-bound flights from Europe as people rush to return home in response to the President Donald Trump’s restrictions on overseas travel, the company confirmed to NBC News on Thursday.
“We are placing caps on our fares for all cabins on flights from Europe to the U.S. that are affected by the government-imposed travel restrictions,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The move comes after Trump announced in an Oval Office address on Wednesday night that he would be “suspending all travel from Europe” as of midnight on Friday. The White House later clarified that Trump’s comments did not refer to U.S. residents or permanent citizens and only "suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States."
Romney criticizes Trump's Europe travel ban
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, criticized President Donald Trump's restrictions on travel from Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Romney, who announced yesterday that he is closing his Capitol Hill office as a precautionary measure, told reporters ahead of a Senate briefing Thursday that he’s not sure what a travel ban would do and that the U.S. response should focus on community spread, defined as a transmission within the community without a known source. Romney added that there is a need for more testing kits.
Pence defended the president in an interview with CNN on Thursday, saying that Trump took a "historic step" in restricting travel from Europe and that the administration's health experts agreed with the decision.
"The truth is, we learned yesterday, 70 percent of all the new cases for coronavirus in the world happened in Europe," Pence said. "We're not doing a travel ban as our strategy. The suspending all travel for 30 days from Europe is a part of the strategy. The other part is an aggressive mitigation strategy."
Sen. Tom Cotton closes Hill office, calls outbreak the 'Wuhan virus'
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has temporarily closed his office in Washington, D.C., to protect the health of his staff, who will continue to work from home, his office announced Thursday.
Cotton has been calling the coronavirus the "Wuhan virus," referring to the Chinese city that initially became the epicenter of the outbreak — a term that some critics worry could contribute to anti-Asian bias. Cotton has been on TV in recent weeks suggesting without evidence that the virus came from a secret Chinese lab in Wuhan.
"Since I first heard reports of an unknown virus spreading in central China in early January, I have endeavored to protect you and your family from this menace," Cotton said in the news release announcing his office's closure. Cotton referred to news that a staff member in another Senate office had tested positive for the virus in announcing his plans.
Sen. Maria Cantwell's office announced Wednesday that the Washington Democrat would temporarily close her Capitol Hill office for cleaning after a staff member tested positive for the virus, saying staff would work remotely.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also said Thursday that he was closing his Senate office in response to another senator's aide becoming infected — an apparent reference to Cantwell's staffer. Cruz had self-quarantined at his home in Texas because of contact with an infected person; his office said that he was ending his self-quarantine Thursday.
International exchange programs paused, State Department says
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will temporarily pause all of its programs that involve travel to and from countries with heightened travel advisories, the State Department said in a statement Thursday.
As a result, the Fulbright Program and the International Visitor Leadership Program, which "cultivates lasting relationships" between "emerging foreign leaders" and their American counterparts, will likely be affected.
The ECA has already evacuated or offered voluntary departure for U.S. citizen exchange participants from countries where there are elevated warning levels, like in China, Italy, and South Korea.
Love in the time of coronavirus
Biden's coronavirus speech provides him a contrast moment with Trump
What transpired Wednesday night in the two hours after President Trump’s remarks to the nation on the coronavirus was some of the most disruptive and unsettling news we can remember — at least in a 120-minute span.
The NBA suspended the season. Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for the coronavirus. Dow futures dropped. A staffer in the D.C. office of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., tested positive.
The disease, the disruption and the fear are spreading fast. And at 1 p.m. ET, Democrat Joe Biden gets a contrast moment with President Trump, when he delivers remarks on the coronavirus from Delaware.
White House, Capitol tours canceled, officials say
The White House and Capitol Building are being closing to the public in response to the coronavirus outbreak, officials have announced.
“Out of an abundance of caution and until further notice, White House tours have been canceled,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said Thursday.
In an advisory to congressional offices, the House and Senate sergeants at arms said the Capitol Building, including its Visitor Center, also will stop holding public tours and will allow only limit access to those on official business until April 1, according to congressional sources.
Trading halted on NYSE for second time in one morning
Trading was halted on the New York Stock Exchange just minutes after the opening bell on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus epidemic led to a massive sell-off that triggered a circuit breaker, which stops all trading for a 15-minute period.
The S&P 500 plunged by 7 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1,700 points.
The sell-off came after Trump’s Oval Office address Wednesday night failed to satisfy traders who were hoping for more concrete steps to stanch any economic slowdown from the viral outbreak.
It was the second time trading was temporarily halted on Thursday morning, after all three major averages sank below the 5 percent "limit down" marker in premarket activity.
Trump's proposals: Executive action vs. congressional approval
In his Oval Office address Wednesday night, President Donald Trump laid out various proposals to try to boost the economy in the face of the coronavirus outbreak — some are executive actions, which Trump can take unilaterally, and others must be approved by Congress.
As far as executive actions, Trump called on the Small Business Administration to provide loans to firms that have been affected by the coronavirus. While Trump can do that himself, another of his requests — that funding for the agency be increased — requires congressional approval.
Trump also instructed the Treasury Department to defer tax payments for three months without penalties for some individuals and businesses that have been affected by the outbreak, which a White House official said could be done by executive action. The president did not detail how such deferments would be allocated, however.
Of the proposals that need congressional action, Trump has asked Congress to pass a payroll tax cut through the end of the year, but Democrats and some Republicans oppose the idea.
Lawmakers from both parties say Congress should act on relief measures quickly with both chambers going into recess next week. House Democrats are expected to pass an aid package unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Thursday.
Princess Cruises to pause global operations for two months
Princess Cruises announced Thursday it will voluntarily pause global operations of its 18 cruise ships for two months, affecting voyages departing March 12 to May 10, according to a news release.
“Princess Cruises is a global vacation company that serves more than 50,000 guests daily from 70 countries as part of our diverse business, and it is widely known that we have been managing the implications of COVID-19 on two continents,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.
The company owns the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which had passengers quarantined for two weeks off the coast of Japan in February, many of them becoming infected with coronavirus aboard the ship.
Viking Cruises also announced on Wednesday they plan to suspend their cruise operations until May 1. "I am sure you recognize that COVID-19 has made travel exceedingly complicated," Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said.
White House says Pelosi's coronavirus aid package 'currently falls short'
The legislation unveiled by House Democrats to provide aid and an economic boost to help U.S. communities handle the coronavirus outbreak said the bill “currently falls short” of what’s necessary for a deal, a Trump administration official told NBC News on Thursday.
The administration is concerned with “unfunded mandates on businesses, slow to start new programs and no funds as needed for presidential policies outlined last night,” the official said. “It currently falls short of what’s necessary to strike a good accord."
The official said that the administration wants to “keep working with the speaker to try for a bipartisan, bicameral bill, but if she’s going to persist in pushing a partisan package, everyone will have to be realistic about that, and then we’ll keep looking to find a way forward on the Hill.”
Thursday morning, Pelosi again spoke with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about the legislative package, and Pelosi’s aide, Drew Hammill, tweeted that language of the measure continues to be discussed. The House is expected to vote on the legislation on Thursday and send it to the Senate for a vote.
Plane with COVID-19 patient lands at Palm Beach International Airport
A passenger who arrived on a commercial flight that landed at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida has tested positive for the coronavirus, local officials said.
Palm Beach County's health officials responded and spoke with all passengers on board the aircraft, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said in a statement.
Passengers in the vicinity of the positive patient were advised of monitoring procedures, and the rest were released to go home, the statement added.
The airport is sterilizing the limited containment area where the passengers were deplaned, which was a separate location from the main terminals of the airport.
House Democrats release coronavirus relief measure, vote Thursday
House Democrats unveiled a 124-page coronavirus relief bill late Wednesday that would help U.S. communities handle the outbreak.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that the legislation includes paid emergency leave, with both 14 days of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave; free coronavirus testing; enhanced unemployment insurance; and food security assistance. It would also provide protections for health care and other workers who have contact with those exposed to the virus. The bill would also include increased funds for Medicaid to help states with increased costs.
“We cannot fight coronavirus effectively unless everyone in our country who needs to be tested knows they can get their test free of charge,” Pelosi said in a statement. “We cannot slow the coronavirus outbreak when workers are stuck with the terrible choice between staying home to avoid spreading illness and the paycheck their family can’t afford to lose.”
The House is expected to vote on the legislation Thursday, sending it to the Senate for a vote. The bill does not include the payroll tax cut that President Donald Trump requested earlier this week as part of a proposed economic stimulus package.
Schools, cultural institutions to close in Ireland
Schools and other public facilities in the Republic of Ireland will close from 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to the country's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
Varadkar said the measures would stay in place until Mar. 29. He added that where possible people should work remotely. Cultural institutions will also close, and mass gatherings should be cancelled, he added.
Ireland’s Health Ministry confirmed its first death of a patient diagnosed with the coronavirus on Wednesday. In total 43 people have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness in the country.
An Italian family place a banner on a balcony that reads "everything will be fine" in Turin
Japan must plan for Olympic cancellation, senior politician says
Japan should start planning for the postponement or cancellation of this years Olympic Games, a leading politician in the country said late Wednesday.
Shigeru Ishiba, a heavyweight in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the fate of the games, which are due to start on Jul. 24, was a decision best left to the International Olympic Committee.
“Not thinking about worst-case scenarios won’t eliminate the risk of them materializing,” Ishiba, who is seen as a leading candidate to be the next prime minister, told the Reuters press agency.
However, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike insisted on Thursday that the plans for the games had not changed.
Iran asks IMF for billions in loans to fight coronavirus
Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars worth of emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet Thursday.
Iran’s Central Bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati also wrote on his Instagram page that “in a letter addressed to the head of IMF, I have requested five billion U.S. dollars from the RFI emergency fund to help our fight against the coronavirus."
It was unclear whether IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva had responded to the request, but the IMF has said it stands ready to support countries battling the virus, which Iran has been hit hard by.
At least 10,000 people have been infected with the respiratory illness in the country and 429 have died. Many members of Iran's political elite have also been diagnosed with the disease.
Trading temporarily halted on Wall Street as Trump's stimulus package underwhelms
Wall Street futures trading was temporarily halted early Thursday morning ahead of the opening bell, after all three major averages sank below their thresholds.
The 5 percent "limit down" marker was breached after an address from President Donald Trump on Wednesday night tipped already-queasy traders into sell-off mode.
Markets were underwhelmed by Trump's economic stimulus package, which offers emergency loans to small businesses, deferred tax payments for some people, but made no mention of paid sick leave or free testing for the coronavirus, which continues its spread across the U.S.
The Dow looks set to open with a decline of more than 1,100 points. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are currently down by just under 5 percent.
Discarded face masks clutter Hong Kong's beaches, threatening wildlife
Discarded face masks are piling up on Hong Kong’s beaches and nature trails, with environmental groups warning that the waste is posing a huge threat to marine life and wildlife habitats.
Most of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people have for weeks been putting on single-use face masks every day in the hope of warding off the coronavirus, which has infected 126 people in the city and killed three as of Thursday.
Many of the masks are not disposed of properly, and have instead ended up dumped in the countryside or the sea, where marine life can mistake them for food, washing up on beaches along with the usual plastic bags and other trash.
Environmental groups, already grappling with the flow of marine trash from mainland China and elsewhere, say the cast-off coronavirus masks have compounded the problem and also raised concern about the spread of germs.
Europe wakes up to chaos and confusion after Trump travel ban
There was chaos and confusion at airports across Europe after President Donald Trump's decision to restrict most travel to the U.S. from 26 European countries early Thursday.
Both American citizens and foreigners were scrambling to work out what it meant for their travel plans, while others questioned the logic of Trump's decision and whether it would actually help the effort to slow down the spread of the deadlyrespiratory illness.
The travel ban comes into effect at midnight on Friday at midnight. The restrictions apply only to foreign nationals, and not U.S. citizens, green card holders or the families of U.S. citizens.
European Union says it was not consulted on Trump's coronavirus travel ban
European Union leaders on Thursday criticized President Donald Trump's decision to restrict travel from 26 European nations, and said that they were not consulted beforehand.
"The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action," said a joint statement from Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, presidents of the European Commission and European Council respectively.
"The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation," they added. "The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus."
Staff at Tel Aviv's branch of U.S. Embassy self-isolate
Staff at the branch of the U.S. Embassy in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv are self-isolating after an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 visited it last week.
While everyone affected was quarantined, the embassy said in a statement that the visa department would remain open, while taking recommendations from Israel's Ministry of Health.
The announcement came as the ministry revealed that 100 people had contracted the respiratory illness in the country.
Coronavirus: A glimpse at global market reaction to spreading virus
California bans mass gatherings to slow spread of COVID-19
Health officials in California have announced that mass gatherings of 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled across the state until at least the end of March in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the measure late Wednesday, saying non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, while smaller events can proceed only if the organizers can implement social distancing of six feet per person.
Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, should be limited to no more than 10 people, while also following social distancing guidelines, his office added.
“Each of us has extraordinary power to slow the spread of this disease,” Newsom said in a release. “Not holding that concert or community event can have cascading effects — saving dozens of lives and preserving critical health care resources that your family may need a month from now.”
More than 170 coronavirus cases and four deaths have been reported in California so far.
Plane writes 'wash hands' message in sky above Sydney
An airplane scrawled the words "wash hands" above the International Convention Center in Sydney, Australia on Thursday.
The video shot and posted on Twitter by Chris Dugan shows advice recommend around the world to slow the spread of the global virus.
The WHO recommends hand-washing with soap as a basic yet highly protective measure against the disease.
Australia had 126 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including three deaths, as of Thursday.
TV show 'Riverdale' suspends production over coronavirius
“Riverdale” has suspended production after a team member on the television show recently came into contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus illness and is "currently receiving medical evaluation," COVID-19, Warner Bros. said Wednesday.
The show is produced in Vancouver. “We are working closely with the appropriate authorities and health agencies in Vancouver to identify and contact all individuals who may have come into direct contact with our team member,” the company said.
“Riverdale” is a drama based on the characters from Archie Comics.
Fears of the spread of the coronavirus has prompted several shows to no longer record in front of live studio audiences for the time being.
Beauty retailer Sephora suspends in-store makeup services
Beauty retailer Sephora said Wednesday it is suspending all paid and free in-store services, makeup and skincare applications until further notice to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the disease from coronavirus.
Its enhanced safety measures include disinfecting all high-touch areas, work stations, product displays and hygiene stations with hospital-grade disinfectant and cleaning all display testers with disinfectant multiple times a day, as well as increasing weekly deep cleanings of its stores and distribution centers, the company said in a statement.
Las Vegas movie exhibition CinemaCon canceled
LOS ANGELES — The annual movie exhibition and trade show CinemaCon has been canceled in Las Vegas due to coronavirus, scuttling one of Hollywood's premier hype machines.
The week-long conference, which brings together everyone from Hollywood studio executives and celebrities to movie theater owners and equipment and concession manufacturers, had been scheduled to begin March 30 at Caesar’s Palace.
The cancellation was announced Wednesday in a joint statement by John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, and CinemaCon's managing director, Mitch Neuhauser.
“While local outbreaks vary widely in severity, the global circumstances make it impossible for us to mount the show that our attendees have come to expect," they said. "After consultation with our attendees, trade show exhibitors, sponsors, and studio presenters, NATO has decided therefore to cancel CinemaCon 2020.”
Senate staffer tests positive
A staff member in the Washington, D.C., office of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease from coronavirus, her office said Wednesday.
The person has been in isolation since starting to have symptoms, and on the advice of an attending physician, Cantwell has closed the office this week for deep cleaning, the office said in a statement. Staff will be teleworking, and her offices in Seattle and Washington, D.C., will continue to serve constituents remotely, it said.
The person who tested positive has had no known contact with Cantwell or other members of Congress, the statement said.