March 3 coronavirus news

Our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak has moved here.

The city of Kirkland, Washington, is putting two more firefighters in quarantine as a result of possible exposure to coronavirus.

There are now 27 firefighters in quarantine after having responded to coronavirus calls at the Life Care Center nursing facility, city spokeswoman Kellie Stickney said in a statement

That figure includes 19 firefighters who were moved into isolation, with some showing possible symptoms of coronavirus, according to Doug Stern, spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters.

An additional 10 firefighters are in quarantine from the nearby Redmond and Woodinville Fire Departments, along with two Kirkland police officers.

The death toll from the coronavirus has reached 28 in South Korea with 600 newly confirmed cases, raising the national tally to 4,812 cases, the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a news release Tuesday.

Among the additional cases, 519 are from Daegu city and 61 are from North Gyeongsang Province, which surrounds Daegu city.

Daegu city alone accounts for 74.8% of the overall national confirmed cases.

When combined, North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu city account for 89% of the national total of confirmed novel coronavirus cases, according to the KCDC.

The city of Redmond, Washington, declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, according to a news release from the city. 

The state of emergency does not call for any immediate changes by the government or residents. The city said the declaration is intended to make it easier to ask for additional resources to deal with coronavirus.

Redmond is best known as the worldwide headquarters of Microsoft and is only 4 miles from Kirkland, Washington, where six patients died after contracting coronavirus infections, and dozens of first responders are in quarantine.

Australia confirmed an additional case of coronavirus in Queensland Tuesday, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 31, Queensland Health announced in a statement.

The latest patient is a 20-year-old man from China who had traveled to Dubai for more than two weeks before entering Australia, the statement said.

The man is currently in stable condition.

Twitter is asking all of its employees worldwide to stay away from their offices until further notice to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus, the company said in a message posted Monday on the its official blog.

The guidance is not mandatory for most employees, and Christie said Twitter’s offices will remain open. 

The company will be deep cleaning its facilities to protect employees who feel they need to come to work. Christie said they are taking steps “out of an abundance of caution and the utmost dedication to keeping our Tweeps healthy.”

Employees based in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea are now required to work from home, due partially to government restrictions already in place in those countries.

The company announced Saturday it was suspending all non-critical business travel and events.

Carnival Cruise Lines is changing some ship itineraries as some countries are not allowing ships to dock because of concerns over coronavirus. Carnival said in a statement it is changing itineraries for ships scheduled to sail to Grand Cayman and Jamaica this week.

“A number of Caribbean destinations continue to work through their policies with regards to cruise ship visits. And while we are following all US CDC and World Health Organization screening protocols and guidelines, we want to avoid any possibility of a visit to a destination where there is uncertainty or we risk being turned away,” the cruise line said in a statement.

The city of San Antonio filed a lawsuit Monday against the federal government, including several agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, to prevent further releases of individuals who have been quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base without the city’s input and demands.

The move follows the CDC’s release of a woman from quarantine at Lackland AFB, who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

The litigation filed in US District Court aims to obtain a temporary restraining order over the government’s actions to release individuals from quarantine and the government’s “failure to consult with and incorporate local government in the planning and implementation process, and risks imposing a serious burden on the City’s emergency services.”

As part of its efforts to protect its community from the outbreak, the city is also demanding that patients undergo three tests for coronavirus, instead of the current two, as part of the protocol to end their quarantine.

The lawsuit is also seeking a protocol that would be agreed between the city, the state of Texas and the CDC prior to releasing patients who are under quarantine.

City officials are also asking the court to maintain the status quo of the surgeon general’s exercise of quarantine authority. The surgeon general, with the approval of the health and human services secretary, is legally authorized to make and enforce a quarantine if he deems it necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States.

Australia will consider invoking the Biosecurity Act to detain its citizens suspected of carrying the coronavirus, Attorney General Christian Porter warned Monday.

In an interview with CNN affiliate Sky News Australia, Porter said there is a range of powers available that will allow the government to control people’s movements as it handles outbreaks such as the novel coronavirus.

He said detention may be an option for those who refuse to cooperate with health officials, including undergoing “a brief decontamination” or providing “information on where they have been or who they have been in contact with.”

The government will also consider declaring “human health zones” that will require everyone entering or leaving a certain area to be screened.

There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the state of Colorado after all 23 people who were tested had negative results, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Monday.

There are currently nine pending tests, Hancock told reporters.

Among the negative cases, six were in Denver and there are three pending, Hancock said.

The 44-story F5 Tower in downtown Seattle closed for cleaning Monday after F5 learned an employee had been in contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus, according to The Seattle Times.

Rob Gruening, a spokesman for the company, told the Times the employee tested negative, but the building was closed as a precaution.

Local emergency responders in Kirkland, Washington, are changing their procedures after four local nursing home residents died of the coronavirus.

Kirkland emergency medical technicians will now wear protective clothing every time they are called out to respond to a sick patient, even if that person does not tell them about any coronavirus symptoms, city spokeswoman Kellie Stickney told CNN. 

Stickney said there were two recent cases in which first responders treated people without any special protection, learning only after the fact that the patients had been experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Stickney said she did not know whether either of those patients were later determined to be infected with coronavirus.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee advised residents to stay home more in order to avoid the spread of novel coronavirus. 

Washington is the only state in the United States so far where people have died as a result of coronavirus. There are six confirmed fatalities out of 18 total cases in Washington.

Inslee said he has the power to declare an emergency and force large events to be canceled, but he does not think that step is necessary right now. 

The governor also said he has the ability to call up the National Guard if needed to assist medical teams and provide security. Inslee says he discussed the possibility of eventually using military assets in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force.

Four of the people who died of coronavirus were residents of a single nursing home, Life Care Center in Kirkland. Officials have not speculated about how those patients may have been infected, but Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman tells reporters, “If I have a loved one in a nursing home or a hospital, I should not go visit them if I’m sick.”

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg declared a local public health emergency Monday following the CDC release of a woman from quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

“It’s worth reiterating that this declaration is explicitly designed to ensure evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship cohort remain at Lackland AFB until further testing is completed,” Nirenberg tweeted.

Lackland Air Force Base is in San Antonio.

US officials are pressing airlines to collect and share more data on international travelers while federal health officials combat the coronavirus, two officials tell CNN.

The data request includes contact information that would help health officials follow up with potential carriers of the coronavirus, or fellow travelers who may have come into contact with an infected person.  

The request itself is outlined in an interim final rule the CDC and Department of Health and Human Services issued in mid-February. It requests airlines provide, within 24 hours of a CDC request, each passenger’s name, “address while in the United States,” email address, and both a primary and secondary phone number.

The only issue is that many air carriers don’t currently collect some of the contact details the CDC is requesting, according to an industry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Bookings made through a third party search engine, for example, may include highly limited information about a passenger.

There are 102 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local governments. 

There are 48 cases from repatriated citizens, according to the CDC. 

There are 54 cases in 11 states, according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems. 

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases to 102. This includes presumptive positive cases that tested positive in a public health lab and are pending confirmation from the CDC, and confirmed cases that have received positive results from the CDC.

Here is the breakdown by state of cases in the United States:

During a meeting at the White House on Monday, President Donald Trump pushed pharmaceutical company heads on when they’d be able to deliver a coronavirus vaccine, but experts at the table repeatedly emphasized that a vaccine can’t be rushed to market before it’s been declared safe for the public.

The pushback was most visible during an interaction toward the end of the meeting.

“I don’t know what the time will be,” Trump said. “I’ve heard very quick numbers, that of months. And I’ve heard, pretty much a year, would be an outside number. So I think that’s not a bad range.”

But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, clarified the timing for the President:

Fauci added the vaccine may be deployable within a year, or year and a half, at the earliest.

President Donald Trump said Monday he is still considering additional travel restrictions for countries with rampant coronavirus outbreaks.

“Yes, we are,” the President said in response to a question about additional restrictions on travel “from certain countries where they’re having more of a breakout.”

Trump didn’t name which countries were coming under consideration for new restrictions, though the United States recently upped travel warnings for Italy and South Korea, where the virus has infected thousands.

The United States has already restricted travel on people who have visited China and Iran.

Speaking in the Cabinet Room, where he was meeting with representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, Trump said it wasn’t yet necessary to declare a national emergency in response to coronavirus. He said it’s possible he could declare one in the future.

In a news briefing, Vice President Mike Pence said anyone traveling to the United States on a flight from Italy and South Korea will receive multiple screenings before arriving in the United States.

“The action the President authorized this weekend raising the travel advisory, the American people should know that we are saying that they – you should not travel to certain sections of Italy or South Korea. Those advisories may expand, but we’ll allow the case load in those countries to define that,” Pence said.

Pence also did not go into specifics as to which other countries were being considered but did mention the European Union, because a passport isn’t needed to travel among those countries and there have been some new cases there.

The Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, said it has canceled all visits to the facility by family, vendors and volunteers as the center deals with several confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to a statement from the facility’s executive director, Ellie Basham.

Any resident displaying symptoms of an elevated temperature, cough or shortness of breath is placed in isolation, the statement read.

The facility has also placed a hold on new admissions, Basham said.

Six people have died in Washington from the coronavirus. So far, every death from novel coronavirus in the United States has been in Washington state.

Wolf Blitzer speaks to the city manager of Kirkland, Washington. Watch:

The UK Treasury says the country’s public health services as well as its scientists “will have the resources they need to respond to any outbreak.”

“The whole of government is working closely together to tackle the spread of COVID-19,” UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a capital facility to support any urgent work NHS England needs for its coronavirus response, as well as 40 million pounds ($51 million) for vaccine development, Sunak said.

US Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Senate health committee, said she is pushing to make sure the federal government reimburses state and local governments for costs incurred by testing people who may have the coronavirus.

They want such language to be included in the emergency spending bill.

“The biggest thing I hear at home now … is the lack of tests. … They are scrambling as fast as they can to urge the CDC to get more tests out. … They think they can do 100 a day right now – that’s not nearly enough,” Murray said.

In a letter sent to employees, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center CEO and President Dr. Joanne M. Conroy said the person with a presumptive positive case of coronavirus in New Hampshire is an employee of the medical center.

“Out of an abundance of caution we have now identified all staff who may have had close contact with the individual who has tested positively for COVID-19,” Conroy said.

Conroy’s letter also said they know of no exposure to any patients in clinical areas.

“There is no on-going risk to patients,” Conroy’s letter read. “At present the hospital remains open and safe.”

New Hampshire currently has only one case of coronavirus.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott slammed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday for releasing a woman who had tested negative twice for the coronavirus before a subsequent third test came back positive in San Antonio.

The woman was evacuated from Wuhan, China, to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio on a flight chartered by the US State Department. She was released from the Texas Center for Infectious Disease on Saturday, according to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

“Every possible action that can be taken is being undertaken to make sure that her exposure to anybody in San Antonio is minimized and limited,” Abbott said. “My office had been fully engaged making sure that CDC immediately implements course correction.”

There were people who were scheduled to leave Lackland on Monday, but Abbott said they won’t be allowed to go home.

There are 11 people who tested positive for coronavirus remaining at the center, Abbott said.

“All of these 11 people have what is considered to be very mild cases of the coronavirus,” Abbot said. “None of them are serious.”

“What the CDC must do is that they must improve their protocols and they must be absolutely certain that before they allow anybody to be released from any location in San Antonio, that they can assure the public that whoever they are releasing does not have the coronavirus,” Abbott said.

After updating the numbers of Americans who have coronavirus and those who have died from the disease, Vice President Mike Pence reiterated Monday that the risk to Americans remains low.

Pence, speaking from the White House briefing room, went on to discuss his meeting Monday with the nation’s governors as well as the meeting pharmaceutical companies.

“This President has said we are ready for anything, but this is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Today’s activity really reflects the President’s effort to bring the best minds of private industry together, the best leadership from around the country at every level,” Pence said.

Hear more from Vice President Pence:

The 19 firefighters who showed symptoms of “having a serious exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 patient” in King County, Washington, have been moved to isolation, according to Doug Stern, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. 

These 19 firefighters are part of the 25 CNN reported earlier were in quarantine after responding to calls at the Life Care Center nursing facility. All are firefighters with the Kirkland Fire Department.The remaining firefighters will remain in quarantine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see whether they become sick.

Stern said that while most of the isolated firefighters are showing symptoms, a few of the firefighters are being isolated only because of their exposure.

The coronavirus supplemental funding request is not expected to be finalized by tonight, a White House official said, but could come as early as tomorrow.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter over the weekend demanding the coronavirus request contain “entirely new funding” after the White House’s initial request for a total of $2.5 billion last week involved moving half of that sum from existing funds and appropriating only $1.25 billion in fresh funding.

A second White House official said the supplemental funding currently under discussion will now be “new money” and not reprogrammed funds.

The supplemental funding is likely to be much larger than the amount the White House requested last week. Democrats, and even some Republicans, had questioned whether the administration asked for too little.

The topline number currently being discussed is more than $7 billion, although that number is not yet locked down.

The 20th case of coronavirus in California has been reported in Sonoma County, near Sacramento, according to a news release from the county’s department of public health.

The Sonoma County resident recently returned from a cruise ship that left San Francisco for Mexico and is showing symptoms of the virus, the release said. This case is not related to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The patient is isolated at a local hospital and is in stable condition, the news release said.

This is the second case in Sonoma County.

The European Central Bank (ECB) says it is “ready to take appropriate and targeted measures” to deal with the risks the coronavirus outbreak might have for the global economy and financial markets.

“The coronavirus outbreak is a fast developing situation, which creates risks for the economic outlook and the functioning of financial markets,” the ECB said in a Monday statement.

 “We stand ready to take appropriate and targeted measures, as necessary and commensurate with the underlying risks,” the statement read.

California has another confirmed case of novel coronavirus – a Placer County resident.

This marks the 19th coronavirus case in California.

The patient is a health care worker who had close contact with a coronavirus patient in Solano County, according to a statement from Placer County Public Health.

“As this case illustrates, health care workers are often on the front lines when we battle infectious diseases like COVID-19,” said Dr. Aimee Sisson, Placer County’s health officer.

The person is in isolation at home, but officials are not disclosing any information about them, citing patient privacy. People who were in contact with the patient are being quarantined and monitored.

The one Arizona patient confirmed to be infected with coronavirus “has recovered and is no longer infected with the disease,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of Department of Health Services, said Monday at a news conference.

Christ said 26 Arizonans have been tested so far for coronavirus, and 24 of the tests came back negative. The test results on the remaining patients are still pending.

There have been six deaths from novel coronavirus in Washington state, according to local health officials. Five deaths have been reported in King County, one case was in Snohomish County. 

Here’s what we know about the six people who have died:

All six deaths were at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, according to the King and Snohomish health departments, and several of them stem from cases at the LifeCare long-term care facility.

##United States

President Trump will visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “before the week is out,” Vice President Mike Pence said today. 

“And we will be meeting with leaders in the airline industry, we’ll be meeting with leaders of the cruise line industry, and we welcome the partnership with industry in this country,” Pence added during a meeting with pharmaceutical companies at the White House.

The meeting, which was also attended by Trump, was focused on a potential coronavirus vaccine.

Pence said his coronavirus conference call today included 53 governors.

The President will also visit the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, on Tuesday, according to the White House.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor today to rail against President Trump, saying President Trump is downplaying the virus to a “dangerous degree.” 

“The President, being as self-interested as he is, only cares about himself and his image. And he tries, as usual, instead of solving the problem — to blame everyone else,” Schumer said.

Schumer also said that the Trump administration needs to take three steps: issue “coherent guidance” on how school districts should respond if a virus is detected in the community; issue a “uniform” screening policy for airports and ports of entry; and allow federal scientists and medical experts to speak freely.

Schumer also reiterated that the emerging spending deal must prohibit the administration from spending the funds on anything other than the coronavirus.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today the Senate must quickly pass a coronavirus supplemental and warned Democrats against “moving the goalposts” or interfering in the ongoing positive negotiations between appropriators. 

A premiere for a new animated film has been canceled in an effort to minimize potential risk of exposure to coronavirus.

“As the impact and spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Warner Bros. is placing added emphasis on the health and welfare of its employees, talent and fans. To help minimize risk of exposure, Warner Bros. has opted to take preventative measures and cancel the New York premiere of “Superman: Red Son” on March 16, 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and we look forward to seeing you at future events,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. said in a statement to CNN on Monday. 

More context: “Superman: Red Son” is adapted from a 2003 graphic novel in which Superman comes to Earth and lives in the former Soviet Union instead of the US. The film is a direct-to-DVD release and is not set for distribution in movie theaters. Some Hollywood studios have previously canceled planned film premieres in other regions impacted by coronavirus, but this appears to be the first cancelation of a movie premiere in the US. (Like CNN, Warner Bros. and DC are units of WarnerMedia.)

There is one confirmed case of coronavirus in New York as of Monday, a 39-year-old health care worker who had recently returned from Iran. She is currently in home isolation.

The Dow is up more than 1,100 points, or 4.4%, during the final minutes of trading.

The markets rebound from last week’s plunge over coronavirus concerns is intensifying. The S&P 500 is up 3.9%, while the Nasdaq rallied 3.6%.

There are 100 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local governments. 

According to the CDC, there are 48 cases from repatriated citizens. According to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems, there are 52 cases in 11 states. Bringing the total of coronavirus cases to 100.

This includes presumptive positive cases that tested positive in a public health lab and are pending confirmation from the CDC, and confirmed cases have received positive results from the CDC. 

Here’s a breakdown of the 52 US cases:

Ontario is reporting three new cases of novel coronavirus, according to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Dr. Williams says this brings Ontario’s total to 18 confirmed cases.

The new cases include one woman in her late 60s, with a travel history to Egypt; one woman in her 70s, with a travel history to Egypt; and one male in his 60s with a travel history to Iran, Dr. Williams said.

“We are learning more and more about how this virus transmits, so that’s important,” Dr. Williams said during today’s news conference.

Here’s where the coronavirus has been confirmed in Canada:

Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, also announced that Ontario is implementing an enhanced response structure that “formally brings together a wide range of partners to review, strengthen and implement provincial and regional plans and ensure their responsiveness to the specifics of COVID-19.”

There are at least 48 schools closed for cleaning in Washington state over fears of the spread of novel coronavirus.  

Here a list of the school closings in the state:

 Closed today:  

 Closed today and tomorrow: 

  Closed tomorrow: 

Hear more:

Six people have now died in Washington state from the novel coronavirus, according to health officials. 

A person has died from coronavirus in Snohomish County, according to Heather Thomas, spokesperson with the Snohomish Health District. No additional details were immediately available from the health district. 

Five other people have died in King County, according to Jeffrey Duchin, a public health official with the county.

Learn more:

Amazon says it has pulled more than 1 million products for price gouging or falsely advertising effectiveness against the coronavirus. 

This action comes after Wired found sellers gouging the prices of coronavirus-related products, like face masks, or charging people “exorbitant shipping costs,” according to the magazine.

The company said in a statement that it has “always required sellers provide accurate information” on product pages and removes those that violates its policies. Amazon said that third-party sellers must follow its Fair Pricing Policy, which states companies can’t set a price “significantly higher” then seen in other places or sell an item that “misleads customers.” 

“We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers,” an Amazon (AMZN) spokesperson told CNN Business. “We continue to actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies.”

There have been five deaths the novel coronavirus in Seattle and King County, according to Jeffrey Duchin, a public health official with the county.

There are a lot of steps that go into containing and mitigating the novel coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.

The strategy may include controlling the disease by testing for the virus as early as possible, tracing the contacts of an infected person and by preventing infections in health care facilities. It may also include non-pharmaceutical interventions for individuals and communities, like encouraging good hygiene and canceling events where a lot of people will gather.

Later on, treatments and vaccines may help mitigate the outbreak — but those take time to develop and test.

Resolve to Save Lives, a health initiative to prevent epidemics, spelled out the process in this chart:

Iran has received the first planeload of assistance from the World Health Organization, including eight tons of medicines and test kits, to help the country in its battle against the new coronavirus outbreak, state news IRNA reported.

A United Arab Emirates military aircraft carrying the aid landed at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, IRNA said.

Representatives of the UN’s health agency have also arrived in Iran to examine the country’s handling of the virus. 

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted this:

It’s recommended that you take precautionary measures when it comes to foods and utensils that are communal. The novel coronavirus is a respiratory virus, meaning it transmits through the lungs. It’s recommended that you are cautious when it comes to shared utensils and foods like salad bars.

“It’s not a virus that will necessarily transmit easily in that way. I would say that things like salad bars, you know, we will have to be very diligent about what we are touching and all of these utensils that many people might be touching. That would be where I would be the risk of the transmission occurring, more so than the food that we are actually eating. This is a respiratory virus that transmits through the lungs,” said Dr. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard University.

The number of coronavirus cases in Italy climbed to 2,036, with 52 deaths reported so far, according to an update from the country’s Civil Protection Authority on Monday.

Of the people infected, 149 have since recovered.

More on this: Italy has the most coronavirus cases of any country outside of Asia.

In Lombardy, the northern Italian region at the center of the country’s outbreak, 1 in 10 of confirmed coronavirus cases involve medical personnel, according to Paola Stringa, a press officer for the Lombardy regional government.

Correction: This post has been corrected to reflect the total number of cases of coronavirus in Italy, including patients who have recovered and those who have died. There are 2,036. 

Four Americans who were being monitored in the National Quarantine Unit at the UNMC/Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha were released from the quarantine unit, according to a release from the institution.

Two of the people previously tested positive for coronavirus, while two others tested negative throughout the quarantine process, the release said.

The two people who previously tested positive for the disease were released from quarantine yesterday afternoon, having tested negative for the virus in three separate tests, 24 hours apart, according to UNMC health officials. The two people who tested negative left the quarantine unit this morning.

These four Americans met all UNMC/Nebraska Medicine qualifications for release, which exceeded CDC qualifications.

British Airways, one of the largest airlines in Europe, has announced that it will be canceling several flights to “match reduced demand due to the continuing coronavirus issue,” it said in a statement today. 

The cancelations will impact flights between March 16 and March 28 and include:

“We will be contacting customers on cancelled flights so we can discuss their travel options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel,” the statement added. 

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer announced today that he is pushing for a nearly $8 billion funding package to respond to coronavirus nationwide, with an emphasis on money for local and regional healthcare providers.

“There are going to be local costs that demand federal attention and dollars,” Schumer said to reporters at a news conference at a Northwell Health lab in Lake Success, New York.

Schumer characterized his proposal as a counter offer to the Trump administration’s original funding proposal of $2 billion.

“I’ve been the person who is pushing for direct local aid. And I’m having success as we put this package together in Washington,” Schumer said.

“We expect it to be on the floor of the house Wednesday or Thursday, and in the senate shortly thereafter and then to the president’s desk,” Schumer said. “When I proposed this amount, the President said he would sign a bill of this amount, so I think we will get it done.” 

A person who had recently traveled to Italy is New Hampshire’s first presumptive positive case of the novel coronavirus, according to Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state’s epidemiologist.

“This individual is an adult from Grafton County. They are not hospitalized, they are currently on home isolation and are not sick enough to be hospitalized,” Chan said. 

There is no reason to believe this case represents “wider spread community transmission,” Chan said.

The test result came back from New Hampshire’s public health laboratory today but have not been confirmed by the CDC yet. 

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he planned to speak with Vice President Mike Pence and other governors later today to find out what’s happening “at a nationalized level.”

“Communication is the most important tool that we have in terms of getting through this issue,” Sununu said at a news conference.

“What we want to convey to people is to remain calm. Stay calm and wash your hands, that’s the main message,” Congresswoman Annie Kuster added.

This is the 92nd case of the novel coronavirus in the United States.

Top US military officials said the military is planning for all scenarios as it faces coronavirus, including a pandemic should the spread of the virus reach that point. 

“The United States military looks at a wide variety of scenarios,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Pentagon, adding that “pandemic is the worst case.”

“Of course we do all kinds of planning in the department of defense,” Milley told reporters, adding that the military labs are working on a vaccine. “With respect to the vaccine, yes, the military labs are working very consistently … working in direct support with health and human services.” 

South Korea has come up with an innovative way of testing for the novel coronavirus: drive-through coronavirus testing sites. 

Here’s how it works:

Officials say it is safer and faster to test for the virus at the drive-through than in a hospital or health clinic. 

“There’s less face-to-face contact,” said Lee Jae-joon, the mayor of Goyang. “If you operate a testing site indoors, there is concern that suspected patients can infect each other in the waiting room.”

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said of the 14 original positive cases of coronavirus in the United States, all are recovered or recovering. 

“We’ve seen an increase of cases in the United States over the weekend. I want folks to understand that we knew this was coming, we told folks that this was going to happen and it is why we’ve been preaching preparedness from the very start,” Adams said.

Noting that containment strategies such as limiting travel have worked so far, “Our containment strategies were focused on limiting travel back and forth the most affected regions in China.”

With many other countries reporting coronavirus cases, “we cannot hermetically seal the United States. So in addition to trying to contain virus entry into the United States from places that are most affected, we’re encouraging communities to think about the steps they can take to limit spread.”

Saudi Arabia confirmed Monday the first novel coronavirus case in the country, the Health Ministry said.

The case is for a Saudi male who returned from Iran through Bahrain crossing. He did not disclose at the Saudi portal about his visit to Iran, the ministry added.

A US defense official tells CNN that a joint military exercise with Israel has been canceled due to the coronavirus. 

The exercise, known as “Eagle Genesis” was to involve Army paratroops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Vicenza, Italy. There are over 1,600 cases of coronavirus in Italy.

“In close coordination with the Israeli government and out of an abundance of caution in the face of the evolving situation with COVID-19, the decision has been made to cancel the exercise. We value our strong partnership with Israel and look forward to continuing training together in the future,” the official said.

There are now 91 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, according to an update Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These include…

US cases are those detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems since January 21. Among the 43 US cases, there have been 17 hospitalized. There have been two deaths.

For US travel-related cases, there are 12 confirmed and five presumptive positive cases for a total of 17 travel-related cases. Among US cases of person-to-person spread, there are four confirmed cases and 22 presumptive positive cases for a total of 26 cases of person-to-person spread.

The 43 US cases are in 10 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health lab and is pending confirmation from the CDC. Confirmed cases have received positive results from the CDC. CDC is generally updating coronavirus case totals only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and says the most up-to-date case counts will come from state and local labs.

With new cases of novel coronavirus reported daily in countries across the globe, many of you have asked if you should cancel or postpone existing plans and hold off on booking new trips.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. 

It’s very much an individual calculation, experts say, taking a number of factors — the traveler, their companions, the destination and more — into consideration.

In a situation that’s unpredictable and evolving quickly, solid information is key. Here’s what you can consider to help inform your decision:

Read more about how coronavirus is impacting travel plans here.

President Trump said he’s asked researchers to accelerate development of a coronavirus vaccine.

“We asked them to accelerate whatever they’re doing in terms of the vaccine, absolutely,” Trump said moments ago.

More than 20 potential vaccines aimed at preventing coronavirus disease are in development around the world, the World Health Organization’s director-general said Friday.

But health officials have consistently said it will take at least a year before any vaccine is proven effective and gets necessary approvals for wide distribution.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis provided an update today on the conditions of two Florida residents with presumptive positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

The first patient is a man in his 60s who is hospitalized in Manatee County. That individual has pneumonia and is in stable condition at a hospital. 

That person did seek health care and is isolated and will remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. It is unknown how this man contracted coronavirus as he did not travel in areas impacted.

The second patient is a woman in her 20s from Hillsborough County. That individual recently returned from northern Italy. She is in stable condition and remains in isolation at home. 

DeSantis said a total of 23 people in the state have been tested. Of the 23, 15 people tested negative, two identified as presumptive positive and they are still awaiting results from six individuals. 

In the past day, there have been almost 9 times more new coronavirus cases reported outside of China than inside, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said today

During a press conference, Tedros said, the epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are the organization’s greatest concern.

“We appreciate that people are debating whether this is a pandemic or not. We are monitoring the situation every moment of every day and analyzing the data. WHO will not hesitate to describe this as a pandemic if that’s what the evidence suggests,” Tedros said. 

He added: “We are in unchartered territory. We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission, but which can also be contained with the right measures.”

Public health experts have consistently warned that the novel coronavirus outbreak presents a unique public health threat to the African continent.

The World Health Organization says that only eight countries are ready to deal with the outbreak. Up until recently, most have lacked any diagnostic capability and few countries on the continent have sufficient health systems to deal with severe cases on a large scale. 

Despite operating multiple direct flights to coronavirus-hit China, there were no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa until last week. That is when Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), received a phone call in the early hours of the morning from Nigeria, where an Italian travelling on business was rapidly diagnosed and isolated.  

Nkengasong, who is a former senior official of the US CDC, and his colleagues have been working on a diagnostics and containment strategy to combat the disease.  

Nkengasong spoke to CNN about the risk posed by coronavirus to African countries. 

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. 

Nigeria faced a stiff test and it seems, at this stage, that they passed. What is the danger facing Africa now with the novel coronavirus? 

I think there are two dangers facing Africa now – the first is our ability to detect quickly, and the second is the ability to contain it. Nigeria was able to detect the virus quickly, I would say. The coming days will tell us if the containment strategy is right. The contacts of an individual who tests positive must be isolated and their contacts traced quickly. 

Why is speed so important in diagnostics? 

Speed is so important in diagnostics because it allows you to isolate the people that are positive and keep them and monitor them for at least two weeks. If you do not pick up these people early, they will keep on mingling in the population and then they keep transmitting the virus to the population. 

Before this outbreak, you had to send samples to just two labs from across the continent. What has changed? 

Just three weeks ago, South Africa and Senegal were the only two countries on the continent that were doing the testing. But we have ramped up training very quickly … and as we speak today there are over 40 countries that have the ability to detect the virus.

Africa is a very diverse place. But why are some countries in Africa very susceptible to this particular disease? 

Early on — particularly at the start of this outbreak — there were certain countries that had direct flights with China. That is Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa. Those were the first countries with high risk, and most of those countries stopped flying to China. But Ethiopian Airlines is still continuing, though they have reduced to two flights a day going to China. 

Then you have the big countries like Nigeria. They don’t have direct flights, but they have many people going from there to China. Then you have countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo — it is a large country and we have a current Ebola outbreak and conflict there. Countries like the DRC have fragile systems, and they are very, very vulnerable without rapid detection and containment. 

But in Africa, why is that particular type of disease dangerous? 

It is dangerous for several reasons. Our health systems are not strong enough to provide those respiratory support systems that are required to care for patients that are infected, as we have seen in China. 

There are very few countries in Africa with those systems in place in their hospitals to care for a large number of patients. They may be able to care for some patients, but not for a large number of patients if they are overwhelmed, like we are seeing in China.

So it is clearly important to really stop this virus in its tracks everywhere, but particularly in Africa. If we cannot do that, what is the scenario for health systems?

We have to. We don’t have a choice, we have to scale our ability to train many people on infection prevention and control, to enhance the screening at our points of entry as quickly as possible to cascade the diagnostics into the country so that our strategy continues to be rapid detection and rapid containment. 

Because there is no way our health systems will be rapidly improved to be able to cope with a large outbreak, like we are seeing in China. 

Read the rest of our interview with Nkengasong here.

Hong Kong has confirmed two more coronavirus cases, making the total number of confirmed cases 100, according to Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) Monday.

One of the new cases is a 63-year-old man with “underlying illness” and is the brother of another previously confirmed case. He is in stable condition and receiving treatment at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, the CHP said.  

The man had no travel history during the incubation period and attended his daughter’s wedding on February 22, where his sister, the previously confirmed case, was present. 

Iraq announced today that two more patients have been tested positive for novel coronavirus, Health Ministry said in a statement. This brings the total number of positive coronavirus cases in Iraq to 21.

The two new cases have been registered in Baghdad from two Iraqis who have returned from Iran recently. They are currently quarantined in a special medical facility that belongs to the Health Ministry.

The 39-year old who tested positive for coronavirus in New York was working in Iran prior to returning home where she remains in isolation with her husband, another healthcare worker, who is also being tested, the New York governor said Monday.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said he assumes the husband will test positive as well given the circumstances. He has been following the same protocols, Cuomo said.

While it is not believed she was contagious on the plane, authorities are contacting the people on the flight as well as the driver of the private car service she took from the airport to her residence, Cuomo said. He stressed that she did not take public transportation. 

The testing was done at Mount Sinai hospital in New York and the hospital was contacted before arrival.

The woman has manifested respiratory illnesses, but her condition is mild, Cuomo said.

Looking forward, the governor said they are coordinating with private hospital and labs round the state and that the intention is to get the testing capacity “as high as possible.” 

“I said to the people around this table that I would like to have a goal of 1,000 tests per day capacity within one week. Because again, the more testing the better. Once you can test and find a person who is positive, then you can isolate that person so they don’t infect additional people.”

Cuomo added: “We have been ahead of this from day one.”

The founder and leader of Shincheonji religious group, which is at the center of the rapid rise in South Korean coronavirus cases, apologized “sincerely” to the country today at his first news conference since the nation’s outbreak.

The group has faced mounting criticism after more than half of South Korea’s positive cases was linked to the group.

At a press conference at one of Shincheonji’s facilities, called Peace Palace, in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Lee Man-hee took a deep bow on his knees after issuing an apology to the public.

“It is not intentional but I’m deeply sorry that many of our members have been infected,” and the group “is trying its best to fully cooperate with the authorities,” Lee said.

“I apologize sincerely to the public for the outbreak related to the 31st confirmed case,” he added.

Last night, Seoul City filed a legal complaint against Lee and the group’s twelve regional leaders for charges including homicide.

While he did not mention the Seoul City complaint today, the 88-year-old said that the group’s leaders “are like parents for the members and what kind of parents would just wait and watch children dying?”

He denied accusations that he and his group have been hampering the health authorities’ efforts to contain and prevent infections, adding that “this is not the time to scrutinize who’s done right and who’s done wrong. This is the time for everyone to do one’s best for the people to resolve the situation.”

When asked if he has kept to the self-quarantine, he said that he was a busy person and has not been able to stay in one place.

Korean health authorities are reviewing whether Lee’s presser is a violation of quarantine act.

South Korea has the most diagnosed cases of the virus — more than 4,200 cases and 26 deaths — outside of mainland China.

As of Monday, at least 57% of total confirmed cases in South Korea are related to Shincheonji, according to the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

As the number of novel coronavirus infections continue to rise in Washington, the Mukilteo School District announced the closing and cleaning of two more schools Monday morning, according to a statement on their website.  

The decision to close both Mariner High School and Discovery Elementary School came after the District learned Sunday evening that a parent of a Mariner student had tested positive for COVID-19, the district said. 

“The Mariner student is not showing any symptoms, but will be quarantined at home and monitored for 14 days as recommended by the Snohomish Health District,” the statement says.

The Mariner student visited Discovery Elementary last week, prompting the closing of the Elementary School as well, the District said.

The closing of these two schools bring the total number of school closures in the state to six.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is implementing new cleaning protocols at schools, on public transit and other public areas to protect against coronavirus.

Workers will use disinfectants in these areas, including bleach.

Cuomo added that the state will soon move emergency legislation authorizing $40 million for extra staff and equipment.

New York reported its first case yesterday: A woman in her late 30s, who contracted the virus while traveling in Iran and is currently isolated in her home.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’s certain there will be more cases of coronavirus in the state.

New York reported its first case yesterday: A woman in her late 30s, who contracted the virus while traveling in Iran and is currently isolated in her home.

“In general, there is no doubt that there will be more cases where we find people who test positive. We said early on, it wasn’t a question of if, but when. This is New York. We’re a gateway to the world. You see all these cases around the world, around the country, of course we’re going to have it here,” Cuomo said today.

Cuomo said the focus is now on limiting the spread of the virus. The state is prioritizing testing possible patients.

“You’re not going to eliminate the spread but you can limit the spread,” he said.

The novel coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people, and there are now more than 88,000 global cases. In case you missed it, here are coronavirus updates from this weekend:

Two major oil and gas industry conferences were canceled over the weekend due to concerns stemming from novel coronavirus. 

CERAWeek, an oil and energy conference that attracts thousands of global energy, technology, financial, and environmental executives every year in Houston, was canceled after event organizer IHS Markit made careful consideration following an advisory issued by the World Health Organization about the spread of coronavirus.

CERAWeek was scheduled to take place in Houston from March 9 through the 13. 

IHS Markit also cancelled The World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) 2020 scheduled to take place in New Orleans, on March 24 through 27 over similar concerns about coronavirus. 

US stocks kicked the new week off higher at Monday’s opening bell, putting the Dow and the S&P 500 on track to snap a seven-day losing streak.

US equities are coming off their worst week since the financial crisis as worries about the economic fallout from the global coronavirus outbreak mount.

Here’s how the markets look:

The answer from US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams is simple: No.

He tweeted this on Saturday:

The tweet comes during what has become a mask boom. With coronavirus popping up in the United States, some have begun buying face masks as a form of protection, despite the likes of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Vice President Mike Pence saying they’re unnecessary.

Washing your hands, staying home when sick and other “everyday preventive actions” are the best protections, Adams said. He urged people to get a flu shot, as fewer flu patients means more resources to fight the coronavirus.

The Czech Security Council has suspended flights to Prague from Milan, Bologna and Venice in Italy, as well as from South Korea, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Health minister Adam Vojtech said at a news conference today.

In other Czech news, a World Cup in biathlon in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, will go ahead as scheduled March Thursday through Sunday — but without an audience, it was announced at the news conference. About 120,000 visitors were expected at the event.

The novel coronavirus, a cousin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, has symptoms that include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, possibly a headache and maybe a fever, which can last for a couple of days.

For those with a weakened immune system, the elderly and the very young, there’s a chance the virus could cause a lower, and much more serious, respiratory tract illness like a pneumonia or bronchitis.

A regional administration in France has announced the closure of more than 100 schools in the Oise region, affecting more than 28,000 students, the Academie d’Amiens said.

These schools were closed as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the coronavirus.

Ten high schools, 11 middle schools and 87 primary schools have been shut from today until March 14.

BMW has put about 150 employees under quarantine in Munich, Germany, after one employee tested positive for coronavirus.

Here’s the statement from BMW:

“We confirm that an employee of the BMW Group in Munich was tested positive for the corona virus. The employee has been under medical treatment since the weekend. He is doing well under the circumstances.
The health and safety of our employees is our top priority. In view of current developments, the BMW Group has therefore immediately initiated further measures to protect its employees. For example, all colleagues who were in contact with him were requested to undergo the recommended 14-day self-quarantine. The affected premises were closed off and disinfected. Operations are continuing without restrictions.
We are in constant close contact with our medical health service and the relevant authorities and are keeping our employees updated regularly regarding current developments.”

Health officials in Singapore have confirmed two additional novel coronavirus cases bringing the city-wide total number of cases to 108.

The Ministry of Health said that both cases had no recent travel history to China, Daegu and Cheongdo. One of the newly confirmed cases in tied to a cluster 12 confirmed cases at a company called Wizlearn Technologies, the ministry said in a statement.

So far, 78 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus and been discharged from hospital. Of the 30 confirmed cases still being treated in hospital, six cases are in critical condition. 

There are now 89 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the United States.

This count included cases confirmed by the CDC as well as presumptive positive cases that have been confirmed through the US public health system of state and local health agencies, but are still pending CDC confirmation. 

These include…

The 42 US cases include 16 in California, one in Massachusetts, 13 in Washington state (including 2 fatalities), one in Arizona, three in Illinois, one in Wisconsin, two in Oregon, two in Rhode Island, one in New York and two in Florida. 

There are at least 19 instances of possible community spread transmission, and at least four cases that have not been classified as either travel related or community spread.

The coronavirus outbreak in Britain is likely to get “more significant” in “the next days and weeks,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday after chairing an emergency committee meeting of his cabinet (Cobra).

He said that the government was making every preparation for that and added that the government’s response to the outbreak was being informed by scientific and health advice.

“As and when – if and when – it starts to spread … we are in a position to take the steps that will be necessary,” Johnson said.

The UK government is expected to release more information to the public on Tuesday on its “battle plan” to combat the virus.

 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the 39-year-old health care worker who returned from Iran and tested positive for coronavirus is isolated in her home and being treated.

She was not symptomatic on the plane and she did not take public transportation. He said she was very aware of the situation and took precautions. 

Two cases are pending testing and Cuomo said New York will be testing for community spread.

“I fully expect to find community spread. You can’t have it in this many places on the globe and in this many places in the country and it not be in New York,” he said on CNN this morning.

He added: “We’ll be ramping up our testing capacity. Again, we expect to find people who test positive

An adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died after contracting coronavirus, state radio reported on Monday. 

Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, was a member of the Expediency Council that advises Khamenei.

Do you have a question about coronavirus?

Ask it here — we’ll be answering some of your questions through out the day.

The European Union’s risk alert level for the novel coronavirus has been raised from moderate to high, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a Monday news conference.

“ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) has announced today that the risk level has risen from moderate to high for people in the European Union, in other words the virus continues to spread,” von der Leyen said.

There have been more than 2,000 confirmed cases in the EU, with the bulk of the outbreak happening in Italy.

The EU’s Crisis Management Commissioner, Janez Lenarčič, told the news conference that every country needed to be prepared.

“While we should not give in to panic, the situation is likely to still get worse. So we need to be prepared. Time is of the essence here.”

Several schools in the state of Washington are closed on Monday as the number coronavirus infections rises in the United States. 

Kentwood High School (Kent, WA) and Covington Elementary School 

A parent of two Kentwood High School students is being tested for the coronavirus after experiencing flu-like symptoms, according to a statement on the school’s website. The parent was recently at a local health care center where other cases of coronavirus had been confirmed. 

Another member of this family, who is not showing any flu-like symptoms, works at Covington Elementary School. The family is currently self quarantined at home. On Monday the custodial staff will begin thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting both schools, which could take more than one day. 

Colville School District

All school in the Colville School District are closed Monday, according to the school district.

Schools will remain closed until test results return for a person suspected of having the virus, it added: “Testing could take from 1-3 days.”

Jackson High School (Mill Creek, WA), Gateway Middle School and Heatherwood Middle School

The three schools will be closed Monday according to an announcement posted on the Everett Public Schools website. A student at Jackson High School was confirmed to have the virus on Friday.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology (Kirkland, WA)

The Lake Washington Institute of Technology said on its website that the school “will be closed on Monday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 3, to continue disinfecting and cleaning the campus.”

Late last week, 16 nursing students and a faculty member visited the Life Care Center in Kirkland, a nursing facility connected to six cases of coronavirus, including one death. 

A Russian citizen who returned from Italy in late February is the latest confirmed case in the country, Russia’s Ministry of Health said, according state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Russia has reported a total of six confirmed cases – including three Russian patients evacuated from Princess Diamond cruise ship and two Chinese nationals – all of whom are quarantined in the Kazan region.

According to RIA Novosti, the passenger from Italy has mild symptoms and persons who interacted with him since his return to Moscow are also undergoing tests.

Health officials in South Korea have confirmed four additional deaths related to the outbreak, bringing the country-wide death toll to 26.

Separately, the South Korea Armed Forces confirmed several new cases involving military personnel bringing the total number of cases within the armed forces to 28.

Australian Grand Prix organizers insisted on Monday that the opening round of the 2020 Formula 1 season would go ahead as planned on Sunday March 15, despite concerns about the outbreak of the coronavirus.

“We are all systems go and gearing up for the 25th Formula 1 race in Melbourne next week,” Australian GP CEO Andrew Westacott said in a statement.

“The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has robust health, safety and emergency management arrangements in place at each event and we are working collaboratively with health agencies and related government and emergency services organizations in addressing this matter,” he added.

After Australia, the F1 season is due to continue with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday March 22 before heading to Vietnam for its inaugural race on Sunday April 5. The Chinese Grand Prix – originally scheduled for Sunday April 19 – has already been postponed by F1 due to the outbreak.

Two people have tested positive for the virus in Portugal, Health Minister Marta Temido said Monday.

One of the cases is a doctor who had been holidaying in northern Italy. 

Meanwhile, German authorities said there were now a total of 158 cases across 10 states.

Two more cases of the virus have been detected in India, according to a press statement released by India’s Health Ministry, putting the total at five confirmed cases.  

Amid a rise in numbers, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told a press conference Monday that India will now screen passengers coming from 12 countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran and Italy.

The screenings will take place in 21 airports, 12 major seaports and 65 minor ports.

So far, a total of 3,217 samples have tested negative for coronavirus, five tested positive and 23 are still under testing, Vardhan added.

A coronavirus cases has led to a secondary boys school in southwest London to be closed, after a member of staff caught the virus during a trip to Italy, Merton Council said in a statement.

“We have been in discussion with Wimbledon College which has taken the decision to close as a number of staff are self-isolating due to being close contacts of this confirmed case,” Dr. Yvonne Young, a consultant in communicable disease control at Public Health England (PHE) London, said in a statement.

She added that there is “no information to suggest that there is an increased health risk to any pupils or their families at the college and no recommendation for them to self-isolate.”

The Louvre museum in Paris remains closed as France scrambles to contain the outbreak, which has at least 100 confirmed cases.

The closure is due to some of its staff worrying about working in unsafe conditions – a decision is expected later today during a meeting with the Louvre’s administration, its staff and unions.

Maxence Langlois-Berthelot, general administrator of the Louvre, told French media “that the museum has all the necessary precaution to protect staff and visitors” adding they do not fall under the 5,000 people group category that call for mandatory closure.

Read more here

At least 57% of total confirmed cases in South Korea are related to the Shincheonji religious group’s Daegu branch, the head of the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a Monday press briefing.

Jung Eun-Kyeong also explained why a high portion of women in their 20s and 30s caught the virus, saying it was due to the majority of Shincheonji members being women in that age group.

KCDC was informed by the group that its leader, Lee Man-hee, tested negative but no further details are known, according to Jung.

The health authorities will review whether Lee’s presser on Monday at one of Shincheonji’s facilities is a violation of quarantine act.

This comes after the Seoul city government filed a legal complaint against Shincheonji’s leader and the group’s twelve regional leaders for charges including homicide.

Health officials in Taiwan have confirmed one additional case of the virus bringing the islands total to 41.

The latest case is the daughter of the 34th confirmed case on the island, Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control said Monday.

As of Monday, 12 of the 41 confirmed cases have recovered and been discharged from hospital.  

The second MotoGP race of the season, which was scheduled to be held in Thailand this month, has been postponed indefinitely due to coronavirus fears, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnivukal said in a statement Monday.

The decision to postpone the Sunday, March 22 race in the northeastern province of Buriram comes a day after the weekend’s season-opening race in Qatar was cancelled due to travel restrictions on passengers from Italy and elsewhere.

In a statement on the Thai Government website, Charnivukal reiterated “the safety of Thai people as the first priority” adding that the race would be postponed until further notice.

There are now 150 confirmed cases of the virus in Germany as of Monday morning, according to the Robert Koch Institute.

The institute is a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention. 

The total number of coronavirus cases in the US jumped by two dozen over the weekend, as the first two deaths from the outbreak were confirmed.

New cases of the virus were announced in Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state, and Florida on Sunday, bringing the US total to 89.

The new cases prompted emergency declarations in at least two states and sparked new warnings and travel restrictions.

Washington outbreak: One of the deaths was among four new cases confirmed Sunday – all residents of a long-term nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington, where officials have been investigating a possible outbreak of coronavirus.

More than 50 residents and staff from the Life Care Center are experiencing symptoms, and will be tested for coronavirus, said Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County. The facility has about 108 residents and 180 staff members.

The investigation was sparked after two people linked to the facility – a resident and a health care worker – both tested positive for the coronavirus, Duchin said.

Read more here:

Healthcare workers transport a patient on a stretcher into an ambulance at Life Care Center of Kirkland. Dozens of staff and residents at Life Care Center of Kirkland are reportedly exhibiting coronavirus-like symptoms.

Related article Two dozen new cases of coronavirus were reported in the US over the weekend

Global stocks rebounded Monday on growing hopes among investors that the world’s central banks will act to help limit the economic and financial damage caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Stocks in Asia started the day lower following a massive – albeit temporary – plunge in US stock futures. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) was deep in the red before Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda promised that the country’s central bank would provide “ample liquidity” to ensure stability in financial markets.

On that, the benchmark index began creeping higher, eventually closing up nearly 1%.

Other indexes in Asia ended the day higher, too. South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) closed up 0.8%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) finished up 0.6%. China’s Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) was nearly 3.2% higher.

Trillions were wiped off stocks worldwide last week as markets suffered their worst rout since the global financial crisis of 2008.

It’s not just the Bank of Japan that stands ready to act. Investors believe the US Federal Reserve will cut rates at its meeting later this month, according to the CME’s FedWatch Tool. Just last month, markets gave only an 11% chance of that happening.

Read more here.

The youngest patient in South Korea is a 45-day-old baby whose parents both also have the virus, according to government officials.

The baby tested positive on February 29. His mother tested positive on the same day, and his father had already tested positive on February 27, said North Gyeongsang Provincial Governor Lee Cheol-woo on Sunday.

The baby’s father is not a member of the Shincheonji religious group, as reported by many media outlets, a provincial official told CNN. 

Community treatment: South Korea is designating several community treatment centers for confirmed coronavirus cases with mild symptoms and less serious health conditions, in an effort to provide adequate medical treatments for patients with serious conditions, Jung Eun-kyeong, the head of South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

The Japan Fashion Week Organization has cancelled its upcoming Fashion Week, which had been scheduled for March 16-21, it said in a statement today.

“As apprehensions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak rise daily, our primary and utmost concern always being the safety/security of all parties involved,” said the statement. “After heavy discussions with related parties, we have come to the painful decision of there being no other choice than to give up RakutenFWT 2020 A/W.”

The organization apologized to organizers and attendees, and promised to try to support the brands that had been scheduled to participate through other business and media opportunities.

Fashion world disrupted: It’s not just Japan affected – Shanghai also postponed its fashion week, which is one of the most ambitious fashion weeks in the region.

Travel restrictions and warnings from various countries also mean many Chinese designers, buyers, magazine editors and models have not or will not be able to attend the autumn/winter 2020 shows.

At the New York Fashion Week, there was no bow from designers Lena Luo and Ekcee Chan after the show from their brand Luooif Studio – instead, an assistant brought a laptop to the runway that showed photos of the duo on its screen.

And with the outbreak spreading across Europe, Armani held its Milan Fashion Week show to an empty theater – the fashion house closed the show to the public and opted to livestream the event instead.

In Milan, at least 1,000 Chinese fashion reporters, buyers and designers are expected to skip this year’s Fashion Month, the period in February when designers showcase their collections across the world’s most influential fashion cities.

Read more here:

Models showcase designs on the runway during the Ji Cheng Collection show on day 8 of Shanghai Fashion Week 2019 A/W at the Shanghai Xintiandi Hall A on April 3, 2019 in Shanghai, China.

Related article Shanghai Fashion Week postponed amid coronavirus outbreak -- as China's absence is felt on runways from Milan to Paris

Health officials in Singapore have confirmed four new novel coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total to 106.

In a news release issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Health said that all four cases had no recent travel history to China or South Korea. The statement added that three of the newly confirmed cases are linked to a cluster of cases at a technology firm called Wizlearn Technologies. 

The small European country of Andorra, situated between France and Spain, has reported its first case of the coronavirus.

The patient is a 20-year-old Andorran man who had recently traveled to Milan, Italy, said government press officer Judit Pedros.

Italy is at the heart of the European outbreak, and has recorded 1,694 cases, including 34 deaths. In the past two weeks, more than a dozen European countries have reported their first cases of the virus.

The novel coronavirus has been found in a third French department, with nine new cases reported in Morbihan, northwest France.

In France, departments are administrative areas; the country is broken down into large regions, then local authorities in departments, then arrondissements and cantons.

The two other departments to have reported infections are Oise and La Haute Savoie.

The nine infections reported late on Sunday bring France’s national total to 130 cases.

The coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, with countries around the world scrambling to contain the disease.

Here’s the latest:

Ten more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Kuwait, bringing the national total to 56 cases, Kuwait’s health ministry said today.

All the cases are associated with travel to Iran, and are currently in good health, according to the ministry.

Iran outbreak: Kuwait reported its first case last week, soon after the Iran outbreak picked up. Iran now has 978 cases and 54 deaths.

All schools in South Korea will be suspended for another two weeks, the country’s education minister said today.

The semester had already been postponed by a week – it now isn’t scheduled to start until March 23.

Yesterday, the Office of Education in Daegu – the heart of the national outbreak – delayed the start of school across the city for two more weeks, until March 23.

There are now 4,212 cases of the virus and 26 deaths in South Korea, with the majority in Daegu and the surrounding province of North Gyeongsang. More than half of the cases are linked to the Shincheonji religious group.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a “Cobra” emergency government meeting to discuss the coronavirus outbreak later today.

Cobra meetings are interdepartmental government meetings called in times of crisis. The name refers to the location where they usually take place: Cabinet Office Briefing Room A. 

The emergency committee will “discuss, finalize and sign off a battle plan containing a detailed set of countermeasures,” according to a statement on the government website.

The plan will lay out preparations and courses of actions, as cases in the UK are expected to continue rising, said the statement.

The government will also set up a “war room,” bringing together communications experts to conduct a public information campaign and respond quickly to any issues that arise.

The UK has confirmed 35 cases of the virus.

Italy now has 1,694 cases and 34 deaths – the most coronavirus cases of any country outside of Asia. And it’s not slowing down – on Sunday, Italy reported a 50% increase in cases compared to the previous day.

Several cities and towns in the country’s north are under lockdown, with movement limited in or out of affected areas – effectively quarantining 100,000 people.

People have begun wearing face masks everywhere – in the streets, at sporting events, at tourist attractions. Earlier in February, when the Italian outbreak exploded, people rushed to buy face masks and hand sanitizer at stores.

Other countries like the US have also implemented travel restrictions to and from Italy. Two American airlines have suspended flights to Milan.

Authorities in Europe are taking precautions to prevent large gatherings of people. Many public spaces like the Louvre in Paris and Milan’s La Scala opera house have closed, while crowded events like the Paris half-marathon have been canceled.

A French official advised against a long-time French tradition – cheek-kissing – to avoid close physical contact.

People are following officials’ advice, and largely staying away from typically crowded areas. In Milan, the normally packed Piazza del Duomo in the center of the city was nearly empty last week, and popular riverside restaurants had empty tables.

Read more here.

The coronavirus has reached every continent except Antarctica. In the past week, it has spread across Europe and the Middle East – and there’s a danger it may spread across Latin America and Africa, too.

Here is the full list of confirmed cases outside mainland China:

Afghanistan (1 case)     Algeria (1 case) Armenia (1 case) Australia (30 cases, 1 death)      Austria (10 cases)     Bahrain (47 cases)      Belarus (1 case)     Belgium (1 case)      Brazil (2 cases)      Cambodia (1 case)     Canada (24 cases)      Croatia (6 cases)     Czech Republic (1 case)  Denmark (3 case) Dominican Republic (1 case) Ecuador (6 cases)    Egypt (2 cases)      Estonia (1 case)     Finland (3 case)      France (100 cases, 2 deaths)     Georgia (1 case)       Germany (111 cases)      Greece (7 cases)     Hong Kong (98 cases, 2 deaths)      Iceland (1 case)    India (3 cases)      Indonesia (2 cases) Iran (978 cases, 54 deaths)      Iraq (19 cases)    Ireland (1 case)     Israel (7 cases)      Italy (1,694 cases, 34 deaths)     Japan (944 cases, 12 deaths)      Kuwait (46 cases)      Lebanon (10 cases)    Lithuania (1 case)    Luxembourg (1 case) Macao (10 cases)     Malaysia (25 cases)      Mexico (5 cases)    Monaco (1 case)    Nepal (1 case)     Netherlands (7 cases)    New Zealand (1 case)    Nigeria (1 case)    North Macedonia (1 case)      Norway (15 cases)      Oman (5 cases)     Pakistan (4 case)      Philippines (3 cases, 1 death)  Qatar (3 cases)      Romania (3 cases)      Russia (5 cases) San Marino (1 case) Singapore (102 cases)      South Korea (4,212 cases, 26 deaths)  Spain (73 cases)      Sri Lanka (1 case)      Sweden (13 cases)      Switzerland (18 cases)      Taiwan (40 cases, 1 death)      Thailand (43 cases, 1 death)     United Arab Emirates (19 cases)    United Kingdom (35 cases)     United States (89 cases, 2 deaths)    Vietnam (16 cases)

Australia has recorded three new cases of novel coronavirus in New South Wales state, including the first instance of human-to-human transmission in the country, the state’s Minister of Health Brad Hazzard said today.

The first case is a 43-year-old Iranian man who flew to Australia from Iran.

The second case is the man’s 42-year-old sister, who did not travel to Iran but was under quarantine. “At this point one can say that it’s likely that the transmission is from her brother who has traveled from Iran,” said Hazzard.

The third case is a 53-year-old health worker who has no travel history in the past three months. He had been working in a clinical environment before contracting the virus, and officials believed that this is likely a case of local transmission.

Australia now has 30 cases nationwide, including nine evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, and one death.

New cases of the virus have begun emerging in North and South America in recent days.

In North America: Canada now has 24 cases, spread across Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.

The United States has 89 confirmed cases, – including 44 evacuated passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, three repatriated from Wuhan, 38 cases that were detected and tested on US soil and four cases “presumed positive.”

The US also reported its first two deaths this weekend – one on Saturday, and one late Sunday. Both were in Washington state, where authorities are investigating a possible outbreak at a nursing facility.

New York, Rhode Island, and Florida also reported their first cases this weekend. Patients in all three states had recently traveled to virus-hit countries – one to Iran, and two to Italy.

President Donald Trump warned the American public that more cases were “likely,” but urged them not to panic at a news conference on Saturday. He is expected to visit the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta this week.

In Latin America: Brazil reported its first case on February 26, marking the first time the virus had reached the continent. Only days later, Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic reported their first cases.

“For several weeks, countries in the Americas have been preparing for the possible importation of cases of Covid-19,” said Carissa F Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in a statement on February 26 after Brazil reported its first case.
“A multi-sectoral response to ensure strengthened surveillance, health service readiness, preventing spread, and maintaining essential services, are key interventions to slow transmission and save lives.”

Read more here:

Tourist wearing a protective respiratory mask tours outside the Colosseo monument (Colisee, Coliseum) in downtown Rome on February 28, 2020 amid fear of Covid-19 epidemic. - Since February 23, more than 50,000 people have been confined to 10 towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto -- a drastic measure taken to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected some 400 people in Italy, mostly in the north. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP) (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Coronavirus infects more than 88,000 worldwide as clusters spread

Indonesia has confirmed its first two cases of the novel coronavirus, state-run Antara News Agency reported today, citing President Joko Widodo.

Widodo said the two cases involve a 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter, Antara reported.

The two patients were in contact with a Japanese national who tested positive after leaving Indonesia, Widodo was quoted as saying.

Thailand has confirmed one more case of the coronavirus, raising the nationwide total to 43, the country’s Ministry of Public Health announced today.

The patient is a 22-year-old Thai woman, who worked closely with tourists. She was also in close contact with a former patient who worked as a driver for tourists.

So far, 31 of the country’s 43 cases have recovered and been discharged for hospital. Eleven are still receiving treatment, and one has died.

Four more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus have been reported in South Korea, raising the country’s death toll to 26, the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

The KCDC also reported an additional 476 infections earlier today, raising the national total to 4,212 cases.

The White House is warning that more Americans will die of the coronavirus as new cases spring up from coast to coast – and still, top officials are scrambling to show they are on top of the situation.

Trump faces criticism: Democratic presidential candidates are ripping into President Donald Trump for politicizing the situation; Trump, his son and conservative media outlets had earlier claimed that criticism of the administration’s efforts represented an orchestrated political campaign to bring him down.

Emergency funds: On Capitol Hill, negotiators moved closer to an emergency funding package perhaps worth as much as $7 billion – far above the White House’s request for a $2.5 billion one – to battle the virus.

Mike Pence’s new role: Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence blanketed political talk shows on Sunday in his new role as the head of the coronavirus task force.

He was building on an apparent administration reset Saturday with a White House news conference involving the President and top medical officials.

Trump’s earlier rambling, contentious and widely criticized first public appearance on the issue last week as well as inflammatory remarks on the virus and Democrats at a campaign rally Friday night threatened to overshadow its mitigation efforts. His previous comments that the number of US cases could soon disappear and that his administration had made “tremendous” efforts to thwart the virus arriving in the US now look premature.

Cases in the US: There are now 89 confirmed cases in the US, including 44 people evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and three repatriated from Wuhan, China.

There are an additional 19 travel-related cases in America, and 19 person-to-person transmissions. The origin of four other cases, in Illinois and Rhode Island is not yet established.

Read more here:

President Donald Trump, center, points as he prepares to answer question after speaking about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Washington as Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, Vice President Mike Pence, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams listen. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Related article Trump's coronavirus strategy faces new scrutiny after second US death

China’s factories are reeling from the coronavirus outbreak.

Manufacturing activity in the country fell to record lows last month, according to a closely watched private survey. The media group Caixin said Monday that China’s manufacturing purchasing managers index sank to 40.3 in February, down from January’s 51.1 and the lowest reading since the survey began in 2004. It was also well below the 45.7 that analysts polled by Reuters expected.

The Caixin survey came days after the Chinese government reported that its official manufacturing PMI plunged in February to an all-time low of 35.7, down from January’s reading of 50.

The official non-manufacturing PMI survey, which measures the services sector, skidded to 29.6 in February from 54.1 in January. Caixin’s services survey will release later this week.

What this means: A reading above the 50-point level indicates growth compared to the previous month, while anything lower shows a contraction.

Shutdown impact hits: A government-imposed factory shutdown weighed heavily on the manufacturing sector’s performance, according to Caixin, which also said that travel restrictions hurt the labor market and left firms struggling to fill roles last month. Production, new orders and staffing levels all fell at the quickest rates on record.

The media group also said supply chains took a big hit, adding that average delivery times for goods increased at a record pace.

Read the full story here:

This photo taken on February 27, 2020 shows workers wearing face masks as they make insoles at the Zhejiang Xuda Shoes Co. factory in Wenzhou.

Related article China's factories just had a historically terrible month because of the coronavirus

The word “rumor” has taken on a different meaning in China since the death of Li Wenliang, the doctor who was punished for trying to warn others about the spread of coronavirus.

Instead of doubtful hearsay, the word has come to connote the inconvenient truths that authorities are trying to hide – just like Li’s attempt to expose a dangerous outbreak that has to date claimed more than 3,000 lives worldwide, including his own.

The idea speaks to the mounting anger among many Chinese people over the government’s heavy-handed censorship, with unpleasant truths written off as “rumors” and truth tellers threatened or faced with punishment.

China has paid a grave price for silencing the truth. If the warnings of Li and other medical workers had not been muzzled, they could have raised more awareness among the public and better prepared them for the deadly outbreak, which has now sickened over 88,400 people and placed hundreds of millions under varying forms of lockdown.

But concealing the truth has caused another problem. Amid dwindling public trust, authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to combat potentially harmful disinformation.

Read more:

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 22: A Chinese man is seen in the side mirror of his scooter as he wears a protective mask while waiting at a red light on February 22, 2020 in Beijing, China. The number of cases of the deadly new coronavirus COVID-19 being treated in China was more than 55000 in mainland China Saturday, in what the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have maintained and in some cases tightened the travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and also in municipalities in other parts of the country affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 2348 on Saturday mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travelers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Related article China is struggling with coronavirus disinformation

The Seoul city government has filed a legal complaint against the leaders of a religious group at the heart of the South Korean coronavirus outbreak, on charges including homicide, the city announced in a news release today.

About 60% of all cases nationwide have links to the Shincheonji religious group and its branch in the southern city of Daegu. Many have accused the group of withholding information, hampering official investigations, or discouraging preventative measures like wearing masks – allegations the group and its leaders have denied.

The legal complaint specifically focused on the group’s founder, Lee Man-hee, and 12 other leaders, on charges of homicide, resulting injuries, and violating the Infectious Disease and Control Act. The Seoul government filed the complaint to South Korea’s prosecutors’ office on Sunday evening local time, the release said.

The news release claims that the leaders are “refusing to be tested,” and that they omitted members’ names in a list of attendees submitted to health authorities, which equated submitting “false information and hampering the government’s work.”
“These acts justify homicide and resulting injury according to the criminal laws,” said the release.

What Shincheonji has said: The group and its leaders have denied obstructing government investigations, insisting they have been transparent and cooperative.

The group said it had submitted a full list of attendees to the government, and that any delays or omissions were due to administrative difficulties as everyone was working from home to avoid possible infection.

South Korea has reported another 476 cases of the novel coronavirus, raising the national total to 4,212, the South Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said today.

The death toll in the country now stands at 22.

Among the additional cases, 377 are from the southern city Daegu, and 68 are from North Gyeongsang province surrounding Daegu.

Daegu city accounts for 73% of all cases nationwide. When combined, North Gyeongsang and Daegu make up 88% of all cases.

The youngest confirmed patient is a 45-day-old baby, the KCDC said on Sunday.

More than half of the cases in the country are linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious group in Daegu.

A total of 89 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States, as of Sunday night Eastern time. Two have been killed by the virus, both in Washington state.

Here’s the breakdown:

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the cases identified within the US:

Read more about the US cases here.

Italy reported a 50% increase in coronavirus cases Sunday, as the US further restricted travel and the famed La Scala opera house closed its doors until March 8.

Italy’s Civil Protection Authority reported the country now has 1,694 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 1,128 confirmed cases on Saturday. Thirty-four people have died.

Italy has the most coronavirus cases of any country outside of Asia.

Delta Air Lines is suspending its US flights to Milan, the carrier announced Sunday. The last flight out will be depart New York on Monday. The last return flight will be on Tuesday.

Delta said it will resume flights to Milan on May 1. Rome flights are not affected.

Read more:

A cleaner sanitizes a wagon on a regional train, at the Garibaldi train station in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities are taking new measures to sanitize trains and public transportation after the COVID-19 virus outbreak. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Related article Italy reports a 50% increase in confirmed coronavirus cases

Kim Shin-chang, the director of international missions for the Shincheonji religious group, told CNN Sunday that members had been fully transparent and cooperative with authorities in trying to contain the outbreak.

Kim has denied responsibility for the recent spike in infections, saying authorities were trying to “exaggerate” its involvement to shift blame.

Kim told CNN there were 357 Shincheonji members based in Wuhan. He said that while the group didn’t have official travel records for all its members, “we have no record” of any coming from Wuhan into South Korea since November.

He said the outbreak began in December – so there was no need to check members’ travel history from July.

“It makes me wonder if they are trying to exaggerate the link or possibly move the responsibility to Shincheonji,” he said. “I would like to ask the Ministry of Justice why they did not check all Chinese and Korean citizens (traveling) from Wuhan since July, and why they only released the number of 42 (Shincheonji) members.”

The Ministry of Justice said it had pulled the immigration records from July on request of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). CNN has reached out to KCDC for comment.

Read more:

Shincheonji's Annual General Assembly in Gwacheon, South Korea, on Jan 12, 2020.

Related article Shincheonji director denies responsibility for South Korea coronavirus infections

Florida, Oregon and Rhode Island have identified new presumptive positive coronavirus cases, health authorities in those states said.

The case in Oregon is the second presumptive positive in that state. It involves a Washington County resident who is an adult household contact of the first presumptive positive case.

The patient in Rhode Island is a female teenager who is at home with mild symptoms. She is the second case identified in the state. The first is a man in his 40s.

Both of them went on a trip to Europe organized by Saint Raphael Academy, a school in the city of Pawtucket.

All 38 people who attended the trip will self-monitor for symptoms at home for 14 days with public health supervision. They have been instructed to not go to school or work and to remain at home for the two-week period.

The school will be closed for the remainder of this week. 

Florida’s Department of Health announced that state’s two new presumptive positive cases on Twitter. The governor, Ron DeSantis has declared a public health emergency to combat the virus’ spread.

“The dedicated professionals at our county health departments, as well as those working at local medical providers, are well equipped to address these and future cases. State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees has taken appropriate, decisive action to help affect the best possible outcomes, and I will continue directing our state agencies to do whatever is necessary to prioritize the health and well-being of Florida residents,” DeSantis said.

Global markets are rebounding a little on Monday after the novel coronavirus outbreak sent stocks into a downward spiral last week.

Markets in the Asia Pacific region mostly started the day lower, but almost all major indexes are starting to trend positive. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) was last up 0.6%, reversing earlier losses. South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) inched up 0.3%, also creeping out of negative territory.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) and China’s Shanghai Composite (SHCOM) were each higher in early trading. The Hang Seng climbed 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite was last up more than 1%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.8% by early afternoon in Sydney. The index had been down roughly 3% in the morning, though.

US stock futures also began trending higher as Asia started trading. Dow (INDU) futures, which at one point plunged more than 500 points Sunay night, were last up 122 points, or 0.5%. S&P 500 (INX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were also slightly higher, reversing losses.

Read more:

A pedestrian holding an umbrella walks past an electronic stock board outside a securities firm in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, March 2, 2020.

Related article Asian markets are rebounding as coronavirus cases mount

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said his city is “ready to respond” as a first coronavirus case was identified in Manhattan.

De Blasio tweeted the announcement Sunday, shortly after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York had identified its first novel coronavirus patient. The patient is a woman in her late 30s, who contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. She is currently isolated in her Manhattan home, according to the New York State Department of Health.

Four new presumptive positive cases of the novel coronavirus were detected in a single facility in Washington state’s King County, authorities said.

The four patients are residents of Life Care Center nursing home in the city of Kirkland, the county public health authority said in a news release. Of those four patients, one has died. All were being held at the same hospital, EvergreenHealth, in Kirkland.

The county identified the four cases as:

Two previous cases, one resident and one associate were reported at that facility Saturday. 

To date, 10 coronavirus cases have been identified in King County and 12 total cases in Washington. 

US deaths: Two deaths linked to the coronavirus have now been reported in the United States, both in Washington state. The first patient to die was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions.

The coronavirus has reached every continent except Antarctica, with new outbreak clusters in the Middle East and Europe sparking travel bans, mass quarantines and emergency measures.

What you need to know:

More than 3,000 people worldwide have now been killed by the novel coronavirus, according to the latest figures released by Chinese authorities.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) reported that as of the end of the day Sunday, 42 people were killed by the coronavirus – all in the hard-hit province of Hubei – bringing the total death toll in mainland China to 2,912.

There have been 129 deaths reported outside mainland China in the following places:

The Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand and the United States have each have reported 1 death.   

The NHC also reported that number of confirmed cases in mainland China rose to 80,026 by the end of the day Sunday, bringing the global total to 88,443. 

Chinese authorities said 44,462 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Europe and the Middle East have seen new coronavirus cluster outbreaks form over the past week.

Iran and Italy are at the heart of the outbreaks in each region. Iran announced its first cases on February 19, and Italy reported its first coronavirus death on February 22.

Since February 21, a total of 37 countries have announced their first cases.

In no particular order:

Lebanon Oman Israel Afghanistan Greece Denmark Austria Estonia Romania North Macedonia Georgia Pakistan Norway Spain Brazil Algeria Switzerland Croatia Bahrain Kuwait Ecuador Luxembourg Iceland Monaco Mexico Nigeria New Zealand Netherlands Northern Ireland Belarus Lithuania Qatar Ireland Armenia Czech Republic Dominican Republic San Marino