Live updates: Governors get higher marks for coronavirus response than Trump, new poll finds
Here are some significant developments:
- As everyday life remained curtailed under coronavirus-related shutdowns — and the U.S. surgeon general begged Americans to stay home while warning that the situation is “going to get bad” in the coming days — President Trump seemed to suggest that containment measures may be too extreme. Meantime, prominent Trump advisers, GOP economists and senators are pushing the president to think about reopening the economy, saying it would be a tough choice but it could be worth it. Public-health experts — including Anthony S. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — are saying the opposite.
- Michigan, Ohio and Louisiana became the latest states to announce stay-at-home orders, Maryland and Massachusetts governors ordered nonessential businesses to close, and Virginia’s governor said schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year. But President Trump signaled growing weariness with “social distancing” and other aggressive steps advocated by health officials. “We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself,” the president said in a tweet written in capital letters.
- Virus-ravaged Italy marked 608 coronavirus deaths Monday, bringing its total to 5,476 — more than any other country. The daily figure remains very high, but has not continued to rise. Spain extended its lockdown for another 15 days as the national death toll surged more than 25 percent. Spain now has more than 33,000 confirmed cases, and the prime minister warned that “the worst is yet to come.”
- Doubts are growing about whether the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as originally scheduled. Japanese leader Shinzo Abe told parliament that the Summer Games could be postponed after Canada’s Olympic Committee said it would not send its athletes to Tokyo this summer. Australian officials also hinted that they may not send a delegation to Japan.
11:43 a.m.
WHO says no confirmation yet that loss of sense of smell or taste is early sign of the novel coronavirus
There are widespread reports that a loss of the sense of smell or taste could be linked to the early stages of a novel coronavirus infection, but experts at the World Health Organization say that, so far, they have not confirmed it as a symptom.
“We don’t have the answer to that yet, although there’s quite a bit of interest in this online,” Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonoses unit, said a daily news briefing on Monday.
Some doctors have suggested that a loss or significant change to the senses of taste and smell could indicate that a person is infected with the coronavirus. On Friday, a group of British doctors advised that anyone who experiences these sensory losses should isolate themselves for seven days, even if they have no other symptoms.
WHO officials did not say that this was false but noted that they would need more evidence to confirm the thesis.
“This is something that we need to look into to really capture,” Van Kerkhove said, adding that a number of countries were collecting data on the symptoms of early infections and that information would be looked at systematically.
Van Kerkhove said the WHO was reaching out to these countries to find out whether they have identified a loss of smell or taste as an early symptom.
“We have a good handle on what the major ones are: Those are fevers. This is dry cough, and this is shortage of breath,” said Van Kerkhove, adding that aches and pains and headaches also were found, while some — though “very few” overall — patients have gastrointestinal problems, runny noses or sneezing.
By Adam Taylor
11:38 a.m.
United Nations leader calls for global ceasefire
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres wants warring rivals to put down their firearms to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Guterres said Monday that areas devastated by conflict are creating more people vulnerable to the virus. Ongoing violence will likely lead to a devastating spread of the epidemic, he said.
“The most vulnerable — women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized and the displaced — pay the highest price,” Guterres said. “They are also at the highest risk of suffering devastating losses from covid-19.”
By Lateshia Beachum
11:29 a.m.
Pentagon expects to deploy Army field hospitals to New York, Seattle
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper expects to deploy two U.S. Army field hospitals to New York City and Seattle this week to help combat the coronavirus pandemic but said it would be up to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make the final call on which cities would receive them.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference Monday, Esper said “prepare-to-deploy orders” had been issued to five expeditionary medial units, including the Army field hospitals, which he said he expected to provide 248 beds each.
“We are looking at deploying our field hospitals — which include the hospital, the equipment and medical professionals,” Esper said. “My aim is to get them out this week.”
The defense secretary said he expects the pop-up hospitals to provide excess capacity for hard-hit areas, as local authorities identify buildings that can be converted into temporary hospitals.
In New York City, for example, the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA have begun working with local authorities to convert buildings into makeshift hospitals. An Army field hospital, Esper suggested, could provide extra capacity in the meantime.
Army field hospitals are essentially pop-up medical facilities that the military erects in tents, often near a battlefield to treat the wounded.
In addition, Esper said two U.S. military hospital ships were deploying. The first of the two, the USNS Mercy, is slated to leave San Diego and deploy to Los Angeles on Monday.
Esper said that he had spoken with as many as 10 governors, all of whom requested hospitals or hospital ships, but that the Pentagon won’t be able to meet all the need as the pandemic unfolds.
By Paul Sonne
11:08 a.m.
Governors get better marks for handling outbreak than Trump, poll finds
The nation’s governors are getting far better marks for their handling of the coronavirus outbreak than President Trump, according to a new Monmouth University poll.
Fifty percent of Americans say Trump has done a good job handling the crisis, compared with 45 percent who say he has done a bad job.
But that assessment pales in comparison with how Americans view the response of their governors. Seventy-two percent of the public says their state’s governor has done a good job, compared with 18 percent who say their governor is doing a bad job.
Positive reviews for governors are fairly consistent regardless of how widespread the outbreak is in the various states, according to Monmouth.
Trump’s approval breaks sharply along partisan lines.
Eighty-nine percent of Republicans say he’s doing a good job handling the outbreak, while 19 percent of Democrats agree. Among independents, 48 percent say Trump is doing a good job.
Public praise for the governors is much more consistent along party lines, with 76 percent of Democrats saying their governor is doing a good job and 73 percent of Republicans taking that view. Meanwhile, 67 percent of independents say their governor is doing a good job.
The poll also found that the American public doesn’t give itself very high remarks for its response to the pandemic. Just 38 percent say the American public has done a good job dealing with the outbreak, while 45 percent say it has done a bad job.
By John Wagner
11:03 a.m.
Italy announces 608 new deaths, slightly lower figure than in previous days
The Italian government announced Monday that the death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak had increased by 608 to 5,476.
The number of cases had increased by 4,789 to bring the total to 63,927, according to Italy’s Civil Protection agency.
The news was greeted with tentative optimism in Italy, as both figures showed a decline from the higher increases only a few days ago, suggesting that Italy’s strict social-distancing measures may be slowing the outbreak.
The president of the national health service, Silvio Brusaferro, told reporters Monday that while it was not yet time to proclaim victory, Italy was finally seeing “the light at the end of the tunnel.”
On Saturday, Civil Protection officials had announced 793 deaths from the coronavirus, and a day later they had announced 651. The rate of discovery of new cases also appeared to be slowing, down to an 8.1 percent increase on Monday from 13.5 percent on Saturday.
Italy remains the epicenter of the outbreak outside China, which still has the largest number of confirmed cases, though the death toll in Italy is higher. The infection rate among health workers also appears to be higher in Italy, according to officials.
On Monday, the Italian doctors association FNOMCEO said 24 doctors had died. A total of 4,824 health operators have been infected, according to Italy’s Higher Health Institute (ISS).
In an earlier interview on Monday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Italy would need to redouble its efforts to beat the coronavirus. “The survival of the social and economic fabric of our country is at stake,” Conte told La Stampa.
By Adam Taylor
10:57 a.m.
More states order residents to stay indoors
As the novel coronavirus continues to cross state lines and claim lives in its wake, governors are issuing orders aimed at flattening the curve.
Michigan
On Monday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) ordered citizens to stay home and closed nonessential businesses for at least the next three weeks while the state tries to lower its growing total of positive coronavirus cases.
The order begins at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Michigan has recorded 1,232 confirmed cases and 15 deaths as of Monday, Whitmer said in a news conference.
Michigan’s rising caseload will likely cause a severe strain on the state’s health-care system, Whitmer said. Pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations and banks will remain open, as will delivery and carryout at restaurants. Other nonessential businesses could face fines and closure, she said.
A lack of direction and medical supplies from the federal government has exacerbated the situation in Michigan, Whitmer said. Michigan recently received its allotment from the National Strategic Stockpile, and it was barely enough to cover one shift at a local hospital, Whitmer said.
Schools will remain closed at least through April 13, and state leaders are exploring how people can cast their ballots at home in local elections in May, she said.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) issued a similar order that will take effect from noon on Tuesday until April 7 at noon. Baker said at a Monday news conference that he will also direct the state’s Department of Public Health to issue a “stay at home advisory” that will outline self-isolation and social-distancing protocols.
The order came shortly after city and state representatives pressured him to sign a “stay at home order” in a public letter.
“I do not believe I can or should order U.S. citizens to be confined to their homes for days on end,” he said, saying such an order did not make sense and was not realistic.
Baker’s order will likely be enforced at the local level and carries a graduated set of penalties.
Maryland
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) also ordered all nonessential business shut down at 5 p.m. on Monday following a previous mandate of closing down casinos and racetracks earlier in the month.
Indiana
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) delivered sweeping orders on Monday for Hoosiers to remain inside with exceptions for going out for essentials or for health-care needs.
Holcomb will also close the doors to all state government offices. Orders are effective from March 25 to April 7.
Hoosiers with soon-expiring licenses or registrations will receive an automatic extension from the governor that will prevent law enforcement from issuing citations for expired materials during the state’s emergency.
By Lateshia Beachum
10:56 a.m.
Harvey Weinstein placed in isolation in prison as reports surface that he tested positive for coronavirus
Harvey Weinstein, who is serving a prison sentence in Upstate New York for sexual assault and rape, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Associated Press.
The disgraced Hollywood producer, 68, arrived at a correctional facility near Buffalo last week after being housed at New York City’s Rikers Island jail, where several inmates have tested positive for the virus.
Weinstein’s test came back positive Sunday morning, Michael Powers, head of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, told Reuters. In an interview with The Washington Post on Monday, Powers said he was basing that information on the fact that Weinstein is in isolation, as are staff members who came into contact with him.
“I can’t necessarily speak to anybody’s health, but it’s pretty well-known that as of yesterday he was confined and quarantined and isolated, and many of our members who were in that transport and dealt with Mr. Weinstein in any way, shape or form are in quarantine,” Powers said.
Monday afternoon, Weinstein’s publicist said in a statement that his team had been in touch with prison officials and are aware of his medical condition, but “at this time, we will neither confirm nor deny whether Mr. Weinstein has tested positive for the covid-19 virus. … We will not discuss this matter any further.”
The once-powerful producer was sentenced to 23 years in prison earlier this month for forcing oral sex on a former production assistant, Mimi Haleyi, and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress.
After the verdict, Weinstein was taken to a hospital in New York for heart surgery. He has also experienced other medical issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Powers said he was concerned about corrections officers at the New York facility who may have come in contact with Weinstein, as they lack the right protective equipment and several have already been quarantined.
By Teo Armus and Emily Yahr
10:49 a.m.
Sen. Rand Paul defends decision not to self-quarantine after testing
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday defended his decision not to self-quarantine in the week following his test for the coronavirus — a test his office announced Sunday came up positive.
In a statement, Paul said at the time of the test, which he underwent in Washington, he felt it was “highly unlikely” he would be positive “since I have had no symptoms of the illness,” and he was not aware of having had contact with anyone who had tested positive.
Paul said he decided to get tested because he and his wife had been traveling extensively, and he was considered at higher risk because he had part of his lung surgically removed seven months ago in the aftermath of injuries suffered in 2017 when he was attacked by his neighbor.
“For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol,” Paul said in his statement. “The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined. It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested.”
Word of Paul’s diagnosis Sunday prompted two of his fellow senators, Republicans Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, both of Utah, to announce they were self-quarantining because of their recent contact with him.
In his statement, Paul also cast doubt on one possibility of how he could have contracted the virus: his presence at a Speed Air Museum fundraiser in Louisville on March 7 attended by two people who later tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Unlike the other Kentucky government officials there, I had zero contact or proximity with either of the two individuals who later announced they were positive for COVID-19,” Paul said, referring to the disease caused by the virus. “The event was a large affair of hundreds of people spread throughout the museum. … I was not considered to be at risk since I never interacted with the two individuals even from a distance and was not recommended for testing by health officials.”
By John Wagner
10:32 a.m.
New York governor says shutting off the economy was necessary, but unsustainable long-term
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), whose state is at the center of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., said Monday that he had “no second thoughts” about shutting down the economy by halting nonessential business.
But he said he was also aware that the shutdown is unsustainable, and that the state needs to begin planning how to restart the economy.
“I take total responsibility for shutting off the economy in terms of essential workers,” Cuomo said during a news conference. “But we also have to start to plan the pivot back to economic functionality, right? You can’t stop the economy forever.”
His comments came as Trump signaled a sense of weariness with the economic toll of social distancing, tweeting Monday that “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.”
Asked about the president’s comments, Cuomo responded that “you have to walk and chew gum in life” and no executive “has the luxury of being one-dimensional.”
He said he stood by the measures taken, yet recognizes the economic ramifications.
“It is unsustainable to run this state or run this country with the economy closed down,” he said. “We’re spending hundreds of millions of dollars, you have people laid off — you have to get the economy up and running. So that has to be planned at the same time.”
The governor said officials needed to begin to think about whether there was a point where some people — potentially those who are younger or have recovered from the virus — could return to the workforce. He said the idea was to balance “smart public health policy and smart economic policy.”
He stressed, however, that the actions taken so far have not been overkill.
“I had a gentleman tell me, ‘There’s no way this state will ever reelect you because of what you did,’ ” Cuomo said. “Frankly, I don’t even care about that. I did the right thing, and I’m proud of it.”
By Brittany Shammas
10:13 a.m.
The new coronavirus is an evil genius. This is how it works in your body.
The deadly new coronavirus is little more than a packet of genetic material surrounded by a spiky protein shell one-thousandth the width of an eyelash, and it leads such a zombielike existence that it’s barely considered a living organism.
But as soon as it gets into a human airway, the virus hijacks our cells to create millions more versions of itself.
There is a certain evil genius to how this coronavirus pathogen works: It finds easy purchase in humans without them knowing. Before its first host even develops symptoms, it is already spreading its replicas everywhere, moving onto its next victim. It is powerfully deadly in some but mild enough in others to escape containment.
SARS-CoV-2 dwells in the upper respiratory tract, where it is easily sneezed or coughed onto its next victim. But in some patients, it can lodge itself deep within the lungs, where the disease can kill. That combination gives it the contagiousness of some colds, along with some of the lethality of its close molecular cousin SARS, which caused a 2002-2003 outbreak in Asia.
When viruses encounter a host, they use proteins on its surfaces to unlock and invade its unsuspecting cells. Then they take control of those cells’ own molecular machinery to produce and assemble the materials needed for more viruses.
“It’s switching between alive and not alive,” said Gary Whittaker, a Cornell University professor of virology. He described a virus as being somewhere “between chemistry and biology.”
By Sarah Kaplan, William Wan and Joel Achenbach
9:19 a.m.
Sen. Klobuchar says her husband has tested positive
My husband has coronavirus. I love him & not being able to be by his side is one of the hardest things about this disease. So many are going through this & much worse. I pray for him & you & meanwhile I will do all I can to get help to the American people.medium.com/@Amy_Klobuchar…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Monday that her husband, John Bessler, a law professor at the University of Baltimore, has coronavirus.
After sharing the news on Twitter, Klobuchar elaborated on her husband’s situation during a previously planned conference call advocating vote-by-mail options in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
“I just wanted to reiterate that one of the hardest things about this disease is he’s in the hospital — he’s been there a few days — and I can’t even be by his side,” Klobuchar said. “I think many families in America are now experiencing this and things that are much, much worse.”
She said it took five days to get her husband’s test back.
“I want to remind people that this is going to happen to everyone [having a loved one who contracts the virus], and it’s why we need to take incredibly fast and immediate measures now” to bolster the health-care system and contain the spread, she said.
Klobuchar, who ended her presidential bid earlier this month, has been in Washington for anticipated votes on a stimulus bill that is being crafted in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Klobuchar said in a statement that she and her husband have “been in different places for the last two weeks and I am outside the 14-day period for getting sick.”
“My doctor has advised me to not get a test,” she said. “As everyone is aware, there are test shortages for people who need them everywhere and I don’t qualify to get one under any standard.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday became the first member of the Senate to announce he had tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting some of his colleagues to self-quarantine. Last week, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) announced they had tested positive.
By John Wagner and Elise Viebeck
9:17 a.m.
Merkel tests negative in initial screening; Germany’s exponential virus growth curve may be flattening, top health official says
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has tested negative in her first screening for the novel coronavirus, a government spokesman said Monday.
The German leader has been in isolation since Sunday after being informed that a doctor she met with on Friday had tested positive for the coronavirus. Her office has said she is not experiencing any symptoms.
Spokesman Steffen Seibert told the news agency DPA that Merkel would continue to be tested for the virus.
“More tests will be done in the next few days,” Seibert said.
Lothar Wieler, president of the German governmental agency responsible for disease control, also indicated Monday that measures undertaken in the past weeks may already be having an effect, after Merkel announced tougher restrictions on social contacts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“We see the trend that the exponential growth curve is somewhat flattening,” Wieler said about new coronavirus cases in Germany.
“I am optimistic that these measures are already visible,” he said of the country’s efforts to implement social-distancing policies. In a news conference on Monday morning, he acknowledged that the signs of a flattening curve are still early, as the social-distancing rules have been in place only for a week in most states.
On Sunday, Merkel said human contact in public spaces should be limited to two people. The new rules, which she advised were not recommendations and would be enforced, apply only to those outside of the household, meaning members of a household living together could socialize in public.
All restaurants would be closed, with exceptions for takeout and delivery, Merkel said, as would hairdressers and other services that require close contact. Whenever possible, a distance of five feet should be maintained between people, the German leader said.
Germany has had nearly 26,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the fifth-most of any nation, yet only slightly more than 100 deaths, far fewer than Italy, France, Spain and other European countries.
Adam Taylor contributed to this report.
By Luisa Beck and Rick Noack
9:12 a.m.
Social distancing necessary to save lives as public hospitals face potential overburdening, NYC mayor says
As President Trump appeared to show an interest in potentially scaling back “social distancing” measures, the mayor at the center of the U.S. outbreak argued Monday that the dramatic action was necessary to save lives.
Speaking during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) questioned whether the country was willing to “turn away and ignore the challenges” facing those who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus. He said that if left unchecked, the virus will overburden the health-care system to the point where it cannot function.
“I understand people who say, ‘Wow, this is an extraordinary sacrifice,’ ” de Blasio said. “It is, but if you don’t slow this thing down, you’ll sacrifice a lot more on the other end of the equation, and we’ve got to think about the human cost here.”
With 10,764 confirmed cases and 99 fatalities as of Sunday, New York City has emerged as a hot spot for the virus. Its cases accounted for about third of those across the United States by Sunday, although officials noted that New York is testing more than any other state.
At that rate, de Blasio said, New York City’s 11 public hospitals only have enough equipment and supplies to get through this week. He said the city was in desperate need of ventilators, and appealed to private citizens to provide them if possible.
“If we don’t get ventilators this week, we’re going to start losing lives we could have saved,” de Blasio said. “I can’t be blunter than that.”
By Brittany Shammas
7:31 a.m.
Japan starts to plan for Olympics postponement; imposes 14-day self quarantine on U.S. travelers
TOKYO — Japan will ask visitors arriving from the United States to undergo 14 days of self-quarantine in the country, effective Thursday until the end of April, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday.
During that time, visitors will be asked to remain in places designated by the quarantine office and avoid public transportation, Abe said.
The move mirrors existing restrictions on visitors arriving from 38 countries, including the European Union, Britain, Egypt and Iran.
On Sunday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry warned citizens to avoid nonessential travel to the United States, raising its travel advisory a notch to level 2.
Japanese authorities have also finally bowed to the inevitable and said Monday that they would start planning for a possible postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics because of the pandemic, with a decision expected within four weeks.
Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, said the decision to consider a postponement, but not a cancellation, of the Games had been agreed to with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Sunday. Bach broke the news to athletes Sunday.
“What we are going to do before anything else is to start by simulating about whether we postpone one month, three months, five months, one year,” Mori said. “We need to make a simulation about the various scenarios.”
Japan had insisted until now that the Games must go ahead, although Abe said last week that the priority must be to hold the Olympics in a “complete manner.”
Mori said the IOC and Japan would like to “closely examine” the various scenarios open to them over the next four weeks, adding that they would not start with the assumption that the Games would definitely have to be postponed but couldn’t avoid discussing that possibility.
Read more here.
By Simon Denyer and Akiko Kashiwagi
7:06 a.m.
‘We really, really need everyone to stay at home,’ U.S. surgeon general says
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams warned Monday of a worsening crisis in America as some people continue to disregard messages to stay home.
People choosing to visit beaches and national parks or spend time crowding around Washington’s cherry blossoms is how the virus is going to keep spreading, Adams told NBC’s “Today” show Monday.
Adams reminded the public that the numbers of coronavirus cases they see reported reflects what happened two weeks ago and stressed that mitigation measures, such as practicing social distancing and postponing elective surgeries, are designed to ignite a sense of urgency in Americans.
He noted, however, that they are only effective as early preventive tactics. Positive cases of coronavirus have ballooned to more than 35,000 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, although experts agree that the actual number of U.S. cases is much higher.
"This week, it's going to get bad. ... We really, really need everyone to stay at home."
Watch @Surgeon_General's full interview with @savannahguthrie.
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“Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now,” Adams said, echoing words from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci. “You could be spreading it to someone else, or you could be getting it from someone else. Stay at home.”
Adams warned that all people are in danger of becoming infected and that the disease could potentially have a fatal result. He pointed to social media influencers such as Kylie Jenner as being able to spread the message about how important staying home is.
As most of the public is being asked to remain indoors, medical professionals who don’t have the option to stay home are asking the president to enforce the Defense Production Act to boost supplies. The president has avoided invoking the law.
The government is already working with medical-supply makers such as 3M, Honeywell and Hanes to boost reserves of protective equipment for front-line workers, Adams said. Companies are producing at their maximum capacity to meet the demand, but the public has a role in decreasing the need for these items, he said.
“We’re not going to ventilate out of this problem; we’re not going to treat our way out of this problem,” he said. “The way you stop the spread of an infectious disease like this is with mitigation measures and preventing people from getting it in the first place.”
By Lateshia Beachum
7:00 a.m.
UAE, world-leading aviation hub, suspends all passenger flights and closes malls amid spike in cases
DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates, a global travel hub with a robust tourism sector, announced early Monday that in two days all incoming and outbound passenger flights would be suspended for the next two weeks to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The announcement came with additional restrictions on daily life in the country. In two days, all shopping centers and malls will be shut down and restaurants will be allowed to serve meals only on a delivery or takeout basis. Residents are also being urged to wear face masks and remain home as much as possible.
Later on Monday, the Ministry of Health revealed that there were 45 new infections in the country — the biggest increase to date — bringing the total number of cases 198. There were two deaths over the weekend. According to the ministry, one person traveling from abroad did not observe home quarantine and went on to infect 17 others.
The decision to ban all flights follows contradictory messages on Sunday from the Emirates airline, the nation’s flagship carrier. It first said it was phasing out all passenger flights and then clarified a few hours later that it was actually maintaining routes to several countries, including the United States and Britain.
Emirates is one of the world’s premier long-haul airlines, and its home base of Dubai is the world’s busiest airport for international travel.
The new restrictions in the UAE bring it closer in line with its neighbors in the Persian Gulf region that have already closed restaurants and stores. Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait both went a step further and ordered nighttime curfews to stop people from going out and congregating. Saudi Arabia on Monday reported a jump of 115 new cases, bringing its total to 511.
The island kingdom of Bahrain, meanwhile, reported its second death from the coronavirus, a 51-year-old woman with “underlying medical issues,” according to the Health Ministry. Bahrain has 334 cases. The victim returned from nearby Iran with the virus. Iran has the most cases in the region, with more than 21,000 reported infections.
By Paul Schemm
6:53 a.m.
Cuba dispatches medical brigade to hard-hit Italy
MIAMI — Cuba dispatched a 52-member medical brigade to help combat the still-exploding cases of the novel coronavirus in Italy, upholding a tradition of sending its physicians to help fight dangerous global outbreaks.
Members of the medical team, wearing masks and holding a Cuban flag as they disembarked, arrived on Sunday at Milan’s Malpensa Airport, according to a video posted to Twitter by José Carlos Rodriguez Ruiz, Cuba’s ambassador to Italy. The team’s arrival follows the deployment of Cuban doctors to confront the pandemic in several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean — including Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname.
Cuba’s communist government, with the aid of the former Soviet Union, built its public health system during the Cold War, obtaining one of highest rates of doctors per capita in the developing world. Its medical system has been in decline since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but Cuba has still sent teams of medics to aid in international health crises, including the Ebola outbreaks in Africa.
Longer-term deals to station Cuban doctors abroad have brought financial windfalls for the Cuban government, although doctors receive little pay. In recent years, the Trump administration has sought to persuade Latin American countries to cancel contracts for Cuban doctors, resulting in the expulsion of hundreds of doctors from countries including Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador.
The move to aid Italy marks a relatively rare Cuban medical mission to the developed world. Cuba’s Health Ministry has confirmed 25 confirmed cases of covid-19 domestically, with 716 more suspected patients.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced late Friday that Cuba would close its borders to foreign nonresidents for 30 days, a decision likely to further slam a tourism industry already reeling from Trump administration efforts to sharply curtail American visitors to the island.
By Anthony Faiola
6:19 a.m.
Trump signals growing weariness with ‘social distancing’ and other steps advocated by health officials
President Trump is signaling interest in scaling back “social distancing” and other steps promoted by health officials to contain the novel coronavirus as a growing number of conservatives argue that impact on the U.S. economy has become too severe.
“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” Trump said in a late night tweet Sunday written in capital letters. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”
WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!
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The White House has promoted a 15-day period — started March 16 and set to expire later this month — to “slow the spread” of the deadly virus that includes following directions of state and local authorities that have resulted in shuttered schools, restaurants and other businesses.
Trump’s tweet appeared to reflect impatience with the economic toll of such moves, and retweets by the president early Monday morning added to doubts about whether he is committed to staying the course.
Read more here.
By John Wagner
6:10 a.m.
The U.S. and Iran trade allegations of virus mismanagement as Iran urges nations to defy U.S. sanctions
BEIRUT — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traded accusations of coronavirus mismanagement with Iran’s leaders on Monday as Iran stepped up a campaign for relief from U.S. sanctions to help it deal with the crisis.
In a statement, Pompeo accused Iranian officials of lying about the true scale of its coronavirus crisis, of continuing flights to China as the covid-19 disease was spreading, of stealing money intended for medical supplies and hoarding medical equipment such as masks and gloves to sell on the black market.
He was responding to comments made by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday who rejected an offer of U.S. help on the grounds the United States may have created the coronavirus and therefore could not be trusted to help. Also, he added, the United States is failing to manage its own coronavirus problem.
The spat came as Iranian leaders called on world leaders to bypass U.S. sanctions on Iran to help it battle the coronavirus.
On his Twitter account, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the United States is “impeding” the global effort to fight the pandemic.
“The ONLY remedy: DEFY U.S. mass punishment,” he wrote.
Iran’s Health Ministry said the number of infections had jumped by 1,411 to 23,049 in the past 24 hours.
An additional 127 Iranians had died, it added, bringing the death toll to 1,812. Iran has the highest reported number of coronavirus cases in the Middle East and is the origin of many infections elsewhere in the region.
By Liz Sly
5:39 a.m.
India and Jordan recommend limited use of anti-malaria drug promoted by Trump in fight against virus
NEW DELHI — India has recommended that medical workers and close contacts of people infected with the novel coronavirus be given “prophylactic” doses of an anti-malaria drug whose effectiveness in combating covid-19 remains unproven.
The recommendation is “only for prevention [and] only in these two circumstances,” Balram Bhargava, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, told reporters on Monday. The drug — hydroxychloroquine — would be available by prescription and should not instill a sense of “false security” in those taking it, the medical council said.
In Jordan, meanwhile, health authorities authorized the use of the drug as part of a strategy to treat serious cases of covid-19 but not as a preventive measure, reported Al Jazeera.
President Trump is a vocal proponent of making hydroxychloroquine widely available, against the advice of his own medical experts who say a large clinical trial must be conducted first.
In Nigeria, three people were hospitalized after overdosing on the drug, CNN reported. That prompted a senior health official to issue a statement saying there was no “hard evidence” of the drug’s effectiveness in preventing or managing covid-19.
Nigeria currently has 22 confirmed cases.
By Joanna Slater
5:37 a.m.
Virus impact could burden societies for years, says OECD secretary general
The economic fallout of the global coronavirus pandemic could “burden our societies for years to come,” Angel Gurría, secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), wrote in an op-ed.
As the global economy appears headed for a prolonged downturn, Gurría said a recovery effort akin to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal or to the post-World War II Marshall Plan may be needed.
Gurría added the current impact of the pandemic — with millions of people under lockdown, supply chains disrupted and stocks highly volatile — already poses a bigger challenge than the 2008 financial crisis, according to the BBC.
“Even if you don’t get a worldwide recession, you’re going to get either no growth or negative growth in many of the economies of the world, including some of the larger ones, and therefore you’re going to get not only low growth this year, but also it’s going to take longer to pick up in the future,” Gurría said, the BBC reported.
By Rick Noack
5:37 a.m.
Exhausted and bruised: Photos of Italian health workers fighting the pandemic go viral
With Italy emerging as the new epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak, nurses and doctors working around the clock to save lives in the country are sharing photos of what it looks like to be fighting an out-of-control pandemic.
Their faces marked pink and purple from protective masks and their bodies tired from grueling hospital shifts, health workers are earning the respect of people worldwide with their hard-working, empathetic approach to the crisis — despite the dangerous and painful circumstances.
Some of Italian nurses & doctors after long hours of work in intensive care.
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Many on social media have labeled the staff heroes, thanking them for their service at such an unprecedented time.
Italy has more than 46,000 active cases of the virus and 5,476 deaths. The country now has more fatalities than China, where the outbreak began late last year.
Earlier this month, Italian nurse Alessia Bonari took to her Instagram account to share a photo of herself after a shift at the hospital. The post generated more than 1 million likes, with thousands of people from around the world offering her their well-wishes and love.
By Jennifer Hassan
5:28 a.m.
Fauci gets frank about Trump: ‘I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down’
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Anthony S. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been charged with a herculean task: trying to keep President Trump’s public statements about the novel virus rooted in fact.
Now it appears that Fauci’s frustration is showing.
When asked Sunday by Science magazine’s Jon Cohen about having to stand in front of the nation as “the representative of truth and facts” when “things are being said that aren’t true and aren’t factual,” the 79-year-old said there is only so much he can do.
“I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down,” Fauci said, referencing Trump. “Okay, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.”
The frank comment was just one part of a remarkable Q&A published Sunday in which Fauci shed light on his relationship with Trump, how the pair handles their differences and what happens before each coronavirus task force news conference.
On more than one occasion, Fauci has found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to publicly contradict the president — a risky action that could conceivably jeopardize the scientist’s job.
Fauci acknowledged as much.
“To my knowledge, I haven’t been fired,” he told Cohen, laughing.
Read more here.
By Allyson Chiu
5:02 a.m.
Berlin struggles to keep its homeless population safe
BERLIN — The German capital of Berlin is planning to open a new shelter for its homeless residents by the end of this month, as Germany asks people to isolate themselves inside to slow infection rates.
Homeless populations are particularly vulnerable to infections and the consequences of the coronavirus crisis.
“Many have preexisting conditions or suffer from addictions,” said Kai-Gerrit Venske, a specialist on homelessness for the aid organization Caritas in Berlin. Shelters are often crowded, making social distancing nearly impossible.
“We are now trying to place beds farther apart,” said Venske about ways his organization’s shelters are trying to adapt to the coronavirus outbreak. “But there are no standards. Everyone is trying to reduce risks as much as possible.”
Approximately 2,000 people are living on the streets in Berlin, according to a recent count by volunteers throughout the city, though some experts say the actual number is much higher. Berlin’s total population is over 3.7 million people.
Tourists and locals who would in normal times donate money or food are staying away or indoors. Volunteers, many of whom are elderly and belong to at-risk groups, have isolated themselves.
The new shelter that is scheduled to open in Berlin will provide food, medical services and addiction counseling, according to Berlin city spokesman Stefan Strauß. Giving up drugs will not be a precondition for getting shelter, as that would keep people away, he said.
“We have to accept the problem,” he said. “So we’re offering a controlled use of drugs.”
Psychological counseling will also be offered at the new shelter. “Many homeless people are no longer used to being in a facility during the day or in closed rooms,” said Strauß. “We have to assume that it is also difficult for some to live in an accommodation at all.”
By Luisa Beck
4:50 a.m.
India suspends domestic flights as cities go into lockdown mode
NEW DELHI — India’s largest cities are shutting down everything but essential services and closed nearly all public transportation until the end of the month in a dramatic bid to check rising coronavirus infections.
The Civil Aviation Ministry also announced the suspension of all domestic flights from midnight Tuesday. Coupled with the cancellation of all passenger trains announced by the Railway Ministry on Sunday, this move brings the country to a virtual halt. Last week, all international flights were barred from landing in the country until March 29.
Although India has reported just seven deaths and 415 confirmed cases, much lower than Europe or the United States, its poor health infrastructure and high population density make it vulnerable to the threat posed by the virus.
In New Delhi, which includes the country’s capital, authorities issued lockdown orders, asking residents to stay home, and sealed borders with two neighboring states. Mumbai, the financial capital, shut down its suburban train network that ferries 8 million people daily.
In Kolkata, in eastern India, the government shut down all commercial establishments and banned gatherings of more than seven people. Hyderabad, another major metropolis, ordered all private establishments that have been shut down to pay full salaries to employees and announced a one-time cash grant to the poor. Bangalore, a technology hub in south India, mandated all IT firms to institute work-from-home policies.
Services like groceries, pharmacies, banks and gas stations have been deemed essential and will remain open. Together the restrictions affect more than 65 million people, larger than the entire population of Italy.
On Sunday, a nationwide public curfew brought the country of 1.3 billion to a standstill. But the prime minister’s call for people to come out to clap and bang utensils to thank health workers spawned confusion.
They are also at the forefront of this fight. Additional CP Dattatray Karale and Kalyan police. #JantaCurfew #CautionYesPanicNo #coronavirus #CoronavirusOutbreakindia
Visuals from #Ahmedabad | Hundreds of people gathered amid the deadly #Coronavirus scare to participate in the '#JantaCurfew'
Via: @ahmedabadmirror
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Meanwhile DM Pilibhit Vaibhav Srivastava and SP Pilibhit Abhishek Dixit today at 5pm. @myogioffice @CMOfficeUP @dgpup @AwasthiAwanishK
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At 5 p.m., in several cities, people gathered in large groups in celebration, defeating the purpose of the curfew and leading some to criticize the government for its messaging tactics.
By Niha Masih and Joanna Slater
4:17 a.m.
‘Worst is yet to come’: Death toll in Spain again surges more than 25 percent
The death toll from the coronavirus in Spain surged more than 25 percent within a day, according to authorities, rising from 1,720 on Sunday to 2,182 on Monday.
Confirmed cases in the virus-ravaged nation increased to 33,089 on Monday — one day after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government is planning to extend a nationwide lockdown an additional 15 days.
After Italy, Spain has been the hardest-hit country in Europe, with many cases centered in the capital, Madrid.
The Spanish government has taken drastic steps to curb new infections. More than one week ago, Spain became the second European country to impose a nationwide lockdown, ordering its more than 47 million people to mostly stay in their homes. Exceptions are made only for essential reasons, including work, medical appointments or to buy food.
Last Thursday, Spain also ordered all of its hotels to shut down within seven days.
“The worst is yet to come. We haven’t reached the worst wave that will test the outer limits of our resources,” Sánchez said in a televised address to the nation Sunday. “We have to gain time to get ahead of this risk.”
The prime minister announced additional measures that allow the military to move patients, as well as further restricting travel from other countries, and the creation of a reserve stock of health supplies for future needs.
Pamela Rolfe contributed to this report.
By Rick Noack
4:05 a.m.
‘Hands, washing hands’: Singers change up their lyrics for the coronavirus
In these strange times, no one can fault you for thinking that Neil Diamond wrote the first lines of “Sweet Caroline” about a pandemic.
“Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing,” the classic song opens. “But then I know it’s growing strong.”
The rest is not far off, either: “Was in the spring,” he sings — presumably about a love affair.
Well, Diamond played on the 1969 hit in a video he posted to Twitter on Sunday, changing up the lyrics and turning everyone’s favorite crowd-pleasing singalong into an anthem for social distancing.
“Hands, washing hands,” he croons in the video, flanked by a lit fireplace and his dog Shamrock. “Don’t touch me, I won’t touch you.”
He’s not the only famous performer to do so. Last week, singer JoJo took to TikTok to perform a similarly amended version of her 2011 hit, “Leave (Get Out)," instead telling her fans to “stay in, right now — do it for humanity.”
“Tell me why you’re acting so confused, when the CDC laid it out for you,” she asks, snapping her fingers and drumming on a kitchen table. “Come on, I know you’re not dumb.”
875 people are talking about this
It hasn’t been so successful for everyone. Last week, a cadre of celebrities assembled by Gal Gadot of “Wonder Woman” drew the collective scorn of the Internet after they urged viewers to stay strong while crooning out John Lennon’s “Imagine” — presumably, from the comfort of their own very large homes.
But JoJo and Diamond both received warm receptions on social media, where fans praised them for lifting their spirits.
“I know we’re going through a rough time right now,” the 79-year-old songwriter said in his video. “But I love you, and I think maybe if we sing together, maybe we’ll just feel a little bit better.”
Let’s just not get started on Madonna.
By Teo Armus
3:50 a.m.
Kiwis, stay home: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern prepares New Zealand for month-long lockdown
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that the country would soon be moving to the highest alert level to save lives amid the growing coronavirus outbreak.
In a news conference, Ardern acknowledged that “these decisions will place the most significant restrictions on New Zealanders’ movements in modern history.”
New Zealand has more than 100 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a tally updated by Johns Hopkins University, but no confirmed deaths. The government fears that the case number in the country of around 5 million could rise quickly, however.
“The worst-case scenario is simply intolerable. It would represent the greatest loss of New Zealanders’ lives in our history, and I will not take that chance,” Ardern said during the news conference in which she began preparing the entire population for a month of self-isolation.
She explained that the new measures would take New Zealand to Level 3 “immediately” and then to Level 4 by Wednesday. Ardern said that schools and businesses should prepare to close, and she urged neighbors to create group chats on messaging apps to stay closely connected during the crisis.
Arden said: “To be absolutely clear, we are now asking all New Zealanders who are outside essential services to stay at home and to stop all interaction with others outside of those in your household.”
The move was widely praised on social media. “I really am filled with admiration for @jacindaardern - her time as NZ PM has carried many challenges but she is doing an extraordinary job leading in challenging times,” read one tweet.
By Jennifer Hassan
3:30 a.m.
As coronavirus surges, a frantic Europe scrambles for hospital beds, ventilators, supplies
As coronavirus cases surge in the biggest infectious disease crisis to hit European hospitals in a century, officials and health care workers are scrambling to keep national health systems above water.
The mood in France has shifted from an initial nonchalance to heightened anxiety, as President Emmanuel Macron has imposed an increasingly strict lockdown period of 15 days, which officials have suggested may be extended. In Britain, which was particularly slow to act, government pronouncements are accompanied by a palpable sense of panic and ever more desperate appeals.
On Monday, Britain’s Health Minister Matt Hancock told the BBC the country had access to over 12,000 ventilators — more than double the original figure a few days ago.
Countries are competing against one another for medical supplies on an international market that has been sucked dry. To address shortages, Spanish clothes manufacturers are turning their lines to making medical masks, and Parisian perfumers are producing hand sanitizer in an effort that harks back to wartime.
As the number of critically ill rises, analysts expect even the continent’s best-prepared health systems to be stretched to their limits.
“There’s been nothing on this scale in the postwar period,” said Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “The problem is that health systems, we talk about them as adaptive, but they have the capacity to fall over. They can expand so much, but at some point, the whole thing collapses.”
Some analysts say one advantage Europe has is centralized, socialized systems that may be easier to reorganize and adapt to changing needs. By comparison, some U.S. hospitals have said they might have to close if they do not receive financial relief.
Read more here.
By Loveday Morris, William Booth and Luisa Beck
3:17 a.m.
Pharma company halts emergency access to experimental antiviral drug
A major pharmaceutical company is halting access to an experimental drug used to treat the novel coronavirus in emergencies, it said Sunday.
Amid an “exponential increase” in requests for the drug, called remdesivir, Gilead Sciences said it wanted more of those receiving the antiviral to participate in a clinical trial.
President Trump and global health authorities alike had previously said the drug was the of the most promising of possible treatments for people who are severely ill with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
In recent weeks, the antiviral had been used to treat several hundred severely ill patients in the United States, Europe and Japan, the company said.
Yet the rapid spread of the virus around the world has increased demand and “flooded an emergency treatment access system that was … never intended for use in response to a pandemic,” the company said in a statement.
Gilead first needs to determine if remdesivir is safe and effective in treating covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. With no approved treatments or vaccines for the virus, most other patients have received only supportive care measures, like breathing assistance.
Remdesivir was one of nearly 70 drug candidates cited for its effectiveness in treating the coronavirus in a study published Sunday on the website bioRxiv. The researchers have submitted the paper to a journal for publication.
The scientists said repurposing the drugs on their list, some of which are already used to treat other diseases, may be faster than trying to invent a new antiviral from scratch.
Also on the list was chloroquine, a malaria medication that President Trump has called a “game-changer” in treating the virus. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, however, said there was only “anecdotal evidence” that chloroquine would be effective.
By Teo Armus
3:04 a.m.
The sun came out and Britons forgot all about social distancing and a spreading virus
LONDON — The sun came out over the weekend and thousands flocked to their local parks for bike rides, picnics, drinks and ice cream, despite the growing coronavirus outbreak and despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s advice to socially distance.
Photos of congested car parks, children playing and groups strolling through London’s famous Columbia Road flower market sparked frustration and concern on social media, causing Richmond Park — one of the city’s eight royal parks — to trend in Britain.
Many condemned those seemingly refusing to adhere to the government advice. Labour lawmaker David Lammy tweeted: “Advice is not working. We need a lockdown in London.”
“Meanwhile in London’s Richmond Park,” tweeted the Independent’s Tom Richell alongside a video that showed groups of cyclists standing in proximity chatting and others enjoying snacks outside.
The official Twitter account for the Royal Parks said the situation was being constantly reviewed but reminded people that the advice “set out by the government is a priority and not a choice.” It also announced the closure of cafes and takeaway services within the parks. A number of other parks have already closed.
“If people do not follow social distancing guidelines, we will have no choice but to close the parks,” the charity said.
On Sunday, Boris Johnson faced tough questions over the current government advice, with many critics saying the measures are not strict enough. The prime minister said in a news conference that outdoor spaces were crucial for mental health and well being during such a period of uncertainty but added that the British government would be considering other measures if people were unable to social distance responsibly.
Photos and videos shared on social media of packed tube stations during the Monday morning commute added to the sense that a cultural shift toward social distancing had not set in.
By Jennifer Hassan
2:06 a.m.
European markets, U.S. stock futures slump
European stocks hovered near seven-year lows on Monday, underscoring investors’ continued alarm about the economic toll of coronavirus shutdowns after U.S. lawmakers failed to agree on a rescue package.
With millions of households and businesses struggling with forced closures and a collapse in demand, investors have grown increasingly concerned that the pandemic will push the world into a deep recession.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index and London’s FTSE 100 both slumped 4.5 percent in early trading. U.S. futures were also down about 4 percent, pointing to another lower open on Wall Street.
Fears that policymakers will not be able to stave off further economic slowdowns deepened in the United States over the weekend as Washington remain deadlocked over a stimulus rescue package.
By Miriam Berger
1:39 a.m.
Hong Kong bans tourists, transiting passengers and closes bars to stave off fresh wave of outbreak
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s leader on Monday announced a ban on visitors entering or transiting through the city, and took the unprecedented step of banning the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants after a jump in coronavirus infections in recent days.
Residents have “let their guard down a bit, in particular in respect to keeping social distance,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said. “This war is still ongoing, and this is a prolonged battle. We need cooperation from everyone.”
The entry restrictions come into force at midnight on Wednesday. Hong Kong last week forced all foreign arrivals into mandatory quarantine, either at home or in isolation areas, and has now gone a step further.
The decision to ban the sale of liquor at bars and restaurants came after five coronavirus patients were found to be out drinking at bars in Lan Kwai Fong, a popular nightlife district. Lam said alcohol can fuel “intimate behavior,” and that more vigilance was needed to ensure that this new wave of cases does not erode the city’s early wins in fighting the virus.
Many of the new cases reported in recent days involved patients with a link to recent travel, fueling concerns about imported infections.
Singapore and Taiwan have also similarly restricted their territories to foreigners, as walls go up all over the world to curb the spread of the virus. Lam said she will review the policy after 14 days, and will try to mitigate the economic losses to bars and restaurants.
By Shibani Mahtani
1:10 a.m.
Moscow pledges to pay elderly residents $50 to stay home
MOSCOW — With Russia’s coronavirus cases surging, residents of Moscow over the age of 65 will be required to stay home until April 14 — and the government is planning to pay them to stay indoors.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his personal blog that pensioners and individuals with chronic illnesses will receive an amount equivalent to roughly $50 “to compensate for additional costs that may arise in connection with the regime of self-isolation.” Half will be paid up front and the other half will be paid after the quarantine is complete.
Sobyanin added that there will be a temporary stay on late fees for housing and communal services.
“I think that you may not like it and even internally protest. But please believe, it is dictated by sincere concern for you,” Sobyanin wrote, addressing Moscow’s “older generation.”
Russia says it has recorded 438 confirmed coronavirus cases, 262 of them in Moscow. A week ago, there were fewer than 100 cases in Russia.
President Vladimir Putin is 67, but it’s unlikely he’ll comply with Sobyanin’s self-isolation order. Putin’s spokesman said last week that Putin hasn’t been tested for the coronavirus, but that’s because he’s feeling great and everyone who has come in contact with him recently has been tested.
By Isabelle Khurshudyan
12:34 a.m.
California reports first case in state prison system
The first inmate within the California state prison system has tested positive for the new coronavirus, authorities said late Sunday, marking the outbreak’s spread among an especially vulnerable population.
The unnamed inmate, a man at a state prison in Los Angeles County, is in stable condition and has been isolated since he first reported feeling sick on Thursday, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is being treated at the prison.
Public health officials worry that prisons are ripe for spreading the virus: Inmates share small cells, sleep just feet away from toilets, and are often come into contact with many others inside crowded facilities during the day.
While law enforcement officials nationwide have been taking measures to release inmates and lock up fewer new defendants, the pandemic already appears to be taking a toll on several lockups in the United States.
At least 21 inmates in New York City jails have tested positive for the coronavirus, some of them at Rikers Island. A watchdog agency that oversees those jails said the system was “facing a crisis," calling on law enforcement officials to release high-risk inmates as soon as possible.
Over the weekend, the federal prison system saw its first inmate test positive, at a prison in New York City.
Also overnight Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said that one of its employees had tested positive for the virus. The employee is currently in quarantine, agency spokeswoman Justine M. Whelan said, and had not been in contact with any employee or individual receiving Secret Service protection in nearly three weeks.
By Teo Armus
11:33 p.m.
Australia to withdraw nonessential troops from Iraq and Afghanistan
Australia announced Monday it is withdrawing all nonessential personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Nonessential personnel will be relocated to Australia’s main logistics base in the Middle East and those who are close to concluding their operational duties will be able to return home,” Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Reynolds described the draw-down as “temporary” and to "preserve the safety of our people and partners, and to limit the spread of covid-19 in operational areas.”
It was not immediately clear how many military personnel would be withdrawn.
Australia has about 400 troops in Afghanistan and over 300 troops and diplomatic personnel in Iraq.
The U.S. ally previously pledged to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan if a tentative peace deal between the United States and the Taliban reached in March holds.
By Miriam Berger
10:58 p.m.
Analysis: How politicians are using the coronavirus to seize control
Governments everywhere are grappling with ways to stem the spread of the disease, while also bracing for critical shortfalls in medical supplies and hospital beds. Officials have implemented emergency protocols to clamp down on travel and push through relief measures.
In a time of crisis, such action is vital. But some leaders also appear to be exploiting the pandemic for their own political ends.
Numerous Arab monarchies and autocracies, including some under serious political pressure, have invoked public health imperatives to secure themselves a reprieve from mass protests. A widely criticized interim regime in Bolivia postponed planned elections in May as part of a slate of emergency measures, including a 14-day national quarantine. From Hong Kong to India to Russia, authorities cited the risk of spreading coronavirus as grounds to disperse anti-government demonstrations and bar large public gatherings.
And the United States isn’t immune, either. President Trump’s Department of Justice is reportedly seeking expanded emergency powers, including provisions for judges to have the power to detain people indefinitely. It’s unlikely to be accepted by Congress.
Though public health concerns remain paramount, analysts are increasingly warning about the risk of the erosion of the rule of law.
Read more here.
By Ishaan Tharoor
10:43 p.m.
Asian markets slide as coronavirus fears continue to frighten investors
HONG KONG — Most Asian markets were firmly in the red Monday as economic disruption from the novel coronavirus continued to grip the region. But Japan’s Nikkei posted modest gains as the central bank there pledged new stimulus measures through additional bond buying.
In India, trading was halted for the second time in two weeks as the country’s main index slid 10 percent and the rupee slumped to a new low against the dollar. Fears have grown about a potentially devastating outbreak in South Asia, prompting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials to announce a lockdown of much of the country after confirmed cases jumped in recent days.
Elsewhere, investors had little reason to cheer, as political wrangling in Washington stalled progress on an economic relief package. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 4.4 percent and Australia’s benchmark slumped 5.6 percent.
U.S. stock futures were still firmly in the red, with both Dow and S&P down almost 5 percent.
By David Crawshaw
10:03 p.m.
Trump suggests virus containment measures may be too extreme as Senate Democrats block relief measures
Senate Democrats blocked an enormous coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward Sunday evening, as President Trump began echoing messages from other conservatives who say measures to fight the pandemic have gotten too extreme.
Lawmakers had hoped to pass a $1.8 trillion aid package by Monday to slow the precipitous economic downturn sparked by the pandemic. More than one in five Americans are effectively under quarantine and thousands are stranded abroad due to restrictions on international travel.
Yet even as the outbreak threatens a global recession, Democratic leaders complained the bill focuses too much on businesses at the expense of unemployed workers. After U.S. stock futures tanked, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that Democrats would be introducing their own bill to counter the outbreak’s economic carnage.
As of late Sunday, more than 34,700 cases had been reported across the United States, marking a dramatic jump in cases in cases over the weekend. At least 400 people have died nationwide, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is self-quarantining after becoming the first senator to test positive.
Both Ohio and Louisiana both issued statewide stay-at-home orders over the weekend, joining California, New York and Illinois with similar rules. But Trump appeared to push back on such stringent measures on Twitter late Sunday.
“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” he wrote on Twitter late on Sunday. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”
Also on Sunday, Trump suggested that health-care workers try to sanitize disposable masks. Although the federal government ordered 500 million new masks earlier this month to counter a shortage, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could not say Sunday when hospitals would receive them.
Manufacturers have taken the matter into their own hands, too. One company said its shipments of half a million N95 masks for medical workers will arrive in New York and Seattle starting Monday.
By Teo Armus
9:51 p.m.
Australia’s chief medical officer urges people to report others who breach quarantine orders
In China and Israel, the government can use cellphones to track those violating quarantine. In Italy and France, police give out fines to people caught outside in violation of lockdown rules.
In Australia, authorities are taking a different approach: Urging people to tell on their friends.
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warned Monday that Australians returning from abroad were failing to self-quarantine for 14 days, as the country’s latest regulations require.
“Every single Australian who lands on our shore, whether it’s from a cruise ship or a plane, or any other means of transportation needs to rigorously quarantine for 14 days now,” Murphy said, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. "So, if you know of anyone who has come back from overseas and is not quarantining, please come down very hard on them.”
He added, “You are placing your fellow citizens at risk if you don’t.”
Murphy also urged Australians to maintain social distancing, and admonished those not limiting their interactions and staying home as much as possible.
"This world could last for some time,” he said. “This is the world of social distancing. This is a new way of us interacting with each other all of the time."
Cases in Australia have increased in recent days, rising to over 1,300 as of Monday morning.
Australia already banned the entry of foreign nationals who are not permanent residents in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
As of Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison ordered all pubs, clubs, places of worship, and cinemas to close, as well as for restaurants and cafes to switch to takeout orders only.
By Miriam Berger
9:51 p.m.
Patients with covid-19 share what it’s like to get sick from the new coronavirus
Ritchie Torres, 32, a New York City councilman from the Bronx, first had nothing more than a “general sickly feeling.” Then came a bad headache. He felt terrible. But for Torres, the worst effects of covid-19 so far have been mental: “It is psychologically unsettling to know I am carrying a virus that could harm my loved ones.”
The Rev. Jadon Hartsuff, 42, an Episcopal priest in Washington, D.C., felt drained after a Sunday service on Feb. 23. He took a nap. No big deal — the service can be tiring. The next day at the gym, his muscles ached. He became fatigued, feverish, slightly dizzy. “I kept telling people I felt spongy,” he recalls. “Like a kitchen sponge.”
Mike Saag, 64, an infectious disease doctor in Alabama, developed a cough, like a smoker’s hack. He was bone-tired, his mind foggy. About five days in, the misery intensified. “This is not something anybody wants to go through,” he said Saturday. “I implore everyone to stay at home!”
These stories were offered in recent days by people in the U.S. who now know the new coronavirus and the disease it causes.
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