CDC expands coronavirus testing
Update 3 p.m. EST March 4: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its guidelines Wednesday to allow anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus to get tested, according to CNN and The New York Times.
The guidelines encouraged doctors to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms before referring patients for testing, the Times reported.
The change came one day after Vice President Mike Pence said “any American can be tested (for coronavirus with) no restrictions, subject to doctors’ orders,” according to CNN. Previously, CDC guidelines limited testing to only those who have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, the news network reported.
Experts told the Times they feared the changes, which expand the pool of potential patients who would qualify for testing, might strain the capacity health officials have to test the possible cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the U.S. here.
California reports first coronavirus death
Update 2:30 p.m. EST March 4: Health officials in Placer County, California, announced the state’s first coronavirus death Wednesday.
Authorities said the person, an elderly adult who had underlying health conditions, was the second person in the county to test positive for COVID-19.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” said Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. ““While most cases of COVID-19 exhibit mild or moderate symptoms, this tragic death underscores the urgent need for us to take extra steps to protect residents who are particularly vulnerable to developing more serious illness, including elderly persons and those with underlying health conditions.””
Officials said the person was believed to have been exposed to coronavirus during a trip on a Princess cruise ship from San Francisco to Mexico Feb. 11 to Feb. 21.
The death marks the 11th in the U.S.
Coronavirus death toll rises to 10 in US
Update 2:15 p.m. EST March 4: Officials in Washington have announced a 10th death connected to COVID-19, KIRO-TV reported.
Citing the Washington State Department of Health, KIRO-TV reported the death announced Wednesday happened in King County.
In total, 39 coronavirus cases have been reported in Washington state, 31 in King County and eight in Snohomish County, according to KIRO-TV. The totals include patients who have died, the news network reported.
Death toll in Italy rises to 107, officials close all schools
Update 1:20 p.m. EST March 4: Italian officials announced the death toll in the country due to the 2019 novel coronavirus has risen from 76 to 107 and confirmed earlier reports that all the nation’s schools would be shut down to stymie the virus threat.
Italian health officials said 2,706 people have tested positive in the country for COVID-19. Just over 275 people have recovered from the viral infection.
Citing Italy’s ANSA news agency, BBC News reported that the Italian government has announced a plan to close schools and universities across the country until mid March due to the infection risk.
Release of James Bond film ‘No Time to Die’ delayed due to coronavirus
Update 1:05 p.m. EST March 4: The producers of the next series in the long-running James Bond movie franchise has been delayed until November in response to the coronavirus, according to The New York Times. The film had been slated to be released in North America on April 2.
In a statement obtained by the newspaper, film studios MGM and Universal, together with Bond series producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the group said that “after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of ‘No Time to Die’ will be postponed until November 2020.”
The Times reported the film will release in the U.K. on Nov. 12 and hit U.S. theaters on Nov. 25.
US lawmakers strike deal to fight coronavirus
Update 12:45 p.m. EST March 4: Congressional negotiators struck a deal Wednesday to provide about $8 billion in funding to battle the coronavirus in the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal.
White House officials are expected to back the deal and lawmakers in the House of Representatives are slated to vote on it later Wednesday, CNN reported.
2 new COVID-19 cases announced in Northern Ireland
Update 12:15 p.m. EST March 4: Two new cases of coronavirus have been detected in Northern Ireland, BBC News reported Wednesday.
The infections bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to three in Northern Ireland.
BBC News reported the new patients are adults, one of which recently returned from northern Italy, where the most number of European coronavirus cases have been confirmed thus far. Officials said the second new patient “was in contact with someone in the UK who had tested positive” for the coronavirus, according to BBC News.
6 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Los Angeles County, officials declare health emergency
Update 12:00 p.m. EST March 4: Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Public Health announced a health emergency Wednesday after six new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the county.
In total, officials said seven COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the county.
6 coronavirus cases confirmed in New York
Update 10:55 a.m. EST March 4: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said four new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the state, bringing the total number of cases in New York to six.
Cuomo said the cases announced Wednesday were tied to a previously reported infection involving a 50-year-old man from New Rochelle. The new cases include his wife, two of his children and the neighbor who drove him to the hospital.
“Remember,” Cuomo said in a statement posted on Twitter, “we have been expecting more cases (and) we are fully prepared. There is no cause for undue anxiety.
UPDATE: There are four additional confirmed cases of #COVID19 in NYS, bringing the total to six.
The new #coronavirus cases are tied to the 50-year-old patient from New Rochelle announced yesterday: his wife, two of his children, and his neighbor who drove him to the hospital.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 4, 2020
Singapore records 2 new COVID 19 cases, 112 total reports
Update 9:40 a.m. EST March 4: Two new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Singapore, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 112, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
The first case confirmed Wednesday involved a 43-year-old man who tested positive for the virus Tuesday afternoon, about a week after he first experienced symptoms of the infection. Officials said he was being treated Wednesday in an isolation room at the National University Hospital.
The second case involved a 62-year-old Singaporean woman employed at Creative O Preschoolers’ Bay, a day care center in Singapore. Her case was linked to another case, involving a 64-year-old Singaporean woman, that was confirmed late last month. The 62-year-old patient was being treated in isolation at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, officials said.
3rd coronavirus case reported in New York
Update 9:25 a.m. EST March 4: A student at New York’s Yeshiva University has been identified as the state’s third person to test positive for the coronavirus, according to school officials.
In a health alert released Wednesday morning, officials with the university said the school’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights would be closed for the day.
“This precautionary step will allow us to work with city agencies and other professionals to best prepare our campus and ensure the uncompromised safety of our students, faculty and staff,” officials said in the health alert.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Tuesday that the child of a 50-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus was an undergraduate at Yeshiva University, WPIX reported. It was not immediately clear whether the undergraduate was the student who was reported ill Wednesday.
Italy considering closing all schools, universities, amid coronavirus fears
Update 8:45 a.m. EST March 4: Authorities in Italy are considering a plan to close all the country’s schools and universities until mid-March as health officials try to stymie the spread of the coronavirus, according to multiple reports.
The closures were suggested at a cabinet meeting Tuesday that included the country’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, The Guardian reported, citing Italy’s ANSA news agency. According to the newspaper, the Italian government has already closed several schools and quarantined towns most affected by COVID-19.
After reports of the proposed closure surfaced, Italian Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said officials expected to decide whether to close all schools “in the next few hours,” BBC News reported.
Italy has seen the most coronavirus cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 people ill and 76 deaths associated with COVID-19.
Iranian coronavirus cases, deaths continue to increase
Update 6:13 a.m. EST March 4: The latest figures indicate the novel coronavirus infection rate in Iran is showing no signs of slowing down.
The total number of confirmed cases in Iran has now increased by an additional 486 to 2,822.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, the latest data also includes an additional 15 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 92, the largest concentration of fatalities outside mainland China.
586 new cases have been confirmed to be infected with #CoronaVirus in #Iran, increasing the number of infected people to 2922 cases. With 15 more deaths, the number of people who have died of #COVID19 is now 92 people. 552 people have recovered from Corona.-Iran’s Health Ministry
— Abas Aslani (@AbasAslani) March 4, 2020
Iraq confirms first coronavirus death, first in Middle East outside Iran
Update 5:21 a.m. EST March 4: Iraq’s Wednesday report of its first confirmed novel coronavirus death marks the first virus-related fatality recorded outside Iran, The Washington Post reported.
“It’s going to get worse here,” a doctor in one Baghdad hospital, asking that their name be withheld due to government sensitivity over criticism, told the Post, adding, “People don’t understand how serious this is.”
Global stocks stabilize
Update 5:19 a.m. EST March 4: Global stocks regained their footing Wednesday, edging higher following an emergency rate cut by the Federal Reserve, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Read more here.
South Korea, India hardest hit as new cases mount outside mainland China
Update 5:17 a.m. EST March 4: South Korea confirmed an additional 293 novel coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the nationwide total to 5,612 and 32 deaths.
According to Jung Eun-kyeong, the head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two-thirds of those cases have been related to a cluster transmission, while the others have transmitted sporadically, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, India reported a sharp increase in confirmed cases to 28, following testing of an Italian tour group. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told reporters that 16 of those confirmed with the virus were Italian tourists, while a bus driver who had been taking them on a tour had also tested positive.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong officials confirmed two additional novel coronavirus cases, boosting its nationwide total to 103 ; Belarus confirmed five new cases, bringing its nationwide total to six; and Greece confirmed one new case, bringing its nationwide total to eight.
WHO: Global medical equipment shortage looms as virus spreads
Update 5:10 a.m. EST March 4: The World Health Organizations issued a warning Tuesday that a shortage of protective equipment is hampering global response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, CNN reported.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing that each month the organization estimates that about 89 million medical masks, 76 million examination gloves and 1.6 million goggles will be required globally for health care workers to continue responding to the outbreak.
State-by-state breakdown of the 126 US coronavirus cases
Update 2:54 a.m. EST March 4: The novel coronavirus has sickened a total of 126 U.S. residents across 13 states, including 48 citizens repatriated from abroad.
Forty-five of the 48 repatriated citizens were sickened aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, moored off the coast of Japan. The three others were retrieved from the outbreak’s epicenter in Wuhan, China.
The state-by-state breakdown is as follows:
• Arizona: 2
• California: 26
• Florida: 3
• Georgia: 2
• Illinois: 4
• Massachusetts: 2
• New Hampshire: 2
• New York: 2
• North Carolina: 1
• Oregon: 3
• Rhode Island: 2
• Washington state: 27 (includes 9 deaths)
• Wisconsin: 1
Global coronavirus death toll hits 3,200, only 220 outside mainland China
Update 2:50 a.m. EST March 4: With a total of 92,862 cases of novel coronavirus confirmed worldwide, the global death toll hit 3,200, health officials confirmed early Wednesday.
According to The Washington Post, the World Health Organization said Tuesday that COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, has killed about 3.4 percent of those diagnosed with the illness, significantly higher than experts had estimated previously and roughly three times the fatality rate associated with seasonal flu.
China’s National Health Commission confirmed an additional 38 people died by the end of Tuesday, bringing mainland China’s total deaths from the virus to 2,981.
The following is a breakdown of the 220 deaths to date recorded outside mainland China:
• Italy: 79
• Iran: 77
• South Korea: 32
• Japan: 12
• United States: 9
• France: 4
• Hong Kong: 2
• Australia: 1
• Philippines: 1
• Spain: 1
• Taiwan: 1
• Thailand: 1
The hardest hit country outside China remains South Korea, where more than 5,300 cases and 32 deaths have been reported.
Italy’s two most recent deaths attributed to the virus bring its tally to 79, making it not only the epicenter of the European outbreak but also the deadliest locale outside mainland China.
Meanwhile, Iran’s 2,336 cases have resulted in 77 deaths, prompting officials to announce Tuesday the temporary release of more than 54,000 inmates in an attempt to contain the virus’ spread. The illness has already infected 23 members, or about 8 percent, of the nation’s parliament, prompting the immediate suspension of parliament sessions until further notice.
VP Pence: All federal limits on US testing will be lifted
Update 2:45 a.m. EST March 4: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters Tuesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is lifting all restrictions on testing for the novel coronavirus and the release of revised guidelines to fast-track testing nationwide.
“Today we will issue new guidance from the CDC that will make it clear that any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders,” Pence told reporters at the White House, The New York Times reported.
The U.S. veterans’ health care system reports first coronavirus case
Update 2:43 a.m. EST March 4: The Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that a veteran has tested positive for the virus and was transferred to the V.A. hospital in Palo Alto, California, The New York Times reported.
The patient was diagnosed on Monday and is being treated in isolation, a VA spokeswoman told the Times.
New coronavirus cases confirmed in Japan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand
Update 2:40 a.m. EST March 4: With only 119 new cases confirmed in China on Tuesday, health experts shifted their focus to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus elsewhere.
Japan confirmed 17 new cases, bringing its nationwide total to 991. Although the vast majority – 706 – were contracted aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, 284 people were sickened on land, and a total of 12 Japanese citizens have died.
Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director general of Health Malaysia, announced via Twitter on Tuesday that seven new confirmed cases bring the country’s total to 36.
Australia’s health minister, Greg Hunt, confirmed four new cases, bringing the nation’s total to 42.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s second novel coronavirus case early Wednesday.
Man hospitalized with New York’s 2nd case of COVID-19 virus
Update 11 p.m. EST March 3: A man from New York City’s suburbs was hospitalized in serious condition with COVID-19, a case that prompted school closings and quarantines for congregants of a now-shuttered synagogue. The state’s second confirmed case also raised the possibility that the virus is spreading locally.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the 50-year-old lawyer from New Rochelle had no known travel history to countries where the outbreak of the new coronavirus has been sustained. But state and city officials said the man had done some traveling recently, including an early February trip to Miami.
The man, who commuted by train to work at a small Manhattan law firm and has children attending a school and college in New York City, had an underlying respiratory illness that potentially put him in more danger from the disease, officials said.
New Hampshire health officials announce second presumptive coronavirus case
Update 8:30 p.m. EST March 3: Health officials in New Hampshire have announced the second presumptive positive test result in the state for COVID-19, the disease caused by the 2019 coronavirus, according to WFXT-TV.
So far, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) says the second patient, an adult man from Grafton County, came into close contact with the first person to possibly test positive for the virus in the state. A hospital employee who recently traveled to Italy was the first person in New Hampshire to test positive for the new coronavirus, state officials said Monday.
The second patient is currently isolated at home and both presumptive positive tests have been sent to the CDC for further analysis and confirmation.
First coronavirus case reported in North Carolina
Update 3:45 p.m. EST March 3: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said a person in Wake County has tested a presumptive positive for coronavirus, marking the first case of the virus in the state, according to WSOC-TV.
Officials said the person was exposed during a visit to a long-term care facility in Washington state which has been associated with a majority of the coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S.
The person will remain in isolation at their house until they no longer have symptoms and have two negative tests 24 hours apart
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 3, 2020
Officials said at least six people have died after being exposed to COVID-19 at Life Care Center of Kirkland.
In total, nine people have died in the U.S. of coronavirus, all in Washington state.
Trump to donate part of his salary to support coronavirus fight
Update 3:30 p.m. EST March 3: President Donald Trump plans to donate a portion of his 2019 earnings to the Department of Health and Human Services to help the agency in its efforts to battle the coronavirus.
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the planned donation was in-line with the president’s promise to donate his salary while in office. She shared a photo of a $100,000 check from Trump made out to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
President @realDonaldTrump made a commitment to donate his salary while in office. Honoring that promise and to further protect the American people, he is donating his 2019 Q4 salary to @HHSGov to support the efforts being undertaken to confront, contain, and combat #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/R6KUQmBRl1
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) March 3, 2020
Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has donated his salary to a variety of efforts, CNN reported, including the departments of Veteran Affairs and Homeland Security.
9th COVID-19 death reported in Washington
Update 3 p.m. EST March 3: Officials with the Washington State Department of Health said a total of three new deaths have been reported in the state due to COVID-19, bringing the coronavirus death toll to 9 in the U.S.
“Today’s results include 2 additional deaths, along with an individual who was previously reported as ill but who has now died. This brings the total number of deaths in King County from COVID-19 to eight,” officials with Public Health – Seattle & King County said Tuesday, according to KIRO-TV.
Earlier Tuesday, officials confirmed two additional virus-related deaths in King County, including one from last week which officials subsequently linked to coronavirus.
Health officials said eight people have died in King County and one in Snohomish County. More than 230 people are being monitored by public health officials for signs of the virus.
Coronavirus death toll rises to 8 in US
Update 2:45 p.m. EST March 3: Officials with Public Health – Seattle & King County confirmed to KIRO-TV that an eighth person has died of coronavirus in the state.
Additional information on the eighth case was not immediately available. Earlier Tuesday, officials said a man who died last week at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center tested presumptive positive for coronavirus, a diagnosis that awaits confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials said 21 coronavirus cases have been reported in King County, including the fatal cases. Four other cases have been reported in Snohomish County, where one person has died.
Hospital workers in Washington may have been exposed to coronavirus, officials say
Update 2:40 p.m. EST March 3: In a news release obtained by KIRO-TV, officials at Harborview Medical Center said medical workers might have been exposed to coronavirus last week while treating a patient who was later determined to have had the virus.
Officials said medical personnel transferred the man, who had underlying medical conditions, to Harborview from Life Care Center of Kirkland, a facility where five of the six COVID-19 deaths in King County were reported.
Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg told KIRO-TV hospital staff might have been exposed to coronavirus while treating the patient in an intensive care unit. The staff members were being monitored Tuesday.
Officials do not believe other patients were exposed to the virus.
The man whose death was reported Tuesday tested presumptive positive for coronavirus. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to verify the diagnosis before it’s official confirmed.
The latest coronavirus death was transferred to Harborview from LifeCare in Kirkland, the epicenter of the outbreak >> https://t.co/Qzeapqk9b0
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) March 3, 2020
7th US coronavirus death reported in Washington
Update 2:10 p.m. EST March 3: A man who died last week at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center has been identified as having died of the coronavirus, KIRO-TV reported Tuesday.
A spokeswoman at Harborview Medical Center confirmed to KIRO-TV that the man was confirmed to have had the virus. The death marked the the sixth in King County and the seventh in Washington overall attributed to COVID-19.
BREAKING: A seventh person with coronavirus died last week at Harborview Medical Center, officials said >> https://t.co/tSwdQOLygO
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) March 3, 2020
108 coronavirus cases reported in the US, CDC says
Update 1:45 p.m. EST March 3: Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that 108 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a dozen states since Jan. 21, including 45 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 27 which are under investigation.
Officials have determined 22 of the cases were travel-related while 11 are suspected of having spread from person-to-person. Three other cases in the U.S. involved Americans repatriated after falling ill in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the viral outbreak.
Six people have died of coronavirus in the U.S., all in Washington state.
Italian COVID-19 death toll rises
Update 1:40 p.m. EST March 3: The number of deaths associated with the coronavirus in Italy has risen to 79, The Guardian reported, citing the country’ emergency commissioner and civil protection chief, Angelo Borelli.
Officials said the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in the country has risen to 2,502, including a newborn who tested positive for the virus in the Italy’s northern region, according to The Guardian and CNN.
A majority of COVID-19 cases reported in Italy were centered around the country’s norther Lombardy region, where residents of 10 towns have been under lockdown for over a week, The Guardian reported.
Italy has the most confirmed cases of coronavirus in Europe.
3rd coronavrius case reported in Florida
Update 1:05 p.m. EST March 3: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Tuesday that a third Florida resident has tested positive for COVID-19.
WFTV reported the patient is the sister of a Hillsborough County woman who previously tested positive for the virus. Both women had traveled recently to northern Italy.
CORONAVIRUS: @GovRonDeSantis confirms a third case of Covid-19 in Florida. The patient is the sister of the woman in Hillsborough County we’ve been reporting on. They both recently traveled to northern Italy. @WFTV
— Lauren Seabrook (@LSeabrookWFTV) March 3, 2020
First coronavirus case reported in Argentina
Update 12:30 p.m. EST March 3: Authorities in Argentina have confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country, Argentinean news site Infobae reported, citing health officials.
The person was being treated Tuesday at a private clinic in Buenos Aires, according to Infobae.
Earlier Tuesday, officials with the World Health Organization said nearly 91,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide, mostly in China. More than 3,100 people have died of the virus.
New coronavirus cases continue to drop in China
Update 11:20 a.m. EST March 3: The World Health Organization said 129 coronavirus cases were reported Monday in China, marking the lowest number of new cases seen in the country since Jan. 20.
Globally, officials said 90,893 cases of COVID-19 have been reported since December 2019, when the coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China. Worldwide, 3,110 people have died, mostly in China.
“But as one epidemic looks like ending, another is becoming increasingly complex.
There is now a total of 90,893 reported cases of #COVID19 globally & 3110 deaths.
In the past 24 hours, #China reported 129 cases, the lowest since the 20th of January”-@DrTedros #coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 3, 2020
Trump calls for further cutting Federal Reserve rate amid COVID-19 fears
Update 11:10 a.m. EST March 3: President Donald Trump called for further cuts to the Federal Reserve rate Tuesday morning after officials announced a half percentage point cut to its benchmark interest rate.
“The Federal Reserve is cutting but must further ease and, most importantly, come into line with other countries/competitors,” Trump said. “We are not playing on a level field. Not fair to USA.”
The Federal Reserve is cutting but must further ease and, most importantly, come into line with other countries/competitors. We are not playing on a level field. Not fair to USA. It is finally time for the Federal Reserve to LEAD. More easing and cutting!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2020
Federal Reserve cuts interest rate amid coronavirus fears
Update 10:30 a.m. EST March 3: The Federal Reserve cut its by its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point Tuesday, bringing the rate down to 1 to 1 1/4% in an effort to bolster the economy amid coronavirus fears.
Chairman Jerome Powell noted that the coronavirus “poses evolving risks to economic activity.”
It was the Fed’s first rate cut since last year, when it reduced its key short-term rate three times. It is also the first time the central bank has cut its key rate between policy meetings since the 2008 financial crisis and the largest rate cut since then.
Stock market averages which had fallen sharply after the opening bell, swung almost 700 points into positive territory after the Fed announcement.
2 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Singapore
Update 10 a.m. EST March 3: Officials with Singapore’s Ministry of Health confirmed two new cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 110.
The first case confirmed Tuesday involved a 70-year-old Singaporean man who tested positive for the virus Monday afternoon. Officials said he was being treated Tuesday in an isolation room at Singapore General Hospital.
The second case involved a 33-year-old Singaporean man whose infection appeared to be related to a cluster identified at Wizlearn Technologies Pte Ltd. He was being treated in an isolation room Tuesday at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, officials said.
Second coronavirus case confirmed in New York
Update 9:15 a.m. EST March 3: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that a second coronavirus case has been identified and confirmed in the state, according to The New York Times.
Cuomo identified the patient as a man in his 50s in Westchester County. The Times reported the man had no “direct connection with any known center of the contagion.”
Officials announced Sunday that a woman in her late 30s was the first to test positive for COVID-19 in New York. Cuomo said the woman contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. She was being isolated in her home as part of her treatment.
More than 101 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in a dozen states since the coronavirus was first seen late last year in Wuhan, China. In the U.S., six people have died of the virus, all in Washington state.
FDA to ramp up novel coronavirus testing in US
Update 7:30 a.m. EST March 3: As many as one million novel coronavirus tests could be administered by the end of the week as the number of confirmed cases in the United States rose to more than 100 on Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
“My concern is as the next week or two or three go by, we’re going to see a lot more community-related cases,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a news conference Monday. “That’s of great concern.”
To date, 101 cases have been confirmed across 12 states, resulting in six deaths since Saturday.
Japan: IOC contract allows, technically, for Olympics postponement
Update 7:28 a.m. EST March 3: According to Japan’s Olympics minister, the nation’s contract with the International Olympic Committee would allow it to postpone the games until the end of the year, The Washington Post reported.
“The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020. That could be interpreted as allowing a postponement,” Seiko Hashimoto said, according to Reuters.
Gibraltar confirms first coronavirus case
Update 7:25 a.m. EST March 3: A person in Gibraltar has tested positive for coronavirus, making it the first case to be identified in the British territory.
According to the Gibraltar health authority, the patient – along with their partner – had returned recently from northern Italy via Spain’s Malaga airport.
The patient’s partner has not yet exhibited symptoms.
Pope Francis tests negative for coronavirus
Update 5:22 a.m. EST March 3: Despite exhibiting symptoms consistent with the novel coronavirus, Pope Francis has tested negative for the illness ravaging Asia, Europe and the Middle East, The Washington Post reported.
Pope Francis, 83, reported a fever, cough, sore throat and chills after spending most of last Wednesday outdoors in St. Peter’s Square, but test results received Tuesday were negative for the virus, the Post reported.
According to The Associated Press, the undisclosed sickness will prevent Pope Francis from participating – for the first time in his seven-year papacy – in an annual week-long spiritual retreat coinciding with the onset of Lent.
Ukraine reports first novel coronavirus infection
Update 5:20 a.m. EST March 3: Ukraine’s Ministry of Health confirmed the nation’s first novel coronavirus case on Tuesday.
Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said the infection was identified in the southwestern city of Chernivtsi. The patient, he said, had traveled recently with family members to Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s current outbreak.
“We had four suspected cases, and today one case got confirmed,” Lyashko said in a televised briefing.
Ukraine becomes the 74th country or territory to report a case of the virus outside mainland China, where the outbreak originated.
South Korea confirms nearly 1,000 new cases in past 24 hours
Update 5:18 a.m. EST March 3: The South Korean government confirmed another 374 cases of novel coronavirus only hours after reporting 600 new cases.
The latest figures bring the East Asia nation’s total new infections close to 1,000 in only 24 hours and pushed South Korea’s total number of infected residents to 5,186, making it the most concentrated outbreak outside of mainland China.
Czech Republic confirms 5 novel coronavirus cases
Update 5:16 a.m. EST March 3: The Czech Republic’s health minister confirmed Tuesday that five people – all with connections to Italy – have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The first three patients are two Czech citizens, who had been in northern Italy, and an American studying in Milan, CNN reported citing Czech state broadcaster Radio Prague International.
According to Radio Prague International, a young Ecuadorian woman who was travelling with the American student has now tested positive after being retested. The fifth patient is a woman from northern Bohemia who had returned from Italy on Friday.
With more than 2,000 confirmed virus infections, Italy remains the epicenter of Europe’s rapidly spreading outbreak.
New cases mount outside mainland China
Update 3:02 a.m. EST March 3: The novel coronavirus has infected more than 90,000 people globally and claimed more than 3,100 lives, according to the latest figures released early Tuesday.
And while diagnoses of new cases in mainland China appear to be tapering off, at least eight countries across Asia, Europe and the Middle East have reported their first cases in just the past 24 hours. According to CNN, those countries include:
• Andorra
• Indonesia
• Jordan
• Latvia
• Portugal
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Tunisia
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care announced Tuesday that 40 people out of 13,525 screened have tested positive for the virus.
India confirmed its sixth novel coronavirus case, while Australian authorities confirmed four new cases bringing that nation’s total to 35.
“We are seeing a clear escalation in the diagnoses of the virus,” New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said in a Tuesday news conference.
The novel coronavirus has been detected in patients spanning 73 countries and territories.
South Korean cases near 5K, president declares ‘war’ on outbreak
Update 3 a.m. EST March 3: With his government on a 24-hour full alert, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said testing will be aggressively expanded as the country declares “war” against the novel coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.
To date, South Korea has tested more than 121,000 people for the virus.
Early Tuesday morning, the nation confirmed an additional 600 cases, bringing South Korea’s total number of infections to 4,812, resulting in 29 deaths.
Second presumptive case announced in Massachusetts
Update 11:45 p.m. EST March 2: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced its second presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on Monday night.
The woman is in her 20s and lives in Norfolk County. She recently traveled to Italy with a school group and was symptomatic, state health officials said. She is recovering at home.
Her test results came back positive at a state laboratory Monday night.
Test results will be sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If confirmed, this would be the second confirmed positive case of coronavirus in Massachusetts since the outbreak started in the United States in January.
Two confirmed cases in Georgia
Update 10 p.m. EST March 2: Gov. Brian Kemp announced Georgia has two coronavirus cases late Monday night during a news conference.
Kemp said a man had traveled to Milan, Italy.
Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said the man was not showing symptoms of the virus until he got back to Atlanta and went to the doctor.
The governor said the two people are being quarantined inside the same home. The victims live in Fulton County.
State Public Health director says 2 cases are in Fulton County
— Jovita Moore (@JovitaMoore) March 3, 2020
The governor urged that there is no threat to the public.
Until now, there have been 101 confirmed cases across the United States, with a total of six people who have died from the virus in the country.
Outbreak continues to wane in China
Update 8:30 p.m. EST March 2: The health ministry on Tuesday announced just 125 new cases of the virus detected over the past 24 hours, the lowest number since authorities began publishing nationwide figures on Jan. 21. Another 31 deaths were reported, all of them in the hardest-hit province of Hubei. The figures bring China’s total number of cases to 80,151 with 2,943 deaths.
China’s U.N. ambassador says the government believes that “victory” over the coronavirus won’t be far behind the coming of spring.
Zhang Jun told a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York that “China’s fight against the coronavirus is indeed making huge progress, and the situation is really becoming stable.”
CDC confirms 2 coronavirus cases in Florida
Update 3:05 p.m. EST March 2: Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed a pair of coronavirus cases reported in Florida, according to state health officials.
.@CDCgov confirms Florida’s two cases of #COVID19. Visit @HealthyFla‘s dedicated information page for the latest updates and guidance: https://t.co/e1S8bGG26U. Know the Facts. #PublicHealth #WHO #Coronavirus
— Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) March 2, 2020
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that the cases were presumptive positives for the virus, WFTV reported.
CDC team arrives in Washington as state reports 6 total coronavirus deaths
Update 2:55 p.m. EST March 2: A team from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has arrived in King County, Washington, where officials announced five people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
#breaking 17 @CDCgov members now in King County helping investigate/plan @KCPubHealth #coronavirus
— Michelle Millman (@MichelleKIRO7) March 2, 2020
Including a COVID-19 case in Snohomish County, six people have died of coronavirus in Washington, according to KIRO-TV. No other coronavirus deaths have been reported in the U.S.
“We expect to see the number of (coronavirus) cases to increase in the next days and weeks,” Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Office for Public Health for Seattle and King County, said Monday at a news conference.
Officials recommended people employ basic hand hygiene and avoid those who are ill in order to stymie the spread of COVID-19.
#Breaking Recommendations to limit spread of disease: basic hand hygiene, less face touching, avoid those who are ill and stay away from school/work. @KIRO7Seattle
— Michelle Millman (@MichelleKIRO7) March 2, 2020
Three more coronavirus deaths reported in Washington state
Update 2:25 p.m. EST March 2: Three more deaths have been reported in Washington state due to coronavirus, health officials said Monday at a news conference.
The cases bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to six.
First coronavirus case reported in New Hampshire
Update 1 p.m. EST March 2: Health officials in New Hampshire said Monday that they’re dealing with their first presumptive positive test for coronavirus.
The test results will still need to be confirmed by scientists with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said.
The patient, a hospital system employee, had recently returned from a trip to Italy, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and The Associated Press.
Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist, told the AP the patient, an employee of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, was experiencing mild symptoms and remained at home Monday in Grafton County while health officials investigate.
More than 80,000 cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, have occurred worldwide since the virus emerged in China in late 2019. About 3,000 people have died. The illness is characterized by fever and coughing and, in serious cases, shortness of breath or pneumonia.
91 COVID-19 cases reported in US, CDC says
Update 12 p.m. EST March 2: Officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 91 cases of coronavirus have been reported among Americans since January, including 45 cases connected to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Officials said the updated numbers include the cases of three Americans who tested positive for coronavirus after traveling to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the viral outbreak. Forty-three other cases have also been confirmed: 17 travel-related infections and 26 suspected to have spread from another infected person.
Nearly 89,000 coronavirus cases reported globally, WHO says
Update 11:05 a.m. EST March 2: Officials with the World Health Organization said Monday that the number of coronavirus cases being reported in China continued to decline.
Officials in China reported 206 new COVID-19 cases to WHO on Sunday, according to authorities — the lowest number of new cases reported daily in China since Jan. 22.
“The number of #COVID19 cases in continues to decline. Yesterday, reported 206 cases to WHO, the lowest since 22 January. Only 8 cases were reported outside Hubei province.
Outside , a total of 8739 cases have been reported from 61 countries, with 127 deaths”-@DrTedros
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 2, 2020
A total of 88,913 coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide, including 8,739 cases in 61 countries.
“But we need to see this in perspective. Of the 88,913 #COVID19 cases reported ? so far, 90% are in , mostly in one province.
We know people are afraid. We know they have many concerns and questions”-@DrTedros #coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 2, 2020
Hong Kong, Iraq confirm new coronavirus cases
Update 11 a.m. EST March 2: Health officials in Hong Kong and Iraq have confirmed two new cases each of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
As of 8 p.m. local time Monday, officials with Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection said they were investigating one new probable COVID-19 and confirmed a previously announced diagnosis. Along with the probable case, officials said 101 coronavirus infections have been seen in Hong Kong.
Officials with Iraq’s Health Ministry said two new COVID-19 cases were detected Monday in Baghdad, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 21, according to Reuters.
Two more schools closed in Washington amid coronavirus fears
Update 10:25 a.m. EST March 2: Two more schools in Washington state will be closed Monday as a result of the coronavirus, according to KIRO-TV.
The schools, Mariner High School and Discovery Elementary School, are in the Mukilteo School District. Officials with the school district said a parent of a Mariner student was diagnosed Sunday with COVID-19. Officials said the student wasn’t showing any symptoms of the coronavirus, but the student would be quarantined at home and monitored for two weeks as a precaution. Officials said the student also visited Discovery Elementary School last week.
#Breaking two more schools decided to close: Mariner and Discovery in Mukilteo SD. @KIRO7Seattle #Coronavirus
— Michelle Millman (@MichelleKIRO7) March 2, 2020
Several other schools in the state were also closed for deep cleaning and disinfection due to coronavirus fears.
New York governor holds briefing on state’s first coronavirus case
Update 9:55 a.m. EST March 2: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding a news conference Monday morning to discuss the state’s first confirmed case of COVID-19, the coronavirus.
Gov. Cuomo Holds Briefing on First Confirmed Case of Coronavirus in NYS https://t.co/F6m9DuHSkh
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 2, 2020
Trump to meet with pharmaceutical companies amid coronavirus outbreak
Update 9:45 a.m. EST March 2: President Donald Trump said in a tweet Monday that he plans to meet later in the day with pharmaceutical companies to discuss the progress toward a coronavirus vaccine.
Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and members of the White House’s Coronavrius Task Force are scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Monday, according to pool reports.
“Progress being made!” the President wrote.
I am meeting with the major pharmaceutical companies today at the White House about progress on a vaccine and cure. Progress being made!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2020
4 new coronavirus cases confirmed in UK
Update 9:20 a.m. EST March 2: England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, told the PA News Agency on Monday that four new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country.
The cases bring the total number of cases across the United Kingdom to 40, according to the news agency.
#Breaking Four more patients have tested positive for coronavirus in England, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 40, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said pic.twitter.com/IkjLBVIpaO
— PA Media (@PA) March 2, 2020
Singapore confirms 2 new coronavirus cases
Update 9:05 a.m. EST March 2: Officials with Singapore’s Ministry of Health confirmed two new cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus Monday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 108.
The first case confirmed Monday involved a 68-year-old Singaporean woman who tested positive for the virus Sunday afternoon. Officials said her case was linked to that of a 64-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus Feb. 26.
The second case involved a 34-year-old Filipino woman who was in Singapore on a work pass. Officials said her employer and at least one of the people she worked around were among those to test positive previously for coronavirus.
Global death toll tops 3,000
Update 6:46 a.m. EST March 2: The worldwide coronavirus death toll has topped 3,000, while the number of cases has reached 88,400, CNN is reporting.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the United States climbed to 89, according to the news outlet. They include 16 in California; 13 in Washington state; three in Illinois; two each in Florida, Rhode Island and Oregon; and one each in Massachusetts, Arizona, Wisconsin and New York. Another 44 U.S. cases were linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, while three others were linked to Wuhan, China, CNN reported.
Two people have died from the virus in Washington state, officials said.
6 patients with virus live at same nursing facility in Washington state
Update 6:21 a.m. EST March 2: Six people living at the same nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington, have tested positive for COVID-19.
Life Care Center is now ground zero in King County’s fight against the coronavirus as a man in his 70s died Saturday and a second person died Sunday from coronavirus. The deaths are linked to the facility.
A woman from Methow Valley came hoping she might be able to see her 89-year-old mother, a retired nurse, who is being rehabilitated at the facility.
“I did not expect to get in, no. They told me I wasn’t going to get in,” Kim Frey said.
However, she did and was given a mask before she was allowed in.
“Actually, I kinda was paying attention walking through and I didn’t hear any coughing. … It’s kind of quiet in there.” Frey said.
KIRO-TV asked her how her mother was doing and she responded: “She’s doing good. Yeah. She was, like I said, better than when she came in three weeks ago,” Frey said.
She said the family considered moving her because of the coronavirus but, “As long as she’s receiving good care here, you know, that’s what’s important,” Frey said.
Late Sunday afternoon, KIRO-TV watched medics in masks take a resident away by ambulance.
Life Care officials told KIRO-TV that seven residents with respiratory illnesses were being monitored.
All of this has hit the city of Kirkland hard.
Twenty-five firefighters based at Fire Station 21, a mile and a half from Life Care, are in quarantine.
Two police officers who accompanied them are quarantined, too.
So the city has opened its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate its response to the crisis.
“We are doing a number of things right now, including supporting our firefighters that are in quarantine, as well as making sure that we’re providing for staffing,” said Kellie Stickney, spokeswoman for the city of Kirkland.
KIRO-TV talked by telephone to a Life Care worker who is also under quarantine, and she said she is sick and being tested for coronavirus. However, she has not received the results back.
The city of Redmond is feeling the effects of the coronavirus and seven Redmond medics are now in quarantine, too.
Patient released from isolation in Texas later tested positive for virus, CDC says
Update 3:55 a.m. EST March 2: A novel coronavirus patient who had been quarantined in Texas after being evacuated from Wuhan, China, by the U.S. State Department tested positive for the virus after she was released from isolation, multiple news outlets are reporting.
In a Sunday news release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the patient, who had been held at a San Antonio facility for “several weeks,” was released after she “met the criteria for release, including two negative test results” for the virus. However, she was again put in isolation “after a pending, subsequent lab test came up positive for the virus that causes COVID-19,” the release said.
“The discharged patient had some contact with others while out of isolation, and CDC and local public health partners are following up to trace possible exposures and notify them of their potential risk,” the CDC said.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, about 12 other people came into contact with the patient at a hotel.
“The fact that the CDC allowed the public to be exposed to a patient with a positive COVID-19 reading is unacceptable,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Niremberg said in a statement. “We will hold the CDC accountable to providing complete transparency for the public.”
COVID-2019 (formerly Novel Coronavirus 2019)
Posted by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Sunday, March 1, 2020
Second case of deadly virus confirmed in Rhode Island
Update 10:54 p.m. EST March 1: A second person has tested presumptive positive for the new coronavirus in Rhode Island.
The case is a teenager who is at home with mild symptoms, state health officials said.
Press Release: RIDOH Announces Second Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Case; Testing a Third Individual https://t.co/R9dUwzkP4T
— RI Dept. of Health (@RIHEALTH) March 2, 2020
An adult in her 30s is also being tested for the deadly virus. She is a staff member at Achievement First Academy in Providence. The school will be closed for two days pending the test results.
The people with the latest two possible cases were on the same trip as the man in his 40s whose positive test was announced earlier Sunday.
Their trip to Europe in mid-February was organized by Saint Raphael Academy.
Florida confirms first two cases of deadly virus
Update 9:57 p.m. EST March 1: Two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Florida Sunday.
“Both individuals are isolated and being appropriately cared for,” health officials said in a statement.
Florida has 2 presumptive positive #COVID19 cases: one adult resident of Hillsborough County and one adult resident of Manatee County. Both individuals are isolated and being appropriately cared for.
— Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) March 2, 2020
The two presumptive positive cases include a Hillsborough County resident and a patient in Manatee County, health officials said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention still has to confirm the cases.
Second death confirmed in Washington state
Update 9:17 p.m. EST March 1: A second patient with coronavirus has died in Washington state, health officials said Sunday night.
Health officials also reported three more cases of the deadly virus in the state, bringing the total in Washington 13.
BREAKING: @SnoHD announces THIRD case of #coronovarius – this brings total number of cases in Washington State to 13, including two deaths – latest Snohomish County case nan in his 40s in critical @EvergreenHosp in Kirkland @KIRORadio #973FM pic.twitter.com/6t2Vj34pVa
— Hanna Scott (@HannaKIROFM) March 2, 2020
New York state confirms first case of virus
Update 9:03 p.m. EST March 1: A woman in her late 30s who had recently traveled to Iran is New York state’s first confirmed case of coronavirus, officials said Sunday.
The woman shows respiratory symptoms but is not considered to be in a serious condition, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She is isolated at home in Manhattan and has been in controlled environments since she arrived in New York, officials said.
“There is no cause for surprise — this was expected,” Cuomo said in a statement. “As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York.”
We have learned of the 1st positive case of COVID-19 in NY. The patient contracted the virus while in Iran & is isolated
There is no reason for undue anxiety—the general risk remains low in NY. We are diligently managing this situation &will provide info as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/rLnObvrg3R
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 2, 2020
California county declares state of emergency over deadly virus
Update 7:03 p.m. EST March 1: After two health care workers tested positive for the coronavirus in California, county officials are declaring a state of emergency in Alameda County.
Alameda County is declaring a state of emergency to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, officials say.
— Soumya (@skarlamangla) March 1, 2020
The two cases are pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The people are health care workers at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital who were exposed to the virus by a patient hospitalized at the University of California Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, according to a release. Both of the hospital workers are in isolation at home.
the official release pic.twitter.com/yr7sEpA6va
— Soumya (@skarlamangla) March 1, 2020
Health officials believe other health care workers who came in contact with the patient could also contract the virus and have been isolated or quarantined. They will not return to care for patients until they have been cleared.
“This underscores the challenging environment that health care workers everywhere face to stem the spread of communicable diseases,” Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County health officer, said in a statement.
Alameda County declared a public health emergency in an effort to get access to additional resources.
Infections rise in Italy: 5 more people dead from virus
Update 1:38 p.m. EST March 1: Italian authorities said Sunday five more people have died from the coronavirus, boosting the death total to 34 since the first case of the virus was reported Feb. 21. According to The Associated Press, the number of people infected in Italy has jumped 40% in 24 hours, with 1,576 cases.
Delta suspends flights from New York to Milan
Update 1:04 p.m. EST March 1: Delta Air Lines announced Sunday it will suspend its daily international flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Milan’s Malpensa Airport for two months, the carrier said on its website.
The move, which takes effect early this week, is in response to the U.S. Department of State’s elevated travel advisory, which was raised to Level 4 on Sunday because of the spread of coronavirus cases in northern Italy.
Delta said it last eastbound flight from New York to Milan will depart Monday, while the final flight from Milan to New York will depart Tuesday. Service to and from Milan will resume May 1 and second, respectively, airline officials said.
Delta’s daily flights between Rome and both JFK in New York and Atlanta continue to operate as scheduled.
Rhode Island confirms first case of virus, health officials say
Update 9:44 a.m. EST March 1: The Rhode Island Department of Health announced the state’s first presumptive positive case of coronavirus Sunday morning, WFXT reported.
Health officials reported the person is in their 40s and had traveled to Italy in mid-February.
Fear of virus causes Louvre to close doors
Update 8:49 a.m. EST March 1: Fearing the spread of the coronavirus, officials at France’s Louvre Museum decided to close Sunday, The Associated Press reported. More than 2,300 people work at the museum in Paris,
A record 10.2 million people visited the museum during 2019, the BBC reported. During 2018, nearly 75% of the museum’s visitors were foreigners, the network reported.
“We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere,” Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers, told the AP. “The risk is very, very, very great. It’s only a question of time,” before one of the workers is diagnosed with the virus.
2 dozen first responders quarantined for possible coronavirus in Washington state
Update 6:42 a.m. EST March 1: Two dozen emergency workers in Washington state are off the job as they are being monitored for possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Earlier Saturday evening, KIRO-TV was told it was seven fighters but that number climbed to 25, adding two police officers who are being quarantined.
Fire station 21 in Kirkland has a sign up tell people to keep out, including firefighters based there.
Each firefighter is believed to have possibly come in contact with the coronavirus cases at Life Care Center, a nursing facility in Kirkland. There are two confirmed cases of the virus there, and dozens of residents are reporting symptoms that might suggest the illness, health officials said.
Now the situation has resources being stretched thin.
To keep families safe during the public health crisis, KIRO-TV was told the department will be relying on neighboring firefighters should anything huge happen.
“We have excellent relationships with our regional fire departments, and we’re making sure we have all the conversations in place, so if we need assistance from our partners, that can be provided,” said Kellie Stickney, with the city of Kirkland.
The partnerships may soon include Kirkland police.
In downtown Kirkland, coronavirus has been the talk of the town.
“I’m not sure if we know how it’s been transmitted here, but I do hope we can keep it under control,” visitor Casey Dishman said.
Health works have insisted that none of the quarantined emergency workers have shown any symptoms and said it is just a necessary precaution.
This comes two weeks after Kirkland Fire posted job listings for rescuers.
USPS employee in Washington state tests positive for coronavirus
Update 1:12 a.m. EST March 1: Seattle’s KIRO-TV found out Saturday evening that an area U.S. Postal Service employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
A corporate communications spokesperson said that the employee who works at a Seattle network distribution center located in Federal Way, Washington.
The network distribution center is a mail processing plant that distributes USPS marketing mail and package services in piece and bulk form and does not handle letter mail. No mail is delivered from the facility.
The spokesperson said USPS has been consulting with the county health department and was informed that the risk to other employees is low.
KIRO was also told that USPS will continue to follow the recommended strategies from county and federal health officials.
BREAKING: KIRO 7 found out Saturday evening that a local U.S. Postal Service employee tested positive for the coronavirus. >> https://t.co/Dwo2qWPFO1
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) March 1, 2020
China coronavirus death toll rises after 35 more people die
Update 10:45 p.m. EST Feb. 29: Another 35 people stricken with coronavirus have died in China.
The country recorded 573 new virus cases and 35 more deaths in 24 hours through midnight Saturday, according to the National Health Commission.
That raised the total for the country to 2,870 deaths and 79,834 cases.
South Korea is the second hardest-hit country after China.
There were a reported 376 new cases Sunday morning, raising its total to 3,526. Most of those cases are in the city of Daegu and nearby areas.
Travel restrictions elevated for Italy, South Korea
Update 2:10 p.m. EST Feb. 29: At a news conference Saturday afternoon, President Donald Trump said the coronavirus is “a tough one,” but that a “lot of progress has been made.”
Trump added that additional cases of coronavirus “are likely,” but added that “healthy people should be able to recover.”
“We’ve taken the most aggressive actions to confront the coronavirus,” Trump said.
Trump authorized new restrictions on people who have traveled to Iran, and additional screening of those coming from Italy and South Korea.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence passed along their condolences to the family of the woman in King County, Washington, who became the first person in the United States to die from the virus.
Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there was no evidence that the woman’s death was linked to travel.
Trump also issued a plea to politicians and media members to “not do anything to incite a panic.”
Pence, who was put in charge of the coronavirus task by Trump, said travel restrictions to Iran to include any foreign nationals who have visited the country over the past 14 days.
Pence also said the travel advisories to Italy and South Korea have been elevated to level 4.
Washington health officials confirm first death in state
Update 1:10 p.m. EST Feb. 29: The Washington Department of Health confirmed Saturday the first coronavirus-related death in Washington state, according to a news release.
It is the first confirmed death in the United States.
Health officials said there are new King County cases in addition to the two new cases confirmed Friday evening, KIRO-TV reported.
The department is hosting a news conference at 1 p.m. local time to provide further details.
South Korea officials report 813 new cases; wife of U.S. soldier infected
Update 10:03 a.m. EST Feb. 29: South Korean officials reported 813 new cases of the coronavirus Saturday, bringing its total to 3,150, The New York Times reported. South Korea has the largest number of confirmed cases of the virus outside mainland China, the newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, U.S. military officials said Saturday the spouse of an American soldier infected with the virus also tested positive for it, the Times reported. The U.S. has more than 28,000 personnel in South Korea, the newspaper reported.
The woman had been in self-quarantine since Wednesday after she learned of her husband’s diagnosis, and she was taken to a military hospital, the Times reported.
French Health Officials: ‘We are preparing for an epidemic’
Update 6:47 a.m. EST Feb. 29: France confirmed 19 additional cases of coronavirus late Friday, The Washington Post reported. That brings the total in the European country to 57, and health officials cautioned an epidemic was now imminent.
“We are preparing for an epidemic,” French Health Minister Olivier Véran said. He added that “we are now moving to stage two. The virus is circulating in our country and we must stop its spread.”
On Friday, France’s Le Monde newspaper, citing airport security officials, said one airport worker who lives in the Val d’Oise region tested positive for the virus, the Post said.
Officials in Washington state announce two new coronavirus cases.
Update 11:20 p.m. EST Feb. 28: Washington state health officials announced two new coronavirus cases Friday night, a woman who had recently traveled to South Korea and a high school student with no known exposure to the disease whose school will be closed and sanitized.
Neither people were seriously ill, authorities said.
The high school student attends Jackson High School in Everett, Washington, said Dr. Chris Spitters of the Snohomish County Health District. The student had not traveled recently, and authorities were unsure how that person contracted the disease.
The other case in Washington was a woman in in King County in her 50s who had recently traveled to South Korea, authorities said. She is also currently quarantined at home.
#BREAKING: another presumptive positive #coronavirus #COVID-19 case in King County. This woman traveled to South Korea recently. @KIRO7Seattle
— Deedee Sun (@DeedeeKIRO7) February 29, 2020
Report: Presumptive 3rd Case confirmed in patient with no travel history linked to virus
Update 9:30 p.m. EST Feb. 28: Oregon Governor Kate Brown has confirmed what is believed to be the first case of coronavirus in Oregon.
The patient, who lives in Washington County, had no contact with anyone with the virus and has not traveled.
We’re discussing the state’s first presumed case of novel #coronavirus, COVID-19, in an individual living in the state: https://t.co/h0WSoqKuNN #Oregon pic.twitter.com/JkCDTTbYsA
— OR Health Authority (@OHAOregon) February 29, 2020
“The case was not a person under monitoring or a person under investigation. The individual had neither a history of travel to a country where the virus was circulating, nor is believed to have had a close contact with another confirmed case — the two most common sources of exposure,” the Oregon Health Authority said in a statement.
The Lake Oswego School District sent a robocall to parents saying that Forest Hills Elementary will be closed until Wednesday so it can be deep-cleaned by maintenance workers.
Initial testing done in Oregon came back positive. Officials are referring to the case as “presumptive” until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the results.
Report: 2nd Case confirmed in patient with no travel history linked to virus
Update 4:20 p.m. EST Feb. 28: A 65-year-old resident of Santa Clara County is the second case of community transmission of coronavirus. The patient has no known travel history to areas hit by the outbreak.
The second case, reported by The Washington Post, said that there was no known connection between the latest patient and anyone else diagnosed with the virus.
Stocks sink again on Wall Street
Update 4:20 p.m. EST Feb. 28: Stocks sank again after another wild day, extending a rout that left Wall Street with its worst week since October 2008. The market clawed back much of its intraday losses in the last 15 minutes of trading. Bond prices soared as investors sought safety, pushing yields to record lows. The stock swoon is being driven by fear that the coronavirus outbreak will derail the global economy.
Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 357 points, or 1.4%, to 25,409. The S&P 500 lost 24 points, or 0.8%, to 2,954. The benchmark index has lost 13% since hitting a record high 10 days ago. The Nasdaq rose 1 point to 8,567.
Number of positive cases climbs in Italy, US
Update 1:40 p.m. EST Feb. 28:Italian Civil Protection Agency officials said there are 821 cases of coronavirus. Of that number, 412 of the people have shown no symptoms and are in isolation at their homes, CNN reported. The agency also announced 21 people have died. They were in their 70s and 80s with other illnesses, according to CNN.
As for the United States, there are now 62 confirmed cases, the CDC said in a press briefing. Forty-four came from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, three are repatriated from China and the remaining 15 are US-specific cases, CNN reported.
WHO: 20+ vaccines in development
Update 11:21 a.m. EST Feb. 28: The World health organization has announced that there are more than 20 vaccines in development and treatments for coronavirus. They are in clinical trials and officials hope to see results in a few weeks, CNN reported.
The WHO also said that they consider the spread and risk of COVID-19 is at a high level, but have yet to declare it a pandemic. Most cases are being contributed to known contact or clusters and that the virus does not seem to be spreading freely, according to CNN.
? “Our epidemiologists have been monitoring these developments continuously, and we have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of #COVID19 to very high at a global level”-@DrTedros #coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 28, 2020
But the bigger threat than the virus itself is the fear the outbreak is creating, The Washington Post reported.
Mexico has first cases
Update 10:20 a.m. EST Feb. 28: Mexico has two cases of COVID-19, the country’s assistant health secretary said, according to ABC News.
One case, which is confirmed, is in Mexico City, the other suspected case is in Sinaloa. While the test results haven’t come back in the second yet, officials are treating the patient as if it was positive, ABC News reported.
Both cases are reportedly not serious.
Meanwhile, the illness is spreading in Singapore, as the country now says there are 98 cases, CNN reported.
Stocks open lower to finish week
Update 10 a.m. EST Feb. 28: The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 800 points shortly after the opening bell to start the final day of trading this week, CNBC reported.
The Dow isn’t the only index to feel the effects of the coronavirus. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both open down.
Events canceled, virus spreads to sub-Saharan Africa
Update 6:30 a.m. EST Feb 28: South Korea’s number of infected has jumped. Now officials say an additional 571 people have tested positive for Coronavirus, CNN reported. A total of 2,337 cases have been diagnosed, the most outside of mainland China, CNN reported.
Events are being canceled as the virus continues to have a hold on most of the world.
One of the world’s biggest car shows, the Geneva Motor Show, has been canceled because of coronavirus. More than 600,000 people were supposed to attend the event starting on March 2, CNN reported.
The Swiss government has banned any events that have more than 1,000 expected to attend. The ban is in effect until March 15.
Tokyo Disneyland has closed because of the virus. The gates will remain closed for two weeks. Both of Tokyo’s Disney parks, Disneyland and DisneySea, are planned to reopen on March 15, but it could be closed longer, NBC News reported.
Lithuania now has its first confirmed case. The woman, who has mild symptoms, is in isolation at a hospital and her three family members are being monitored, CNN reported.
France has two new infections, bringing its total to 40.
Sub-Saharan Africa has had its first case with a person in Nigeria has tested positive. The person, who is an Italian citizen, traveled from Milan to Lagos earlier this week. Nigeria is Africa’s largest populated country with more than 200 million. Officials are trying to determine who came in contact with the person and are taking measures to make sure it doesn’t spread, The New York Times reported.
US Navy quarantine
Update 12 a.m. EST Feb. 28: The US Navy has ordered the self-quarantine of all ships that have been to countries in the Pacific and to monitor for any symptoms, CNN reported.
But as of the order, there were no signs that anyone on the ships has become infected.
The ships are to remain at sea for 14 days. The quarantine comes after a planned exercise with South Korea was suspended because of the outbreak, CNN reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
