Our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak has moved here.
President Trump tweeted his support Friday night for a coronavirus relief bill, which would give some Americans paid emergency leave and offer free testing for COVID-19.
The legislation is part of a deal between House Democrats and the White House. Trump said the bill will be voted on in the House Friday night.
Read Trump’s tweets:
Attorney Karina Kufa, who reportedly traveled with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on his recent trip to the United States, tweeted Friday night that she tested positive for novel coronavirus.
The Brazilian newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, among other Brazilian media, reported that Kufa, who is Bolsonaro’s attorney and the treasurer of a political group launched by Bolsonaro, traveled with the Brazilian president on his recent trip to meet President Trump.
An Instagram account under Kufa’s name includes an image that appears to be the lawyer standing next to an artistic rendering of Bolsonaro in the studio of Miami artist Romero Britto. The Brazilian presidency published an article about Bolsonaro’s visit to Britto’s studio that includes the president standing next to the same rendering.
Earlier on Friday, Bolsonaro said that his own coronavirus test came back negative.
The Washington Monument will close temporarily, effective Saturday, suspending elevator tours, according to the National Park Service.
Visitors will still be able to visit grounds, as well as other monuments along the National Mall, according to a NPS statement.
If the World Health Organization says the Olympic Games should be canceled, they will be, the Olympics’ governing body president said.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said in an interview with CNN affiliate ARD on Thursday that the IOC will listen to the advice of the WHO, and if the WHO tells the IOC to cancel the 2020 Tokyo Games, the IOC will follow that recommendation.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez learned Friday that he tested positive for coronavirus and he said he’s already starting to feel the symptoms.
Suarez said he plans to share his experience in the hopes that “it calms people down because it’s something I’m going through myself.”
The mayor went on to say that he’s not sure where he caught the virus, but noted that he was recently in close proximity of someone who tested positive for the virus.
In a statement that he released earlier, Suarez said, “If we did not shake hands or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever. If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested.”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is suspending social visitation at detention facilities “as a precautionary measure,” the agency announced Friday in a statement.
There have not been any confirmed cases among detainees in custody, ICE said, adding that the agency is incorporating US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and instituting screening guidance for new arrivals.
Poland will not allow non-resident foreigners into the country for at least 10 days, starting Sunday midnight local time, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced Friday.
He said the measures were being implemented to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus. Any Poles coming from abroad will be automatically put into quarantine for 14 days. Goods will be allowed to go through. All international flights and train services will be suspended.
Starting Saturday midnight local time, shopping malls will be partially shut, with only pharmacies, grocery stores, laundromats and chemical stores open. All dine-in restaurants, pubs, bars, casinos and nightclubs will be shut for at least 14 days. It will be possible to order takeaway or delivery food. All gatherings of more than 50 people will be banned.
At least 68 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Poland. Two deaths from coronavirus have also been reported there.
President Trump tweeted that he is declaring Sunday will be a National Day of Prayer as many churches around the country are closed due to the spread of coronavirus.
Large gatherings have been discouraged as social distancing is being used in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
“No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!” he wrote in a subsequent tweet.
Read Trump’s tweet:
Uruguay’s Ministry of Health reported four people have tested positive for coronavirus Friday. These are the first cases of coronavirus reported in Uruguay.
All four people entered the country earlier this month from Milan, Italy, the ministry tweeted.
According to statement, the patients are stable and at home.
Three more series have decided to suspend production in wake of heightened concerns over coronavirus.
On Friday, Ellen DeGeneres announced on Twitter her daytime talk show would suspend production until March 30.
Comedy Central also said two of its series, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” and “Lights Out with David Spade” would also suspend production.
“Our top priority is the safety of our guests and staff. Beginning Monday, March 16th, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Lights Out with David Spade will temporarily suspend production as a precautionary measure. We will continue to closely monitor the situation per guidance issued by the CDC and public health authorities and hope to return Monday, March 30th,” Comedy Central said in a statement.
States across the US are closing schools in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Here are some of the states that have deployed such measures:
President Trump tweeted that at his request, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC cruise lines will suspend outbound cruises for 30 days.
In his Rose Garden address earlier Friday, the President said “we’ll be helping” the cruise line industry but did not directly answer if there would be a bailout provided.
Read the President’s tweet:
Norwegian CEO Harry Sommer confirmed in a statement his company’s cruise lines would not operate until April 12.
“While we have not had any confirmed cases across our 17-ship fleet and are taking this measure in an abundance of caution, we felt it necessary to do our part,” he said.
HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” and “Real Time with Bill Maher” will temporarily halt production due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesperson for HBO announced Friday.
“Last Week Tonight” will air a shortened episode on Sunday before beginning hiatus.
Earlier today, ABC television announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will also suspend production starting March 16.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has released a letter to colleagues announcing a deal with the White House to pass a coronavirus response bill.
Watch:
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has activated the National Guard due to the coronavirus outbreak, his office’s said in a statement.
The governor is encouraging any doctors and healthcare workers not currently working to reach out to previous employers to help increase capacity.
Additionally, licensing restrictions are being eased so that medical professionals with licenses from outside the state can be licensed in Colorado as quickly as possible, the statement said.
Nursing homes will have restricted visitation and screen 100 percent of individuals before entry, according to the statement.
Two new presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus have been identified in Nebraska, bringing the state total to 13, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The new cases are a man in his 50s and a woman in her 60s. They are both Douglas County residents who have recently traveled, a statement from the department said.
One of nearly 900 attendees at a Trump Victory fundraiser brunch last Sunday at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has tested positive for coronavirus.
Trump Victory, the merged efforts between Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee, informed attendees in an email Friday.
“We unfortunately write today to notify you that an attendee at the Trump Victory-sponsored event you attended at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, March 8, has tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We do not know if the individual had the virus by the time of the event, but out of an abundance of caution, wanted to call this to your attention,” the letter said, encouraging supporters to contact their medical provider if they develop symptoms.
Trump participated in a photo line and gave a speech, per a source familiar with the event. Approximately 70-100 people participated in the photo line.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told CNN “there was no interaction” between the attendee who has tested positive and the President.
“Attendees had no direct interaction with the President at this event and the VP did not attend this event,” a Republican official reiterated.
Though it’s unknown if the person had the virus while they attended the brunch, it’s another example of the risks of exposure in large group settings. This week, the Trump campaign made the decision to cancel rallies and move other campaign events to a virtual forum for the foreseeable future as the outbreak progresses.
Wisconsin will close all K-12 schools starting Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement, and will remain closed until at least April 6.
The decree is part of the state’s efforts to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The reopening date is subject to change pending further information, the statement said.
At least 19 coronavirus cases have reported in Wisconsin, according to the statement.
The Los Angeles Archdiocese has closed schools in L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara through the end of the month and will move to remote learning, according to a statement.
Calling the move “unprecedented,” Archbishop José Gomez said nearly 75,000 students will be affected.
Archbishop Gomez said there are no confirmed cases in their schools, but hopes the closures will protect the public’s health.
