Royal Caribbean to bar some passengers with recent travel history
Cruise company Royal Caribbean on Thursday said it will bar anyone from boarding who has recently traveled "from, to or through" mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Italy, Iran or South Korea in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus illness COVID-19.
The restrictions apply to anyone who has been in those areas 15 days prior to embarkation. Boarding will also be denied to those who came within 6 feet of anyone who traveled to those regions in 15 days, or those who cared for or had contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have the illness within the same time frame.
Effective Friday, the temperature will also be taken of all passengers, crew and visitors before boarding.
A ship from another company, Princess Cruises, saw hundreds of positive cases after the Diamond Princess was quarantined in Japan last month, and another Princess Cruises ship has been delayed off the coast of California for testing amid fears of the virus spread.
Tests flown in by helicopter to cruise ship idling off California coast
Tests for passengers aboard the Grand Princess, which has been linked to two other confirmed cases of COVID-19, were flown in by helicopter Thursday to the ship idling off the California coast.
South Korea reports 518 more cases, 7 more deaths
South Korea's health agency reported 518 more cases of the coronavirus illness COVID-19 on Friday morning, bringing the total cases to more than 6,200.
The number of deaths increased from 35 to 42, according to the latest numbers from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of the 6,284 confirmed cases, 108 were said to have recovered. South Korea has one of the largest outbreaks of the coronavirus outside mainland China.
The number of deaths in mainland China rose by 30 as of Friday morning to 3,042. There are more than 80,500 cases there, according to China's National Health Commission.
Costco got a big boost in sales from shoppers preparing for the coronavirus
Costco saw a three percent increase in sales this quarter compared to the same time last year, and the company attributed it to shoppers stocking up on supplies out of fear of the coronavirus.
“Our February results benefited from last week's big uptick in sales,” Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti told investors on Thursday. “We believe [it’s] related to concerns around the coronavirus.”
Costco says its members have flocked to the wholesale retailer for a range of items in preparation for dealing with the virus, including: dry grocery items, cleaning supplies, bleach, water, paper goods, hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes, disinfectants, health and beauty aids and even water filtration and food storage items.
The company said demand is so high that while it gets deliveries daily, it’s still having trouble keeping its shelves stocked. It has put a quantity limit on some items depending on the supply. “It's been a little crazy this past week,” said Galanti, adding that stores have been “beyond busy” over the last nine days.
The company’s net sales for the month of February came in at $12.2 billion, a 13.8 percent increase from $10.72 billion during the same time last year. For the three months ending in February, Costco’s same-store sales rose 8.9 percent.
Alberta, Canada, has first presumptive COVID-19 case
Health officials in the Canadian province of Alberta reported Thursday that a woman in her 50s has tested positive for the coronavirus illness COVID-19, and that the case is believed to be travel-related.
The woman had recently returned from traveling on the Grand Princess cruise ship in California, which has been linked to at least three other cases in the state, Alberta Health said in a statement.
The woman is being asked to self-isolate at home, and officials are tracing close contacts. The Grand Princess is being held off the California coast as tests that were flown in by helicopter are being done.
Man dies in Sunnyvale, California; may have been exposed to COVID-19
Police in Sunnyvale, California, on Thursday reported the death of a 72-year-old person who officials later learned had been on a cruise ship with two passengers suspected of having the coronavirus illness COVID-19.
It is unknown if the man actually had the coronavirus, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo said.
Officers were dispatched to the medical call Thursday morning, and as a precaution, all officers involved were quarantined for several hours and have returned home. They will not return to work until health officials say it is safe to do so, Ngo said. CPR was performed on the patient but it was not mouth-to-mouth.
There has been one death in California, in Placer County, involving someone who tested positive for the illness, and that elderly person was likely exposed during international travel on a cruise ship that traveled from San Francisco to Mexico in mid-February, officials have said. Sunnyvale is in Santa Clara County, where there have been 20 confirmed cases so far.
States crack down on scammers, price gouging
Lawmakers across the country are cracking down on scam coronavirus claims and excessive pricing of consumer medical supplies as the virus continues to spread.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a price gouging alert Wednesday after the state declared a public health emergency when it reported its first death related to COVID-19, the disease from coronavirus.
Amazon has already removed more than 1 million products from its site for making misleading claims, and Walmart told NBC News it also will remove listings that make misleading claims. Yet a third-party seller on Walmart.com was charging $47.95 for eight-ounce bottle of Purell hand sanitizer, and another was charging $90 for the same item on Amazon until the site removed the listing after being contacted by NBC News.