The Latest: Governor refutes idea of NYC sheltering in place
A masked couple walks on the empty Trocadero next to the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron said that starting on Tuesday, people would be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities such as shopping for food, going to work or taking a walk. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaves after attending the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 9, 2020. The annual service, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A masked man walks on the empty Trocadero as Police officers patrol in background, next to the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron said that starting on Tuesday, people would be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities such as shopping for food, going to work or taking a walk. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
In this Monday, March 16, 2020, photo, a food mall staff, left, wearing a medical mask disinfects hands of a shopper in Chechen province capital Grozny, Russia. The Russian government says that it has decided to bar entry to all foreigners starting Wednesday. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)
People cross the Millennium Bridge in London, Tuesday March 17, 2020. British authorities ramped up public health measures Monday, telling people who are in the groups considered most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness to stay at home for three months. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
Police officers patrol on the Champs-Elysees avenue Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron announced strong restrictions on freedom of movement in a bid to counter the new coronavirus, as the European Union closed its external borders to foreign travelers. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Municipality workers wearing face masks and protective suits disinfect Kugulu public garden amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Medical personnel prepare for the arrival of a patient at a drive-through coronavirus testing facility at a site in a parking lot, at Cape Cod Community College, in Barnstable, Mass., Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some it can cause more severe illness. The vast majority of people recover from the virus. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
A masked woman walks in an empty street next to the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron said that starting on Tuesday, people would be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities such as shopping for food, going to work or taking a walk. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
A worker sprays disinfectant inside the cabin of a Lion Air passenger jet as a precaution against the new coronavirus, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo)
A view of the border between Spain and France near the Spanish basque village of Irun, northern Spain, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Spain is restoring border controls and severely restricting who can enter the country. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced Monday that only Spaniards or residents in Spain, people who work just across the border or who have a compelling need will be allowed through. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Passengers wear face masks at Adolfo Suarez-Barajas international airport, outskirts Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Millions of people are holing up at home, stocking up on supplies and keeping a wary eye on how close they get to friends and neighbors as the coronavirus spreads to more places. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
A couple sit alone at a coffee shop area at a shopping centre in London, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A masked fisherman works Tuesday, March 17, 2020 on the port of Marseille, southern France. French President Emmanuel Macron announced strong restrictions on freedom of movement in a bid to counter the new coronavirus, as the European Union closed its external borders to foreign travelers. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Municipality workers wearing face masks and protective suits disinfect Kugulu public garden amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Employees in protective mask and gloves disinfect cooking facilities as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus in a public kitchen for school children in Oroshaza, southeastern Hungary, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (Tibor Rosta/MTI via AP)
A view of terminal 1 of the Leonardo Da Vinci airport, that was closed due to the reduced transit caused by the coronavirus outbreak, in Rome, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems.(Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP)
Learners wear masks as they sanitise their hans at a pre-school in Lenasia, Johannesburg, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, on the day schools closed in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus. For most people the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms but for others is can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Shiraaz Mohamed)
Police officers block the road at the Austrian border in Hegyeshalom, northwestern Hungary, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. By noon an almost 20-kilometer long line of cars waited on the Austrian side of the border. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs has requested that Hungary open a humanitarian corridor for the Romanian citizens stuck in Hegyeshalom. Due to the coronavirus pandemic as of this day only Hungarian citizens can enter the country. Freight traffic continues as usual. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, espe…
Ruth Flavelle wears a mask and gloves as she enters an H-E-B grocery after waiting in line with more than 150 people Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Spring, Texas. Grocery store executives and city officials reassured the community, on Monday, that plenty of food will be available in their stores and urged people not to stockpile groceries amid coronavirus concerns. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A parcel carrier with a face mask brings packages to a shop in Cologne, Germany, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The city closed all bars and restaurants due to the coronavirus outbreak, all shops except supermarkets are also expected close. All public and private events are banned. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The UME (Emergency Army Unit) attend the train station in Granada, Spain Tuesday March 17, 2020. Police checked passports and IDs at the Pyrenees' border with France and along the 1,200 kilometer shared border with Portugal, as Spain re-established controls for incoming and outgoing travellers to stem the new COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Carlos Gil)
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
A pedestrian wearing a protective face mask is reflected in a rain puddle, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic this week, as New York City closed its public schools, and officials said schools statewide would close by Wednesday. New York joined with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters along with setting limits on social gatherings. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
The Latest on the world's coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 190,000 people and killed more than 7,500. The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems. More than 80,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office immediately pushed back on the idea of a shelter-in-place order for the city, reiterating that it cannot be done without the state's permission and that "there is no consideration" of issuing one.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier Tuesday that residents should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order within days.
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Belgium has ordered further lockdown measures starting Wednesday, following in the steps of European neighbors Italy, Spain and France.
Belgian Prime minister Sophie Wilmes said Belgian residents should stay at home and avoid contacts at the maximum. They will still be allowed to run errands, to go to work if working remotely is not an option, and to physically exercise outdoors accompanied by one person.
All “non essential” businesses including clothing shops will be closed, while trips outside Belgium and gatherings of people have been banned until April 5. Book shops will remain open.
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New York City residents should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order within days, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
De Blasio said no decision had been made yet, but he wants city and state officials to make a decision within 48 hours, given the fast spread of the coronavirus.
"New Yorkers should be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter in place order,” de Blasio said at a news briefing.
Officials in six San Francisco Bay-area counties issued a “shelter-in-place” order that went into effect Tuesday, requiring nearly 7 million residents to stay inside and venture out only for food, medicine or exercise for three weeks.
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced Europe’s harshest measures Tuesday, saying there are intended to save lives.
He said that the army is taking over hospitals, border checkpoints, and 17 immigration centers in Serbia.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel said late Tuesday that European leaders agreed in a conference call to the Commission's proposal for an entry ban to the bloc, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Britain, with "very, very limited exceptions" for 30 days. Germany will implement the decision immediately.
The countries also agreed on the need to ensure continued cross-border travel for commuters, she said.
Merkel said that there will be "grave, very grave consequences" for European economies as a result of the outbreak and that was one of the reasons to safeguard the flow of goods.
Countries also agreed to coordinate the repatriation of EU citizens stranded outside the bloc, she said.
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Trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange was halted for 15 minutes after the key index fell by 7.12%, triggering an automatic halt.
The fall contrasted with sharp gains in U.S. markets happening at the same time.
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Italy, the second hardest-hit nation after China in the world's coronavirus pandemic, has announced a new figures that show it has one-third of the world's total deaths from the new virus.
Italy on Tuesday added more than 3,500 new positive cases, bringing its total to 31,506. In addition, another 345 people with the virus have died, bringing Italy's total deaths to 2,503.
Italy, which has the world's second-oldest population after Japan, has been blindsided by the virus that appears to be much more deadly for the elderly and the infirm. The doctors Without Borders charity says Italy lacks key medical equipment like protective gloves or masks.
"Nearly 1,700 healthcare workers, or 8% of the total COVID-19 cases in Italy have been infected whilst tirelessly caring for the rising number of severely ill patients who require long-term hospitalization,” the group said.
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Spain, the fourth hardest-hit nation in the world's coronavirus pandemic, has requested medical supplies from China.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke Tuesday as Beijing was preparing its first shipment of aid to the European country, according to the Chinese embassy in Madrid.
Sánchez said the call for Chinese aid had been made a week earlier and that it was a subject he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a phone call on Tuesday.
A spokesman from China’s embassy in Spain said Beijing was readying a shipment of test kits, surgical masks and protection glasses. The official, who was not authorized to be named in media reports, said that China was also “positively considering” sending doctors to Spain.
Spain has 11,309 confirmed infections and has seen 509 deaths.
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The Trump administration is urging U.S. construction companies to donate their inventories of safety masks to hospitals and forgo new orders as the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic.
Vice President Mike Pence said the single-use N95 masks, which are designed to filter 95% of airborne particles and commonly used in the construction industry, are "perfectly acceptable" for hospital use.
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South Africa says a cruise ship has been quarantined outside the port of Cape Town as a precaution after a crew member of a cargo ship who shared a flight with some passengers showed coronavirus symptoms.
State-owned port custodian Transnet says the crew member shared a March 9 flight from Istanbul to Cape Town with a colleague and six people who boarded the cruise ship in Cape Town, a major international tourist destination.
The eight people have been evacuated and quarantined, and Transnet says the remaining cruise ship passengers are being quarantined and tested.
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The Trump admiration is allowing Americans to delay paying their taxes and is hoping to send stimulus checks directly to people as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is encouraging Americans who can to file their taxes on or before April 15 to do so so that they don’t lose out on their tax refunds.
But he says that, if Americans owe the IRS money, they can defer up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for corporations without interest and penalties for 90 days.
President Donald Trump and Mnuchin also say during a White House briefing that they wants to send checks to Americans in next two weeks in an effort to curb the economic impact of the pandemic.
Across the United States, over 4,660 people have been infected by the COVID-19 virus and 95 people have died.
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President Donald Trump is insisting that the U.S. can be “rolling again” quickly after the coronavirus outbreak if “we do this right.”
Trump spoke as he opened Tuesday's daily coronavirus briefing at the White House. A day earlier, Trump urged the American public to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. He also urged the elderly to stay at home and practice social distancing for the next couple of weeks.
Across the United States, over 4,660 people have been infected by the COVID-19 virus and 95 people have died.
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The Greek government has announced a ban on travel to Greece for all citizens from non-European Union countries, to take effect Wednesday.
Nikos Hardalias, the deputy minister for civil protection, said people entering the country would be asked to remain in self-quarantine for 14 days, a measure that would be enforced more rigorously for those traveling from the U.K.
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Doctors in government-owned hospitals in Nigeria’s federal capital Abuja have gone on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries as the country sees its third confirmed case of the new coronavirus.
Roland Aigbovo, head of a doctors' group, said the decision to go on strike was a difficult one after considering the challenge coronavirus poses. But he said some newly employed doctors have not been paid for “ five to seven months.”
The Ministry of Health in Lagos said Tuesday that a Nigerian woman who flew in the United Kingdom on March 13th is the country's third case.
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The Sri Lankan president has suggested that a parliamentary election scheduled next month will be held as planned despite an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients. Sri Lanka has reported 43 cases since March. 11. Opposition parties have called for a postponement of the election.
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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says at least eight airport screening officers have now tested positive for the new coronavirus. The most recent case was confirmed Tuesday at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
On Monday, a screening officer tested positive for the virus at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The previous cases were at airports in San Jose, California; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida.
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U.S. movie theaters have closed nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, turning dark nearly all of the country's 40,000-plus screens in an unprecedented shutdown.
The largest chains had tried to remain open even as Hollywood postponed its upcoming release plans and guidelines for social distancing steadily diminished the recommended size of crowds. But after President Donald Trump on Monday urged against gatherings of more than 10 people, AMC Theaters, the nation's largest chain, said Tuesday its theaters would close altogether.
AMC said it would close all locations in the U.S. for at least six to 12 weeks. Regal, the second largest chain, said Monday that its theaters would close until further notice.
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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is leaving London and heading to Windsor Castle as a precaution because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Buckingham Palace says the 93-year-old monarch will move to the castle, 20 miles (32 kms) west of London, on Thursday, a week earlier than she usually does for Easter.
The palace said it had decided to cancel or postpone public royal events with large numbers of people in the coming months but the queen will still hold her weekly audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The queen’s spring garden parties, attended by thousands each year, have also been postponed. The fate of future big royal events -- including May commemorations for the end of World War II in Europe and a state visit by Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masakois -- is up in the air.
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This year's European Championship soccer tournament has been postponed for one year, upending a tradition dominates European life for a full month every four years.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says the spreading coronavirus “makes football and all life in Europe quite impossible.” UEFA plans to play the tournament next year from June 11 to July 11.
The 24-team competition was to be hosted in 12 different countries this year.
The postponement clears space to give national leagues and the Champions League and Europa League a chance to finish their seasons by June 30.
European soccer is in a shutdown and it is unclear when games can resume.
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Brazil has recorded its first death related to the new coronavirus outbreak, according to Sao Paulo state's government. Authorities do not know where the patient was infected. Brazil has 234 confirmed cases of the virus, more than half in Sao Paulo.
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Greece has announced new restrictions at migrant camps on Greek islands and mainland, aimed at fighting the spread of the coronavirus.
The measures include suspending school classes and all group activities for two weeks, as well as excluding non-essential staff from the sites, many of which are severely overcrowded. Other measures include health tests for newly arrived migrants and creating isolation areas at the camps.
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A dozen residents of a New Orleans retirement home are now infected by the coronavirus, which Louisiana's governor noted has proven more lethal for older people than other age groups.
The latest death from COVID-19 was a 84-year-old man at the Lambeth House retirement home in New Orleans, Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
Dr. Jennifer Avegno, leader of the city health department, stressed that the virus was spreading much faster in New Orleans than in other U.S. cities. The governor has ordered bars, gyms and movie theaters to close and limited restaurants to delivery and takeout.
Louisiana has 136 infections and three deaths.
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The British government is advising its citizens against non-essential international travel anywhere in the world for the next 30 days.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says that with more and more countries losing their borders, there is a risk many Britons will become stranded.
He said the government had brought home hundreds of Britons stranded in China and other places hit by the outbreak, but warned that from now on people would only be repatriated “in exceptional circumstances.”
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China's financial hub of Shanghai is expanding the number of countries whose citizens must undergo a 14-day quarantine rules to cover passengers entering the city from more countries and regions.
Passengers who have traveled or lived in 16 countries, 14 days prior to entering Shanghai, are required to be quarantined at home or in designated facilities, the local government said at a press conference.
The 16 countries are the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, France, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Austria.
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Regional authorities in Spain’s Balearic Islands are effectively locking down the Mediterranean archipelago by restricting all but a handful of daily flights and incoming boats for returning island residents.
The move comes after the local Diario de Mallorca newspaper reported that 48 private flights had landed in the islands over the weekend despite Spain’s state of emergency restrictions to stem the coronavirus outbreak. The archipelago has 92 of the country’s more than 11,000 infections.
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As clocks around France struck noon, the police patrols commenced, stopping anyone outside to try to contain the spreading virus.
France’s government ordered the confinement as the number of virus cases topped 6,600, including 148 deaths.
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Canada's largest province is declaring a state of emergency amid the pandemic.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says all organized events of over 50 people are prohibited.
Ford says all restaurants and bars will be closed except for takeout or delivery. Grocery stores, pharmacies, corner stores and public transit will remain open.
Schools, child care centers and theaters are also closed in Canada's most populous province.
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