The United States will be banning travel from the United Kingdom and Ireland beginning Monday at midnight, Vice President Pence announced during a news conference Saturday afternoon.



Citizens and legal residents will still be allowed to return home, Pence said.

The U.S. has previously announced a ban on flights covered only the Schengen area, the European Union’s border-free travel zone, a 26-nation region that does not include Britain or Ireland.

President Trump said the administration was considering domestic travel restrictions for some hot spots.

Trump also told reporters he was tested for the novel coronavirus Friday night, but did not reveal the results and said he did not know when he would get them.

Across the globe, governments are placing mounting limitations on international and domestic travel, large social gatherings and hospital and nursing home visitations as the coronavirus epidemic has extended its tendrils into halls of power and brought public life to a near halt.

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Here are some other significant developments:

Spain is now reporting the second most cases in Europe after confirming about 1,500 more infections, bringing the national total to 5,753.

Italian Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, as the country remains on a near-total lockdown.

Apple, one of the world’s largest companies, will close all retail stores outside of China until March 27 in an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

England reports 10 new deaths as New York sees its first.

The Pentagon announced new domestic travel restrictions for service members and their families to help contain the outbreak, saying in a memo that virtually all trips must be put on hold through May 11.

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10:28 p.m.

Trump says he’s been tested for coronavirus, does not have results yet

President Trump has been tested for the coronavirus, but said he didn’t know when he’d have the results.

But Trump said he had just had his temperature taken and joked that he’d compare his result with the press in the room – the reporters would not have been allowed in if they’d had an elevated temperature.

As Trump was leaving the briefing room, the reporters asked him what his temperature was.

Trump turned back and said, “Totally normal.”

Trump’s announcement that he’d been tested came as a surprise after days of his reluctance to do so. Over night the White House even released a letter from the president’s doctor saying that he didn’t need to be tested despite his close contact with two infected individuals.

By William Wan and Colby Itkowitz

9:53 p.m.

Trump is breaking every rule in the CDC’s 450-page playbook for health crisis

Amid an outbreak where vaccines, drug treatments and even sufficient testing don’t yet exist, communication that is delivered early, accurately and credibly is the strongest medicine in the government’s arsenal.

But the Trump administration’s zigzagging, defensive, inconsistent messages about the novel coronavirus continued Friday, breaking almost every rule in the book and eroding the most powerful weapon officials possess: Public trust.

Read more here.





9:50 p.m.



White House to check temperature of anyone who interacts with Trump, Pence; doctor says president doesn’t need test

After Trump was in contact with now two individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House announced Saturday that it would begin testing the temperatures of any person who comes into contact with the president or vice president.

This news comes several hours after the White House doctor said in a memo that Trump would not be tested for the virus, despite his interaction with the two people with confirmed infections and that others who interacted with the same individuals had voluntarily self quarantined.

At his news conference Friday afternoon, Trump, after being asked several times, relented to say he’d “most likely” get tested “fairly soon.” But a memo later came from Sean P. Conley, the White House doctor, who wrote: “The President’s exposure to the first individual was extremely limited (photograph, handshake), and though he spent more time in close proximity to the second case, all interactions occurred before any symptom onset.

“These interactions would be categorized as LOW risk for transmission per CDC guidelines, and as such, there is no indication for home quarantine at this time,” Conley added.

The doctor said he would be monitoring Trump, but unless the president exhibits symptoms he will not need to be tested.

Conley’s advice is in direct conflict with that of Anthony S. Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director, who has said if anyone who comes in contact with an infected person, they should isolate themselves.

On Saturday morning, Trump tweeted: “SOCIAL DISTANCING,” after backslapping and handshaking people during his televised news conference the day before.

By Colby Itkowitz

9:29 p.m.

Grocery stores closing early because of coronavirus shopping

Grocery stores are altering their business hours to adjust to the influx of shoppers stocking up on goods under the new coronavirus national emergency.



Harris Teeter announced Saturday that starting Sunday it will close its doors to customers at 9 p.m. each night indefinitely. The closures will allow store locations to clean and restock, that company tweeted. The North Carolina-based chain, which has stores in the Washington area, had some stores that were open until midnight, while others were open 24 hours.

Publix, a Florida-based chain, announced that stores and pharmacies will start closing at 8 p.m. until further notice in an effort to “better serve our customers, give our store teams time to conduct additional preventive sanitation and restock product on our shelves.”

Publix and Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain by revenue, have also placed limits on certain products, including sanitary items, cleaning supplies and flu and cold medications.

Whole Foods announced it was suspending food sampling in its stores and working to expand its ability to deliver groceries for free to Amazon Prime members, reported Yahoo News. Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.

By Lateshia Beachum and Katie Mettler

8:44 p.m.

New York sees first death from covid-19: An 82-year-old Manhattan woman with emphysema

New York is reporting its first death related to covid-19, an 82-year-old woman in Manhattan, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) told reporters during a conference call Saturday morning, according to multiple news reports.

The woman, whose name was not released, died Friday. She had emphysema, Cuomo said, citing the condition as a contributing factor in her death.

"If you are 82 years old and you have emphysema and you get the flu, you are in a serious position,” the governor said.

Cuomo has repeatedly stressed that the elderly and those in assisted-living facilities are most at risk from the disease, which as of Saturday has been confirmed in more than 400 cases statewide.

By Kim Bellware





8:36 p.m.

England reports 10 new deaths, patients in ‘at-risk groups’

Ten more people died Saturday from coronavirus in Britain, nearly doubling the country’s death toll to 21, while 1,140 across the United Kingdom have tested positive, according to Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty.



“All 10 individuals were in the at-risk groups,” Whitty said in a statement, according to the London-based Independent. He added, “The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives and protect the most vulnerable.”

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued new guidelines urging anyone showing any symptoms of the virus to self-isolate for at least seven days. His government has, so far, resisted calls to close schools or impose large-scale social-distancing measures, such as those being used in the United States and elsewhere, saying that these measures could be enacted in the future depending on guidance by medical experts.

England’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, defended the government’s plans on Friday, saying some exposure could create “herd immunity” in the population.

“What we don’t want is everybody to end up getting it in a short period of time so we swamp and overwhelm NHS services — that’s the flattening of the peak,” Vallance told BBC Radio 4, the Guardian reported.

As the number of cases and fatalities grow, however, the United Kingdom is expected to announce a ban on large gatherings, possibly this coming week. On Saturday, a baby tested positive for the virus, becoming what’s believed to be the youngest patient in the United Kingdom. The mother had arrived in a north London hospital days before with a suspected case of pneumonia, the Guardian reported.

By Miriam Berger

8:17 p.m.



Italy’s deputy health minister tests positive

Italian Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, as the country remains on near-total lockdown aimed at stemming the spread of the virus.



Italian lawmakers also agreed Saturday on health-control measures for workplaces and factories that have been allowed to remain open as emergency measures, Reuters reported.

Northern Italy has been struggling to contain the virus as hospitals are stretched to their limits.

Rome has requested more masks and other protective gear from Europe, using a special European Union measure. However, no E.U. member has yet to respond, according to the London-based Financial Times. Instead, as European countries have moved to close borders and restrict movement, China has sent help: a nine-person delegation from China’s Red Cross is in Rome, after landing there Thursday to meet with staff at the infectious diseases hospital in Italy’s capital.

The team from China brought with it 31 tons of supplies, including face masks and ventilators, according to the Financial Times.

The decision to step in has provided a public relations boost to embattled Beijing, which is seeking to rebrand itself as helping the world battle the virus that originated in China. Critics say the country’s leaders originally hid information about the novel coronavirus, helping it to spread beyond its original epicenter in Wuhan.

By Miriam Berger

8:02 p.m.

Around 40 percent of infected Americans will be at higher risk for serious covid-19 illness, study finds

About 41 percent of Americans have a higher risk of developing serious illness if infected with the new coronavirus, according to a survey released Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The nearly 106 million Americans who would face medical difficulties include those over age 60 and people with underlying health conditions. The study echoes the at-risk populations as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it also provides context about the portion of the population that would be greatly affected should they become infected with covid-19.

For instance, at least 72 percent of adults over 60 could develop serious illness if infected. Infection of the new coronavirus could also spell financial disaster for those who are uninsured.

Researchers found that 5.7 million adults in the country who are at a higher risk of serious ailment from the virus are also uninsured. That’s nearly four million adults under age 60 and almost two million people between 60 and 64, according to the survey.

Researchers noted that the size of those likely to be impacted by the virus is likely to change as more people test positive for it and as more information becomes available about the progression of illness and treatment of those who become seriously ill from it. The current estimates, however, enforce the need to take “unprecedented efforts” to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus, the survey stated.

By Lateshia Beachum





7:42 p.m.

Japan’s prime minister says there’s no need to declare an emergency

© REUTERS/Issei Kato Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference on Japan's response to the coronavirus outbreak at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato Japan’s prime minister said Saturday that the country does not need to declare a state of emergency and will instead continue to prepare for the 2020 Summer Olympics, set to kick off in July in Tokyo.

“At this point, we’re not in a situation in which I need to declare a state of emergency,” Shinzo Abe said at a news conference Saturday, Japan’s Kyodo News reported.

Japan’s parliament passed legislation Friday allowing Abe to declare an emergency to combat the virus that causes the deadly covid-19 disease.

Globally, countries have been suspending sports games amid worries over large crowds gathering and spreading the virus. This has brought the Olympic Games into question. On Friday, President Trump urged Abe to delay the Olympics, after which the two leaders spoke by phone.

“We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC (International Olympic Committee). There is no change in this,” Abe said, according to AFP. “We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections.”

Abe’s administration has come under fire for its handling of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was held in quarantine in a Japanese port for weeks as the virus spread onboard and ultimately infected around 700 people.

Japan has more than 700 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 21 deaths.

By Miriam Berger

7:35 p.m.



Spain confirms roughly 1,500 more coronavirus cases, shuts down much of Madrid

Spanish officials confirmed roughly 1,500 new cases of coronavirus Saturday, bringing the national total to 5,753, the highest European tally outside Italy.

The steep uptick came a day after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared an official 15-day state of emergency and all restaurants, bars and theaters closed in Madrid, the epicenter of coronavirus infections in the country.

Madrid’s parks and public squares, key gathering spots in Spanish social life, will close as of 4 p.m. local time Saturday, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced via Twitter.

Those types of restrictions were extended throughout the country as Spanish authorities struggled to contain a rapidly spreading virus.

From March 16, the Spanish government will suspend the appointment service for issuing government IDs such as passports, and officials ordered the closure for 14 days of all nonessential establishments in the Murcia region in southeast Spain.

Holy Week celebrations were likewise canceled in Seville because of the risk of spreading covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to local news outlets.

Schools and universities have also been shut down for two weeks as the government enacts increasingly urgent containment measures following an initially slow response to the crisis.

Sanchez approved €18 billion ($20 billion) in aid to combat the spread of the coronavirus but warned the Spanish public on Friday that the worst was yet to come.

“We are only in the first stage of fighting the virus,” Sanchez said Friday. “We can expect very tough weeks ahead. We will reach 10,000 infected next week.”

7:07 p.m.



Tony-winning actress asks musical students to share videos of performances cancelled by virus

Tony award-winning actress Laura Benanti wants high school musical performers to get the audiences they won’t have as schools across the country have canceled productions because of the novel coronavirus.

Benanti took to her Instagram and Twitter accounts Friday to encourage students to tag videos of themselves using #sunshinesongs. She called the cancellations “a bummer” and said her own high school performances were a “life saver” for her while growing up.

“If you would like to sing a song that you are not going to get to sing now and tag me, I want to see you. I want to hear it,” she said.

Benanti, who said her own gigs have been canceled because of the virus, signed off her post with, “Sending all my love and black market toilet paper.”

Hundreds of students and their parents have replied to Benanti’s social media posts with songs from Broadway favorites such as “Once on This Island” and “Mamma Mia!” Benanti won a 2008 Tony award for her supporting role in “Gypsy” and has played Melania Trump on the “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” since 2016.

By Lateshia Beachum

7:05 p.m.

Congo shared wrong information about first coronavirus case

Congo initially released incorrect information about its first coronavirus case this week, underscoring the challenges the virus poses to the war-torn central African country, which until February had been battling the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak.

A spokesperson for the Health Ministry first told reporters Tuesday that the country’s case was a Belgian national detected at the airport and quarantined in a suburb of the capital, Kinshasa, Reuters reported.

The ministry later backtracked, clarifying that it was a Congolese citizen who, two days after returning from France, contacted health services and was then quarantined at a hospital in a different Kinshasa suburb.

The misstep earned a rebuke from Congo’s president, Félix Tshisekedi, at a cabinet meeting Friday, according to Reuters. The DRC’s Health Minister Eteni Longondo maintained that authorities were equipped to hand the virus but lamented “the panic that overcame the population following an inappropriate communication,” according to a summary of the cabinet meeting cited by Reuters.

The mineral-rich country, Africa’s second-largest, has been beset by decades of war and humanitarian crises that have killed and displaced millions of Congolese. Years of corrupt and authoritarian rule in the former Belgian colony have also ravaged the country’s health-care system.

Further compounding Congo’s troubles, the country has been a hot spot for Ebola: The latest outbreak in eastern Congo killed over 2,000 people from August 2018 until mid-February, when it was largely contained.

Still, the World Health Organization ruled in February to continue to classify the Ebola outbreak as “a public health emergency of international concern,” and warned the country required continued funding to prevent a resurgence.

Neighboring Rwanda confirmed its first coronavirus case on Saturday, the 19th country on the continent to do so.

By Miriam Berger

6:14 p.m.

House passes coronavirus economic relief package with Trump’s support

The House overwhelmingly passed an economic relief bill early Saturday for the coronavirus, dedicating tens of billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing and other measures to help Americans impacted by the crisis.

Hours after the vote, the president praised the “good teamwork” between the parties.

The 363-40 vote — gaveled down just before 1 a.m. — capped two days of volatile negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that threatened to fall apart entirely for hours Friday amid GOP misgivings. But even after President Trump criticized House Democrats at an afternoon news conference Pelosi and Mnuchin kept at it, speaking by phone 13 times in the course of the day Friday and finally clinching a deal.

Not long thereafter Trump endorsed the legislation over Twitter, ensuring widespread GOP support.

“This Bill will follow my direction for free CoronaVirus tests, and paid sick leave for our impacted American workers,” Trump wrote, adding that he was directing Cabinet secretaries to issue regulations ensuring small businesses would not be hurt by mandates in the bill.

“I encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES! I will always put the health and well-being of American families FIRST,” the president wrote. “Look forward to signing the final Bill, ASAP!”

The House vote sends the legislation to the Senate, which is expected to pass it next week after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled a planned recess so senators could act on the issue. All of the “no” votes Saturday came from Republicans, while one lawmaker — Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) — voted “present.”

Read more here.

5:33 p.m.

Apple to temporarily close all stores outside China

Apple, one of the world’s largest companies, will close all retail stores outside of China until March 27 in an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, chief executive Tim Cook announced Friday.



“The most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” Cook said in a letter posted to the company’s website. “As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers.”

The extraordinary move will affect hundreds of stores in roughly two-dozen countries, including more than 250 in the United States. The decision came the same day that Apple announced all of its stores in China had reopened after being shuttered for weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak in Hubei Province, the original epicenter of the global pandemic.

Apple’s hourly employees will continue to receive pay “in alignment with business as usual operations,” Cook said. The company has expanded its leave policies to accommodate people who are recovering from covid-19, caring for a sick person, or undergoing mandatory quarantine, according to the letter. Childcare related to school closures will be covered as well.

Online stores will remain open, and customer support will still be available, according to Cook.

In Apple’s offices outside China, the company is encouraging employees to work remotely if their job allows it. Apple is also conducting health screenings and temperature checks at its offices and “deep cleaning” all sites, Cook said.

Additionally, Cook announced that Apple would match employee donations to covid-19 response efforts two-to-one. As of Friday, he said, Apple’s committed donations reached $15 million worldwide.

5:26 p.m.

Russia announces closure of land borders with Poland and Norway

As of midnight Saturday, Russia will close its land borders with Norway and Poland in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced Saturday morning.

The border closure — which follows Russia’s earlier closure of its Chinese border — will only apply to foreigners who attempt to enter “for professional, private, study or tourist reasons,” Mishustin said. Russian residents, Belarusians and official delegation members would be exempted from the ban, he added.

Russia has officially confirmed 47 cases of the coronavirus as of Saturday, but no deaths.

By James McAuley

5:19 p.m.

These federal workers deal with the public. They’ve been exposed to the coronavirus.

When Alexander Spain, a supervisor with the Transportation Security Administration, was told Tuesday to self-quarantine and not report to work at San Jose International Airport, he was not surprised.

A screener he supervises, who checks IDs and boarding passes, had been sick for weeks and then tested positive for the coronavirus. Spain, 58, was told to remain at home but said he was given no instructions for how to self-quarantine. So Spain said he “went out to grab food twice. I stopped at a Chinese food restaurant and got some quick bites from 7-Eleven.”

On Thursday, the day he was scheduled to return to work, Spain called his supervisors in the morning, asking how to get tested for the virus. “They acted like I was speaking French,” he said in an interview.

Spain’s experience mirrors what federal workers across the country who deal with the public are saying about the lack of direction, protocols and protective gear they need from their agencies. They fear these failures may cause them to become ill and spread the virus not only in the United States but across the globe.

The federal government has hundreds of thousands of workers who come in daily contact with the public — workplace inspectors, mail carriers, hospital workers, park rangers, passport processors, Social Security representatives, museum workers.

Workers and union representatives from six different agencies — including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — said in interviews, emails and text messages with The Washington Post that Spain’s experience is not unique. They or their co-workers also have been exposed to the virus and say their supervisors are not giving proper guidance or support.

Read the rest of the story here.

5:04 p.m.

The tale of a Nile cruise that spawned an international coronavirus outbreak

LUXOR, Egypt — By the time Egyptian health authorities learned about the coronavirus case on the Nile cruise ship, the infections had spread around the world.

As long ago as late January, a Taiwanese American passenger on the MS Asara was carrying the novel coronavirus, health officials said. But the vessel would make at least four more cruises, and at least 12 crew members would turn out to be infected. Some or all of them had worked on the cruises in February and early March, said a crew member under quarantine and a senior health official in Luxor.

Hundreds of foreign passengers, including dozens of Americans, and Egyptians were potentially exposed to the virus between mid-February and early March — a dramatic illustration of how, from a single, overlooked infection, the novel coronavirus could swiftly multiply and be carried across the globe.

At least six Americans infected aboard the Asara returned to Maryland, according to Gov. Larry Hogan, potentially seeding their communities with the virus. Twelve others have reportedly tested positive in the Houston area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is contacting dozens of other Americans who were aboard the Asara in February to test them or ask them to self-quarantine.

Even after Egyptian health authorities were notified March 1 that the Taiwanese American woman had been carrying the virus while on the Asara and may have infected others on the ship, the vessel set sail on March 5 on yet another cruise while Egyptian health officials awaited the results of tests on the crew.

By then, an American travel agency that books Nile cruises had been told by the CDC that Americans on an earlier cruise of the Asara may have been infected. The travel agency, Gate 1, contacted the boat operator and the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, according to the company’s vice president for marketing, Marty Seslow. Gate 1 was informed that all the crew had tested negative for the virus, Seslow said.

“We were given information that no one was sick and everyone was fine,” Seslow said. “Within 24 hours, we were told dozens were sick.”

Read the rest of the story here.





3:09 p.m.



Taiwan says travelers from 27 European countries and Dubai must isolate themselves for 14 days upon arrival Taiwan Saturday said that people who have traveled to 27 European countries, including Britain and Ireland, in the previous 14 days must quarantine themselves at home for two weeks days upon arriving on the island.







People who arrive from these countries but do not have housing in Taiwan will be quarantined in government-run facilities, for which they will be charged.





The new rule also applies to people who have been to or transited through Dubai, a major air hub for Emirates airline, Taiwan's Ministry of Health announced Saturday.





The rules will take effect from March 17.





The announcement came after Taiwan said Saturday reported three more coronavirus infections, all in people who had arrived from European countries. Two of them were Taiwanese nationals and the other was Dutch, local media reported. A total of 53 cases have been found in Taiwan, although 20 people have been treated and released from hospital. One person has died.





At the same time, Taiwan Saturday raised the alert level for travel to all 27 European countries and Dubai to Level 3, advising citizens against any unnecessary travel.





By Derek Hawkins





3:07 p.m.



Bexar County suspends jury duty for the next month



Texas’s fourth-largest county is postponing trials and has suspended jury duty for one month as officials there try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.



Starting Monday, all jury trials in Bexar County will be suspended through April 16, according to a memo by Judge Ron Rangel, a head administrative judge and presiding judge of the state’s 379th District Court.







“Any jury summons received for those dates should be disregarded,” the memo read, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. “Summoned individuals will not be penalized for not appearing to jury duty during these dates. In the interim, we will continue to monitor the spread of the virus and notify the public of any updates.”





Some cases that are approaching statutory deadlines will be prioritized, and the courthouse will continue to operate, KENS 5 reported.





Rangel also asked courts and judges to reduce their dockets and make sure they had no more than 15 cases set.





“We want to limit the amount of individuals in the courtroom,” he wrote.





A local defense attorney, Joseph Hoelscher criticized the move, saying it would delay justice for victims and defendants.





“On the criminal side, it means people who are on bond or waiting for justice, aren’t going to get a resolution in their cases until this is resolved,” Hoelscher told KENS 5.





San Antonio, the Bexar County seat, confirmed its first travel-related coronavirus case on Friday, prompting officials to declare a public health emergency and announce a ban on gatherings of 500 or more people for the next week.





By Derek Hawkins



2:44 p.m.



Saudi Arabia suspends international flights



Saudi Arabia is suspending all international flights for two weeks starting Sunday to control the coronavirus outbreak, the state news agency SPA reported Saturday.



The Saudi government will consider the period an “exceptional official holiday” for people who can’t return to the country because of other flight suspensions or quarantine orders, SPA reported, citing an official source from the Ministry of Interior. Health exams, isolation and other preventive measures will be put in place for people returning from abroad, according to the news agency. Saudi Arabia has reported 86 confirmed cases of covid-19 and no deaths since the outbreak began.

By Derek Hawkins

2:34 p.m.

Getting through the coronavirus outbreak, one song at a time

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — If there’s one heartening thing about these strange days of “social distancing,” it’s the way people are sharing music as a way to stay connected. Social media has exploded with videos of Italians singing together, but separately, from their apartment balconies.

Now cellist Yo-Yo Ma has added his talents to the mix, posting “Songs Of Comfort” on Twitter and Instagram .

“In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort. The first of my #SongsOfComfort: Dvořák — “Going Home,”” he wrote on Twitter. “Stay safe.”

By Anna Fifield

1:16 p.m.



Apple to temporarily close all stores outside China Apple will close all retail stores outside of China until March 27 in an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, chief executive Tim Cook announced Friday.

“The most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” Cook said in a letter posted to the company’s website. “As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers.”

The extraordinary move will affect hundreds of stores in roughly two-dozen countries, including more than 250 in the United States. The decision came the same day that Apple announced all of its stores in China had reopened after being shuttered for weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak in Hubei Province, the original epicenter of the global pandemic. Apple’s hourly employees will continue to receive pay “in alignment with business as usual operations,” Cook said. The company has expanded its leave policies to accommodate people who are recovering from covid-19, caring for a sick person, or undergoing mandatory quarantine, according to the letter. Childcare related to school closures will be covered as well. Online stores will remain open, and customer support will still be available, according to Cook. In Apple’s offices outside China, the company is encouraging employees to work remotely if their job allows it. Apple is also conducting health screenings and temperature checks at its offices and “deep cleaning” all sites, Cook said. Additionally, Cook announced that Apple would match employee donations to covid-19 response efforts two-to-one. As of Friday, he said, Apple’s committed donations reached $15 million worldwide.

12:16 p.m.



Manila to impose month-long curfew MANILA — The Philippines will impose a month-long curfew in the capital region of Metro Manila, sparking fears of possible human rights violations under the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The curfew will run from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., with the exemption of the movement of workers and supply chains. Government officials on Saturday announced that “nonessential” gatherings like visiting friends and family, as well as parties, are banned.



Details for its implementation are unclear, following the absence of a local law enabling the measure as of Saturday noon.

The curfew comes on top of travel restrictions and the prohibition of mass gatherings, in line with government efforts to curb the spread of covid-19. Local government officials have also asked malls to stop operations.

But in a congested region spanning 16 cities and at least 12 million people, the logistics — and the exemptions to the restrictions — have raised concerns about how the rules will be implemented.

Critics of Duterte, most known for a bloody war on drugs that has left thousands dead, fear more human rights violations under this set-up. Duterte previously said that anyone who disobeys police or the military could be arrested.

“The [police] cannot arrest and detain you for violating public health emergency measures,” tweeted Chel Diokno of the Free Legal Assistance Group, an organization of human rights lawyers. “You may be blocked… but you cannot be arrested and jailed, because trying to travel to Metro Manila is not a crime.” Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos Conde also cautioned the police against unnecessary use of force, “particularly when dealing with Metro Manila’s poor and those working in the informal sector, many of whom do not have employment identifications.” The Philippines has reported 64 coronavirus cases and six deaths.



11:21 a.m.

Guatemala bans Americans in effort to stop virus

MEXICO CITY — Guatemala appears to have become the first country to ban Americans in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. President Alejandro Giammattei announced Friday night that Americans would not be allowed into the country beginning on Monday.

“We have made the decision that citizens of the United States and Canada cannot enter the country,” said Giammattei in a news conference, referring to the rising number of cases in those countries.



He called the step a “phase of containment.” Several European and Asian countries will also be banned.

Giammattei also asked Mexico to halt the deportation of Guatemalans by land.

On Friday, Guatemala announced its first confirmed case of the virus.



Last year, more than 250,000 Guatemalans were detained at the U.S. border, more than from any other country.

By Kevin Sieff

11:06 a.m.

House passes coronavirus economic relief package with Trump’s support

The House overwhelmingly passed an economic relief bill early Saturday for the coronavirus, dedicating tens of billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing and other measures to help Americans impacted by the crisis.

The 363-40 vote — gaveled down just before 1 a.m. — capped two days of volatile negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that threatened to fall apart entirely for hours Friday amid GOP misgivings. But even after President Trump criticized House Democrats at an afternoon news conference Pelosi and Mnuchin kept at it, speaking by phone 13 times in the course of the day Friday and finally clinching a deal.

Not long thereafter Trump endorsed the legislation over Twitter, ensuring widespread GOP support.

“This Bill will follow my direction for free CoronaVirus tests, and paid sick leave for our impacted American workers,” Trump wrote, adding that he was directing Cabinet secretaries to issue regulations ensuring small businesses would not be hurt by mandates in the bill.

“I encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES! I will always put the health and well-being of American families FIRST,” the president wrote. “Look forward to signing the final Bill, ASAP!”

The House vote sends the legislation to the Senate, which is expected to pass it next week after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled a planned recess so senators could act on the issue. All of the “no” votes Saturday came from Republicans, while one lawmaker — Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) — voted “present.”

Read more here .

By Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Jeff Stein



10:46 a.m.

Australian minister photographed with Ivanka Trump says he’s feeling better after coronavirus diagnosis

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The Australian government minister who was diagnosed with a coronavirus infection just a week after meeting Ivanka Trump in Washington, D.C., said Saturday that he was “feeling much better.”

Peter Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB that his fever had subsided and his temperature had come down but that his throat was “still a bit sore.”

“I have had asthma since I was a child, so they were a bit worried about that, but they think my lungs are clear. So all pretty good at the moment,” Dutton told the radio station, referring to the medical staff who had assessed him.

Doctors said he posed no harm to the people he met at the White House on March 6, Dutton said, adding that he did not start exhibiting symptoms until March 13.

“I woke up in the early hours of Friday morning with a fever and a sore throat and a slight shortness of breath, but as I say probably nothing more than I would have with a change in weather as an asthmatic,” he said. “Everybody’s experience will be different, but that is mine.”

Australian medical authorities are now contacting the people he had spent more than two hours with since the morning of March 11.

Ivanka Trump, who was photographed next to Dutton during the meeting, worked from home Friday “out of an abundance of caution and until guidance was given,” the White House said earlier.

By Anna Fifield



10:24 a.m.

New Zealand says almost all people arriving from abroad will have to isolate for 14 days

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — All people arriving in New Zealand will have to isolate themselves for 14 days upon arrival, except for those landing from nearby Pacific islands, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Saturday.

Describing the “unprecedented” step, Ardern told reporters that every person entering the country from midnight Sunday would be subjected to new rules. “We must go hard and we must go early,” she said. “I make no apologies. This is an unprecedented time.”

People arriving from everywhere except the Pacific islands will have to isolate themselves at home for two weeks, regardless of where they are coming from and whether they are citizens or not.

In addition, Ardern said her government would impose strict new exit rules for people traveling to the Pacific islands. New Zealand has large Samoan and Tongan communities in particular, and Ardern said that New Zealand had a responsibility to look after the people there. Samoa suffered a devastating measles epidemic last year.

“These [new exit measures for the Pacific] include: No travel for people who have traveled outside of New Zealand in the past 14 days,” Ardern said. “No travel for close or casual contacts of a confirmed case. No travel for anyone who is symptomatic, and health assessments, including temperature checks.”

In addition, New Zealand has banned cruise ships from entering the country until at least June 30, but Ardern said cargo ships would still be allowed.

She advised all New Zealanders not to travel overseas unless absolutely necessary.

New Zealand has seen only six cases of the coronavirus, the latest diagnosed in an Auckland man in his 60s who recently returned from the United States.

The previous five people are all isolated at home and recovering. There have been no reports of community transmission, but New Zealand was acting preemptively to avoid that, the prime minister said.

Her government had previously canceled a national memorial due to be held in Christchurch on Sunday, the anniversary of the attacks on two mosques in the city, which claimed 51 lives. Ardern said the decision was a “pragmatic” one made to ensure the coronavirus is not spread at large gatherings.

By Anna Fifield

10:19 a.m.

Pentagon adopts new domestic travel restrictions for troops

The Pentagon announced new domestic travel restrictions for service members and their families Friday night to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, saying in a memo that virtually all trips must be put on hold through May 11.

The prohibitions, which go into effect Monday, could affect hundreds of thousands of service members, civilian employees and their dependents in the United States and its territories.

“All DoD military personnel will stop movement while this memorandum is in effect,” said the memo, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist. “In addition, DoD civilian personnel and DoD family members, whose transportation is government-funded, will also stop movement.”

The policy will apply to transfers known as permanent changes of station (PCS) and temporary training assignments. Defense Department units also will bring on new people only if they already live within the local commuting area, and service members are authorized to take leave only within local areas, the memo said.

Read more here .

10:46 PM: Acting Brazil ambassador tests positive after dining with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

Acting Brazil ambassador Nestor Forster, who sat at President Trump’s table Saturday night during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the embassy said late Friday. Forster is the third person who visited the president’s South Florida resort last weekend to test positive for the virus.

Another Brazilian official who visited Mar-a-Lago that night, Fabio Wajngarten, communications secretary for the country’s president, tested positive on Wednesday.

Wajngarten had posed for a photo with Trump. Forster was also in close contact with the president.

“Following medical advice, Amb. Forster will extend his self-quarantine, which he had already placed himself into as a precautionary measure, for another two weeks,” the embassy said in a tweet.

The other person who tested positive after visiting Mar-a-Lago was an individual who attended a Sunday luncheon hosted by Trump Victory, a committee that raises money for the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, according to an email from party officials.

By: Derek Hawkins

10:32 PM: White House says Google is building a coronavirus testing website, but details are fuzzy

The White House is turning to Google to build a new screening website for anyone wanting information on how to get tested for the coronavirus, President Trump said on Friday. However, there are some discrepancies between the White House and Google versions of what the site will be able to do, where it will do it, and when.

The site will actually be built by Verily, the life sciences division of Google parent company Alphabet that focuses on research and development around health issues, the company confirmed.

The president said 1,700 engineers were working on the triage website and that it would be done “very quickly.” Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, said they wanted to bring it “across the continent.” Vice President Pence said they would have more information about when the website would be available starting Sunday evening.

“I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website. It’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” said Trump during a news conference to declare the coronavirus a national emergency.

But in a short statement shared on Twitter an hour and a half after the announcement, Verily said the website was only in “the early stages of development.” The tool will start in the San Francisco Bay area first with “the hope of expanding more broadly over time.”

Read more here .

By: Heather Kelly

10:21 PM: Restaurant traffic takes a hit in D.C. and worldwide

Restaurant traffic has taken a dive in the past week, according to data from the reservation service OpenTable, with seated diners down 31 percent globally and 32 percent nationally Thursday compared with a year ago.

In the United States, the data shows, restaurants started seeing a downturn on March 3. The decline became more dramatic this week, with Thursday the worst day yet.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is making many of us stay home and our community of nearly 60,000 restaurants is facing a severe reduction in diners,” OpenTable chief operating officer Andrea Johnston wrote on a company blog, noting that “things seem to be getting worse quickly.”

At the city level, Thursday’s restaurant traffic was down 37 percent in Washington, 52 percent in New York City, 38 percent in Los Angeles, 58 percent in Seattle and 22 percent in Miami compared with one year earlier.

“Please support your local restaurants during this turbulent time,” Johnston wrote, suggesting home delivery as an alternative to going out. “Another option is to buy restaurant gift cards for future use.”

Public health officials have cautioned against large gatherings and recommended that older people, especially those older than 80, avoid person-to-person contact.

By: Brittany Shammas

10:01 PM: Patagonia shuts its doors and stops online sales

As concerns about the effects on the supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic mount, Patagonia has become the first major retailer to bow out — closing its stores and shutting down its website.

The outdoor outfitter said it will stop business on Friday, reassess and give an update on March 27. All Patagonia employees will receive their regular pay during the closure, CEO Rose Marcario wrote in a statement.

Slideshow by photo services

“The scale of impact is still unknown, and we want to do our part to protect our community especially while testing availability is unknown,” Marcario said.

Some employees will work from home, and there will be delays on orders and customer service requests, Marcario said.

Since the virus initially began spreading in China, where many American companies outsource production to, executives have expressed some uncertainty about how they will be able to replenish their supply, especially as fear has intensified demand for certain items like food.

By: Meryl Kornfield

9:38 PM: Rhode Island elementary school student infected by NBA player

A Rhode Island elementary school student was infected with the novel coronavirus by an NBA player while getting an autograph during a Utah Jazz-Boston Celtics game on March 6, Westerly Police confirmed in a news conference on Friday.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell tested positive. While Police Chief Shawn Lacey didn’t specify during the news conference which player signed the student’s autograph, he later told Boston.com that the child’s parents told him it was Gobert.

The NBA suspended its season after Gobert was confirmed to have the coronavirus.

At a news conference on Monday, three days after coming into contact with the Rhode Island student, Gobert joked about coronavirus and touched all the microphones and recording devices that reporters had placed on the table in front of him.

Two days later, he tested positive.

Lacey wouldn’t say how old the child is, but he confirmed there were two young patients, one in second grade and the other in preschool, who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Both are being isolated at home.

By: Meryl Kornfield

9:35 PM: State Department official confronts China’s ambassador about disinformation

The State Department summoned China’s ambassador to the United States on Friday morning after a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. military of starting the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai refused to comment on his conversation with David Stilwell, the assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as Cui was leaving the State Department about 11 a.m. He ignored questions shouted by three reporters who followed him as he walked from the building’s front door and got into the back of a car.

A State Department official said Stilwell gave a very “stern representation” of the facts to the Chinese ambassador, who was described as “very defensive.”

Lijian Zhao suggested on Thursday that the U.S. Army was responsible for originating the infection in Wuhan.

“When did patient zero begin in US?” Lijian tweeted Thursday. “It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.”

The State Department decided to confront the Chinese directly over what officials said was a growing disinformation campaign. Morgan Ortagus, a State Department spokeswoman, said China is seeking to deflect blame for its role in “starting a global pandemic and not telling the world.”

“Spreading conspiracy theories is dangerous and ridiculous,” she said. “We wanted to put the government on notice we won’t tolerate it for the good of the Chinese people and the world.”

The Chinese have complained that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other administration officials and allies have referred to the virus as the “Wuhan virus,” in an effort to emphasize that its origin is foreign. China has called the word choice “slander.” The disease caused by the virus is known as covid-19.

The State Department has been increasingly aggressive at countering claims by China and Iran, which also is struggling with an outbreak that has killed at least 500 people, the third highest number of fatalities after China and Italy.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif charged that U.S. sanctions against Iran have caused medical shortages. Ortagus tweeted that Iran should release American and other foreign prisoners held unjustly amid fears the virus is spreading in Iranian prisons. She also rejected Zarif’s charge that sanctions were responsible for Iran’s medical shortages.

“The U.S. offered — and continues to offer — assistance to the Islamic Republic of Iran on #COVID19 and the regime rejected it,” she tweeted. “We don’t discriminate. Nor should Iran.”

By: Carol Morello

8:19 PM: Trump announced the expansion of drive-through testing, but details remain sketchy

Trump announced Friday that the government is partnering with private companies to set up drive-through coronavirus testing sites after a week of unrelenting criticism from lawmakers and frustrated Americans unable to find out whether they might be infected.

At a Rose Garden news conference, the president said the push to let people get tested from their vehicles would involve a new Google website to advise consumers about whether they should get tested and where, and big-box companies and drugstores that would host drive-through testing sites in their store parking lots. State and federal health workers would staff the sites and perform the testing, officials said.

But several key participants said the administration was overstating the plans, including its scope, timetable and other aspects.

“This surprised all of us,” said one state health official who requested anonymity to speak frankly about how state health departments had gotten no advance notice. “This is bizarre,” the official said, pointing out that many of the U.S. Public Health Service’s 6,000 officers are deployed elsewhere and could not readily be shifted.

An hour after the news conference, a Google communications account tweeted a comment from Verily , the life sciences division of Google parent company Alphabet, that suggested the plan to build a broadly available website is nowhere close.

“Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time,” it said.

Read more about Trump’s plans to partner with the private sector .

By: Amy Goldstein, Laurie McGinley and Yasmeen Abutaleb

8:13 PM: Washington Monument will suspend public tours, official says

The Interior Department decided Friday evening to end tours at the Washington Monument, according to a senior administration official, making it the first National Park Service site in the country to shutter part of its operations because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt visited the monument Thursday and Friday with the Interior Department’s chief medical officer to evaluate the potential risk of virus exposure for tourists and employees there, according to two federal officials. To ascend to the top of the monument, visitors ride an elevator in relatively cramped quarters.

The administration official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision had yet to be formally announced. Visitors can still walk around the monument’s grounds.

Park Service officials at the Statue of Liberty and other park sites in New York City have asked their superiors for permission to shut down tours and access to monuments, according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity to comment on internal deliberations. To access the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, visitors travel by ferry.

Asked whether Park Service officials in New York City had asked headquarters Friday for approval to restrict visitors’ access, Interior Department spokesman Nick Goodwin said in an email, “We have not received such a request.”

By: Juliet Eilperin

8:12 PM: Trump offers support for cruise lines — while asking them to stop sailing

President Trump on Friday praised the battered cruise industry — and shut it down in the United States for a month.

In a tweet late Friday, he said major operators Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC had agreed to his request that they halt outbound sailings from the United States for 30 days, effective at midnight Friday night.

The Cruise Lines International Association confirmed the tweet soon after, saying oceangoing lines would be “voluntarily and temporarily suspending cruise ship operations from and to U.S. ports of call.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Trump spoke in support of the cruise industry, whose largest three companies are headquartered in the Miami area but incorporated in other countries.

“As far as the cruise line business, we’re with them all the way,” he said during a news conference. “It’s a great business. It’s a great U.S. business.”

Trump also hinted that the federal government could offer a bailout to some hard-hit travel companies.

“I can tell you it’s an industry that was very badly impacted by what’s going on with the virus, and it’s a great industry, it’s a very important industry,” he said. “And we will be helping them and we will be helping the airline industry if we have to, assuming we have to.”

Last week, cruise executives from the four lines the president named in his tweet met with Vice President Pence in Port Everglades in Florida. Officials gave the industry leaders three days to come up with a plan to address the coronavirus threat, which has forced hundreds of passengers into quarantine.

Among the proposed solutions are requiring anyone 70 or older to have a doctor’s note to board, taking the temperature of all passengers before they get on a ship, adding coronavirus test kits and staffers to monitor for the virus and conducting daily temperature checks on crew members, according to a synopsis of the plan.

By: Hannah Sampson and Meryl Kornfield

8:06 PM: 14 states and several major cities close K-12 schools

Fourteen states are closing all their public schools, as are several large urban districts — including Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest, and Washington, D.C .

District of Columbia schools will be closed starting Monday through March 31, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Friday. Schools plan to resume normal operations April 1. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced Friday that all schools in his state will close indefinitely, WSAZ-TV reported .

As of Friday evening, states that had announced school closures were Virginia, Maryland , Pennsylvania , Illinois, Michigan, Ohio , Wisconsin , Alabama , Louisiana, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah , West Virginia and Washington state .

Closing schools is a growing trend across the country as state education officials look to contain the spreading coronavirus through social distancing measures, but the efforts present complications for families who rely on public education for food access and child care.

State officials who had previously seemed reluctant to shutter schools changed course Friday, when a cascade of states began announcing closures.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzer (D) said Thursday he did not plan to close schools. But, he said during a news conference Friday, his thinking changed after contemplating new information that came in overnight and through the day. He also said he had been thinking about state officials’ decision to limit large gatherings.

“I really came to the conclusion that we’re telling adults, essentially, don’t gather in large groups, but we’re telling kids that you can bump up against each other in a hallway, even if you might not have an assembly,” he said.

Oregon had worked hard to keep schools open, but student absences and workforce issues there had made it “impossible to functionally operate schools,” said Gov. Kate Brown (D). Earlier this week, she banned gatherings of more than 250 people, another social distancing rule being adopted across the country.

An increasing number of cities and other localities, including Boston, San Francisco , San Diego and Sacramento, have made similar moves. Kentucky stopped short of a mandatory order but recommended that all schools, both public and private, halt in-person classes. Florida also provided “strong recommendations” that schools extend spring break.

In all, at least 46,000 schools were closed, scheduled to close or had closed and reopened as of Friday evening, according to Education Week , with at least 26 million students affected.

By: Teo Armus, Katie Mettler and Brittany Shammas

7:19 PM: Idaho is 49th state to announce coronavirus within its borders

Idaho on Friday night became the 49th state to announce a case of the novel coronavirus within its borders.

The patient, a woman in her 50s, had attended a conference in New York City and traveled through Boise Airport. She lives in Ada County, where Boise is located, officials said in a news conference . She is isolated at home and had mild symptoms. Officials did not say what conference she had attended.

The only state to not confirm a coronavirus case as of Friday was West Virginia.

By: Meryl Kornfield

7:18 PM: Coronavirus isn’t stopping one huge annual fundraiser in Pennsylvania’s Amish country

Though coronavirus fears are shutting down events nationwide, they’re not stopping one huge fundraiser in Pennsylvania’s Amish country that annually attracts thousands of people.

In defiance of warnings by state and local officials, the two-day Gordonville Fire and EMS Company “Mud Sale” — where Amish-made quilts, crafts and furniture are offered up — started as planned Friday afternoon.

The group went forward despite confirmed coronavirus infections in the state increasing 50 percent in the past 24 hours, to 33 cases, with tests on another 130 people pending. Almost all of those confirmed cases are clustered in southeastern Pennsylvania, though none has yet surfaced in nearby Lancaster County.

The Paradise Township Board of Supervisors issued a statement Thursday “strongly encouraging” the event not be held. The fire company declined, saying in a statement Friday that canceling at the last minute would have “crippled” its operations for the coming year.

Still, the group agreed to put in place additional measures to protect attendees. Most auction items are being moved out of enclosed buildings, hygiene informational pamphlets distributed and hand-washing stations set up at all entrances, restrooms, food vendors and other high-traffic sites.

“We still believe it’s in the best interest not to have it,” Adam Bills, a Paradise Township supervisor, said after the decision. He voiced particular concern for Amish and Mennonite families, who live in close proximity to one another and, because they lack TV or Internet, have more limited information about the coronavirus. “They gather in large numbers in close quarters, so an outbreak could spread,” Bills said. “I hope that this helps educate the Amish.”

These sales are held in what are usually “muddy” fields during springtime, hence the name. On average, they generate a third of local fire companies’ annual revenue and draw big crowds of tourists from numerous states in addition to many Amish and Mennonites shopping for new buggies or plow horses. Many of the companies have sizable numbers of Amish and Mennonite volunteers.

The fire company’s Facebook page drew some angry responses to its decision to proceed. “For all of you foolish to attend,” one person wrote, “I have posted the address and phone # to the local hospital.”

By: Amy Worden

7:12 PM: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian halt cruises temporarily

Ocean and river cruise lines around the world have announced they are suspending some or all of their operations temporarily in response to the new coronavirus as ports turn ships away, attractions close and travelers call off their trips.

President Trump said in a tweet late Friday that at his request, several cruise lines including Carnival and Royal Caribbean had agreed to suspend cruises leaving the United States for 30 days.

The Cruise Lines International Association confirmed the suspension less than 15 minutes later in a statement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, the world’s second-largest cruise operator, had announced the move earlier in the day. The decision affects 114 sailings on 26 ships over the next month; the company’s brands include Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

Also Friday, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said it would suspend all sailings through April 11 on its three lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. MSC Cruises will stop new voyages from the United States until April 30.

The first to announce a global pause were Viking Cruises and Princess Cruises, which has been hit hard by the outbreak: Passengers and crew on two different ships, Diamond Princess and Grand Princess, have been sickened and subject to quarantine since February. The line said the stoppage will stretch through May 10.

Britain-based Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said Friday it is pausing ocean cruises until May 23. Five people on one of its ships, Braemar, tested positive for the virus Tuesday during a Caribbean sailing, and the company was scrambling Friday to find a port where it could let passengers off.

Other lines announcing widespread cancellations for long stretches include Disney Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, Uniworld, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and Carnival Corp.-owned European lines AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises.

Upstart line Virgin Voyages postponed the maiden voyage of its first new ship for several months, to early August.

Read more about the cruise industry’s temporary shutdown .

By: Hannah Sampson

6:27 PM: White House taps Google sister company Verily to build coronavirus site

The White House is turning to Google to build a new screening website for anyone wanting information on how to get tested for the novel coronavirus, President Trump announced Friday.

It will be built by Verily, the life sciences division of Google parent company Alphabet that focuses on research and development around health issues.

The site will start with a survey that asks people about their symptoms and risk factors. If it determines that they should get a test, it will direct them to the nearest drive-through testing center, according to Deborah Brix, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator.

The president said 1,700 engineers were working on the triage website and that it would be done “very quickly.”

In a short statement shared on Twitter an hour and a half after the announcement, Verily said the site was only in “the early stages of development.” The tool will roll out in the Bay Area first with “the hope of expanding it more broadly over time.”

Vice President Pence said they would have more information about when the website would be available starting Sunday evening.

Google and Verily did not have any other additional information about the site, including when it would be online or how it would handle users’ personal medical data.

Sign up for our daily Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked within the newsletter are free to access.

By: Heather Kelly

6:11 PM: Trump wants to buy oil to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — and help companies

President Trump said Friday that the federal government will buy enough oil to fill up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to bolster crude prices and shore up the financial condition of U.S. oil drilling companies .

The government will purchase up to 92 million barrels, enough to buy the entire output of Texas in approximately 18 days. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, held in salt caverns in four locations near the Gulf of Mexico, currently holds 635 million barrels but can store as much as 727 million barrels.

By buying oil in an emergency rather than selling it, the move runs contrary to the original purpose of the reserve, created by President Gerald Ford in 1975 as a response to the Arab oil embargo in 1973-74. That embargo cut supplies and sent crude prices soaring. The United States, then a major importer, faced shortages and gas rationing.

In this case, the government is buying oil to bail out domestic oil companies when prices are collapsing rather than selling oil to protect consumers when prices are rising.

Read more about the decision to fill the reserves here .

By: Steven Mufson

5:59 PM: Trump shook hands, patted backs and touched the mic 31 times during news conference

President Trump at a Friday news conference touted the work of his administration’s health experts on coronavirus, even as he ignored their public health advice .

Trump shook hands, patted backs and touched the microphone at the White House podium at least 31 times at the Rose Garden event, the sort of behaviors health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised against to prevent the spread of the virus.

When the last executive had finished speaking, Trump offered him a handshake.

“We’ll practice that,” LHC Group Executive Vice President Bruce Greenstein said, offering Trump an elbow bump instead.

“Okay, I like that, that’s good,” Trump said, before adjusting the microphone with his hand yet again.

Read the Fix analysis here .

By: JM Rieger

5:42 PM: Second guest who was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last weekend has tested positive

A second person who visited President Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago estate last weekend has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to emails from Republican Party officials to other guests who were present.

The case means the president has been near two people who have since been diagnosed as infected. On Saturday, Trump dined and was photographed with a senior Brazilian official who later tested positive.

The latest diagnosis involves an individual who attended a Sunday luncheon hosted by Trump Victory, a committee that raises money for the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, according to an email from party officials. Trump delivered remarks at the event, which was attended by about 1,000 people.

The person who was diagnosed was the guest of a donor who had no contact with Trump, according to a Republican official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. While it was not clear if the attendee had covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, at the time of the event, the decision was made to notify all attendees out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

In an email to donors, the party wrote, “If you or any of your loved ones is ill or develops a fever, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms, please contact your medical provider.”

Sign up for our daily Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked within the newsletter are free to access.

By: Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Josh Dawsey

5:35 PM: ‘I don’t take responsibility:’ Trump says delays in testing wasn’t the fault of the White House

Speaking in the Rose Garden on Friday, President Trump said he doesn’t take responsibility for the delays and shortages that have reduced testing for the novel coronavirus in the United States.

“I don’t take responsibility at all," Trump told reporters, “because we were given a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time that wasn’t meant for this kind of an event with the kind of numbers that we’re talking about.”

When pressed by Yamiche Alcindor, the White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, about the White House dismantling the office on pandemics, he called the question “nasty" and suggested that Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, knew something he didn’t.

“I didn't do it,” he said. “I could perhaps ask Tony about that because I don't know anything about it. I mean you say we did that but I don't know anything about it.”

Fauci, who works under the National Institutes of Health, does not have purview over the National Security Council, which the team worked for.

Trump also called the question, asked by Yamiche Alcindor, the White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, “nasty.”

In May 2018, after John Bolton became national security adviser, with the departure of Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer from the National Security Council, a team working on global health security under him was disbanded, The Post reported at the time .

Beth Cameron, the former senior director for global health security and biodefense on the White House National Security Council, said in a Washington Post editorial Friday that the decision most likely slowed the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is clear that eliminating the office has contributed to the federal government’s sluggish domestic response,” Cameron wrote. “What’s especially concerning about the absence of this office today is that it was originally set up because a previous epidemic made the need for it quite clear.”

Public health experts at the time said the staffing change signaled that the administration didn’t prioritize science.

Trump shrugged that off Friday, suggesting that it was not unusual.

“Things like that happen,” he said.

By: Meryl Kornfield

5:14 PM: Poland, Denmark close to foreigners as restrictions are imposed in Europe’s border-free zone

BERLIN — Poland and Denmark on Friday became the latest European countries to introduce new border controls, closing to all foreigners as the spread of coronavirus shakes the continent’s 26-nation boundary-free travel zone.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a ban on all foreigners would begin at midnight Saturday and run for 10 days but could be prolonged further, the Polish Press Agency reported. Poles crossing the border must quarantine for 14 days, it said.

The ban came just hours after a similar edict from Copenhagen.

“All tourists, all travel, all vacations and all foreigners who cannot prove a creditable purpose of entering Denmark will be denied entrance at the Danish border,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Friday.

The Czech government, which had already banned travelers from 15 particularly virus-stricken countries, declined to confirm media reports that its restrictions had been expanded Friday.

Poland and Denmark join several other countries in the Schengen Area — 26 European countries that typically have unrestricted borders — in mandating additional restrictions and checks. The European Union urged Friday that such decisions remain “proportionate” and coordinated.

“In the last few hours we’ve seen travel bans and controls being put in place in a number of member states,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Certain controls may be justified, but general travel bans are not seen as being the most effective by the World Health Organization,” she said.

Von der Leyen said a more appropriate response would be extra health checks, including inside countries and at internal and external European borders. She added that proposals for new recommendations are being discussed.

French President Emmanuel Macron proposed “reinforced” external border controls around the bloc in discussions with von der Leyen on Friday, his office said. That could include limiting travel from areas where the virus is particularly prevalent, it said.

By: Loveday Morris, James McAuley and Rick Noack



5:06 PM: Passengers flying to the U.S. from 26 countries in Europe will face enhanced screening

Starting at midnight, travelers on flights from 26 countries in Europe will be channeled through one of 13 U.S. airports, where they will undergo enhanced health screening, be given information about the novel coronavirus and instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days.

The measures will apply to U.S. citizens, green card holders, their family members and other authorized travelers who have recently traveled from, or otherwise been present, within “a country of the Schengen Area within 14 days of the date of the person’s entry or attempted entry into the United States,” according to a directive issued by acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf on Friday. Under the new restrictions, most non-U.S. citizens will be blocked from entering the United States from those countries.

The 26 nations of the Schengen Area are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The flights will be directed to international airports in Boston, Miami, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Honolulu, Newark, Dallas, Detroit or Washington, D.C.

The restrictions are part of several new strategies announced this week by the Trump administration, with the goal of slowing the spread of the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 1,800 people and killed more than 40 in the United States.

Administration officials believe Europe — not China — is the new hot spot for outbreaks and want to reduce the number of people entering the United States from those nations.

Wolf said arriving passengers will be directed to “enhanced entry screening,” where they will be asked about their medical history and current condition, and for contact information to be given to local health authorities. Passengers will then be provided written information about the novel coronavirus and instructed to self-quarantine in accordance with best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“While the overall risk of serious infection from the coronavirus to the general public remains low at this time, the Trump administration is taking these aggressive measures to keep the risk low, requiring all Americans returning from affected areas in Europe to be funneled through 13 airports for screening upon their return to the U.S.,” Wolf said in a statement.

To minimize disruption, Wolf said airlines, officers from the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will work to identify passengers who fit the criteria before they board their previously scheduled flights. Once identified, those passengers would then be put on flights headed to one of the 13 designated airports.

“I understand this new process will be disruptive to some travelers, however this action is needed to protect the general public from further exposure and spread of the coronavirus,” Wolf said. “Once back in the U.S. it is imperative that individuals honor self-quarantine directives to help protect their loved-ones and communities.”

The Trump administration has similar restrictions in place for travelers from China and Iran.

Correction: A previous version of this post in one section mistakenly said there were six countries subject to new travel restrictions. This post has been updated.

By: Lori Aratani and Nick Miroff

5:04 PM: Air pollution over Italy has plummeted since virus crackdown

First it happened in China. Now, Italy.

The coronavirus struck hard, and authorities responded with sweeping interventions to keep people from spreading the disease further. As citizens hunkered down at home, businesses and roads suddenly fell empty and silent. One startling result: a decline in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Washington Post this week analyzed data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P satellite , which can measure concentrations of greenhouse gases and other pollutants in the lower atmosphere. It shows that between Jan. 1 and March 12, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide , fell drastically, especially over hard-hit northern Italy.

See the analysis here .

By: Chris Mooney, John Muyskens, Brady Dennis and Andrew Freedman

4:46 PM: Trump says he will ‘most likely’ get tested for coronavirus

President Trump said Friday he may get tested for the coronavirus but said it was not because he has recently been in contact with people who have contracted the virus or have been exposed to someone who has.

A senior Brazilian official who dined and was photographed with Trump and Vice President Pence last weekend in Florida is infected with the coronavirus. Trump said White House doctors have told him he does not need to be tested because he is showing no symptoms.

But several federal officials have said that people who come into contact with an infected person should seek a test. Pressed on why he wasn’t applying that standard to himself, Trump said he would “most likely” get tested but not because of who he has come into contact with.

“Not for that reason but because I think I will do it anyway,” Trump said. “Fairly soon, we’re working out a schedule.”

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By: Dave Clarke

3:51 PM: President Trump declares a national emergency, freeing $50 billion in funding

President Trump in a Friday afternoon news conference announced that he is declaring a national emergency to address the spread of coronavirus, as public life in America continued to grind to a halt.

“I am officially declaring a national emergency, two very big words,” President Trump said, addressing reporters and news cameras in the Rose Garden.

The declaration will allow the administration to utilize the Stafford Act, the federal law that governs disaster-relief efforts, to provide emergency funding to state and local governments. Trump said that the declaration would free up $50 billion to distribute to states and territories to address the growing emergency.

On news of the declaration, the Dow Jones industrial average shot up nearly 2,000 points, about 10 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq also surged more than 9 percent. It was Wall Street’s biggest rally since 2008.

In the news conference, Trump also announced the administration will attempt to improve testing around the country by expanding drive-through sites at retailers, including Walmart and Target. Trump has previously said testing was going well despite widespread acknowledgement that the effort was falling far short of what was needed.

Administration officials also announced the White House is working with Google to develop a website to help people who think they might need a test, to determine whether a test is needed, and to help facilitate testing at a nearby location.

Trump also said that the Energy Department would buy up more crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and that he would waive interest on federal student loans, but did not go into specifics.

By: Angela Fritz and Meryl Kornfield

3:21 PM: Ivanka Trump evaluated after meeting with Australian minister who tested positive for coronavirus

A top government official from Australia said that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, just days after he returned from a visit to Washington where he interacted with Ivanka Trump, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf.

On Friday, Australia’s home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, woke up with a fever and sore throat and was immediately tested for coronavirus, he said in a statement. After the test was returned, he checked into the hospital in compliance with Queensland’s health protocols.

Dutton visited Justice Department headquarters on March 5 for a news conference about an initiative to fight online sexual exploitation of children. He was one of six government officials who spoke at the news conference, including Barr and Wolf.

With counterparts from Britain, New Zealand and Canada, the officials stood together on a dais for about 45 minutes to discuss the initiative. Given the number of countries involved in the announcement, there were scores of people who attended the gathering.

The group also met that day with White House officials, and Dutton was photographed standing directly next to Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter, and a few feet from Barr.

Officials said Barr stayed home from work Friday but is feeling well, and medical experts have not recommended he get tested.

“The AG is feeling great and not showing any symptoms,” said a Justice Department spokeswoman. “He is staying home today and has consulted with CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. CDC is not recommending he be tested at this point.”

A statement from White House spokesman Judd Deere said Dutton was asymptomatic during his interaction with U.S. officials last week.

“Exposures from the case were assessed and the White House Medical Unit confirmed, in accordance with CDC guidance, that Ivanka is exhibiting no symptoms and does not need to self-quarantine,” Deere said. “She worked from home today out of an abundance of caution until guidance was given.”

Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor to the president, also was present at the meeting and confirmed she met with Dutton but said she had not been tested for the virus.

James Brokenshire, the British security minister, said in a tweet Friday that he’d had breakfast with Dutton in Washington before the two went to a White House roundtable. Brokenshire said he is planning to self-isolate.

The news of Dutton’s diagnosis came as Australian officials urged people not to interrupt their “daily normal routines” over the pandemic, even as they announced some sweeping efforts to contain it.

The virus’s wide spread across many countries in Europe and Asia has yet to fully replicate itself in Australia, which has more than 120 cases and at least three fatalities.

But the government response has not been without controversy. Australia quarantined citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China, at an offshore immigration detention center best known for holding asylum seekers.

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By: Teo Armus, Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky and Katie Mettler

2:50 PM: University of Michigan cancels commencement

The University of Michigan announced Friday it is canceling commencement ceremonies for 2020 graduates, making it the first large U.S. university to do so as part of ongoing reactions to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Today, we take further important action to reduce density & protect the health & safety of our staff, faculty, and students,” President Mark Schlissel tweeted , along with announcing several new directives.

“Students are encouraged to go home when possible,” he wrote. “Managers are encouraged to provide remote work opportunities. All exams will take place remotely.”

He also advised students to avoid large social gatherings and said that the university had established a paid leave fund for employees.

“We will look at ways to celebrate 2020 graduates in the future,” Schlissel added in an announcement on the university’s website.

The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus has about 30,000 undergraduate students , and the school also offers graduate programs.

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By: Miriam Berger

2:13 PM: Election officials in Tuesday’s four primary states say voters can ‘safely’ cast ballots

Election officials in the four states slated to hold primaries on Tuesday — Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio — said in a joint statement Friday that they are confident that voters can “safely and securely cast their ballots in this election” and encouraged “otherwise healthy” poll workers to carry out their duties.

"As each of our four states prepare for voters to head to the polls on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, we are working closely with our state health officials to ensure that our poll workers and voters can be confident that voting is safe,” the statement said. “Unlike concerts, sporting events or other mass gatherings where large groups of people travel long distances to congregate in a confined space for an extended period of time, polling locations see people from a nearby community coming into and out of the building for a short duration.”

The statement was issued by Arizona Secretary of State Kathy Hobbs, Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee, Illinois Elections Board Chairman Charles Scholz and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

The four officials said guidance is also being posted at poll locations on how to best sanitize voting machines, as well as on best practices for hand-washing.

“Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past, and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election, and that otherwise healthy poll workers can and should carry out their patriotic duties on Tuesday,” the officials said.

By: John Wagner

2:01 PM: Trump to declare national emergency in response to coronavirus

President Trump plans to declare a national emergency this afternoon during a 3 p.m. news conference, according to a senior administration official.

The move would allow the administration to utilize the Stafford Act, the federal law that governs disaster-relief efforts, to provide emergency funding to state and local governments.

The administration has been taking increasingly aggressive steps to contain the outbreak after criticism that not enough is being done to address the public health threat facing the country.

Earlier this week, Trump announced restrictions on flights from Europe, and Friday morning the administration announced a series of steps aimed at boosting the availability of coronavirus testing.

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By: Josh Dawsey

1:58 PM: Customer traffic dries up for small businesses across the country

As daily routines shut down in D.C. and beyond, customers are disappearing for the small businesses that make up 44 percent of the U.S. economy. Coffee shops and lunch spots near the K Street corridor in the District say business is down by as much as 40 percent as office workers stay home. Catering orders have evaporated as embassies and think tanks cancel events. Fewer customers are dropping off suits and shirts at dry cleaners.

Raj Kapoor, owner of the Italian Gourmet Deli on L Street, says the catering collapse means he’s losing a third of his revenue.

“We are very worried about being in business next week,” Kapoor said as an employee wrapped a sub for one sole customer.

The problems are most acute for businesses that rely on foot traffic and social gatherings, but the National Federation of Independent Business says entrepreneurs in all sectors are feeling pain.

John Bailey, the owner of a charter-bus company employing 50 people in York, Pa., said 50 groups have canceled trips in the past week, with more to come as college sports, schools and universities shut down. He anticipates the disruption will cost his company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, business dried up for about three weeks, and then things rebounded, Bailey said. “With this one, there’s no end date,” he said.

The Small Business Administration said this week it’s ready to provide low-interest loans of up to $2 million to small firms hurt by the coronavirus outbreak.

Read more: Keeping your distance is good for public health but tough for small businesses

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By: Jeanne Whalen

1:55 PM: Paris’s Louvre Museum and Eiffel Tower close indefinitely

The most-visited museum in the world has temporarily shut its grand doors as a precaution against the spreading coronavirus.

Officials at the Louvre Museum in Paris said the museum would close indefinitely starting Friday, following a government directive banning gatherings of more than 100 people.

Officials announced later Friday that the Eiffel Tower would close to starting at 9 p.m. as part of coronavirus management, AFP reported .

Another popular art museum in Paris, the Musée D’Orsay, also announced its closure on Friday. In a statement on its website, the museum wrote that it “is exceptionally closed. Thank you for your understanding.”

By: Miriam Berger

1:35 PM: Trudeau emerges from self-isolation to announce new travel restrictions, coronavirus measures

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from quarantine in his family home in Ottawa on Friday to reassure Canadians that he is in good health and to announce new measures aimed at stalling the spread of the novel coronavirus causing covid-19.

Trudeau said his government would propose a “significant” fiscal stimulus within the next few days to combat the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. He also urged Canadians to cancel or postpone any nonessential travel and for employees to work from home whenever able.

The prime minister additionally announced a temporary ban on cruise ships carrying more than 500 people docking in Canada and said overseas flights to Canada would now be concentrated at several airports to limit possible transmission points.

“We have to do this,” he said. “Because we have to protect our neighbors and friends. Especially our more vulnerable seniors and people with preexisting conditions.”

Trudeau’s wife announced Thursday night that she had tested positive for coronavirus shortly after Trudeau said he would go into self-isolation for two weeks.

The prime minister said Friday that he is not showing any symptoms of the virus and had therefore not been tested, per the guidance of medical professionals.

“As long as I have no symptoms or I’m not feeling any symptoms, there’s no point in testing me,” he said.

Reporters, however, questioned the logic of this protocol, given that he is in self-quarantine in the same home as his wife and kids, the latter of whom Trudeau said spent the morning playing with Legos.

Canada had 157 reported coronavirus cases, as of Trudeau’s news conference.

By: Miriam Berger

1:32 PM: U.K. delays elections for a year because of virus spread

Britain is postponing its scheduled local government and mayoral elections for 12 months, in an early sign that the coronavirus pandemic is undercutting democratic activities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Friday that the election will not take place until May 2021, following guidance by the Electoral Commission, which fears polling could have taken place as a wave of infection rolls over Britain in eight weeks’ time.

The commission was concerned that “significant numbers” of voters would not be able to cast their ballots in May.

London’s mayoral election — the biggest prize of all — will also be delayed for a year. The current mayor, Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party, has a long history of Twitter feuds with President Trump.

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By: William Booth

1:30 PM: Iran to employ near-martial-law tactics to contain coronavirus

CAIRO — Iran’s Shiite theocracy is planning to employ near-martial-law tactics to contain the spread of the coronavirus, according to the country’s state television. In the next 24 hours, security forces will fan out across the nation’s cities, emptying streets.

“Our law enforcement and security committees, along with the interior ministry and provincial governors, will be clearing shops, streets and roads. … This will take place in the next 24 hours,” state TV cited Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the armed forces chief of staff, as saying at a meeting about the virus, according to a translation by Reuters.

Within 10 days, Bagheri added that all Iranian people are to be monitored and checked via Internet, phone calls or in-person visits to determine whether they have been infected by the virus.

Iran is among the nations most heavily impacted by the virus outside of China. On Friday, the nation’s health ministry reported 1,289 new infections and 85 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 11,364 and the death toll to 514.

The decision to deploy Iran’s security forces comes days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly appointed President Hassan Rouhani to lead the fight to contain the coronavirus outbreak. On Friday, Khamenei ordered Bagheri to set up a “health and treatment headquarters” to fight the spread of the virus.

The 80-year-old cleric also reportedly described the pandemic as an American “biological attack.” Iran also publicly slammed President Trump’s offer to assist Iran in battling the virus Friday. In a tweet, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi call Trump’s comments “hypocritical displays of compassion and repulsive bragging.” To help Iran, he said the United States needed to end its sanctions on the country, which Mousavi described as “economic and medical terrorism,” so that medicines and medical supplies could enter the country.

By: Sudarsan Raghavan

1:29 PM: Louisiana becomes first state to postpone primaries because of virus

Louisiana on Friday became the first state to postpone its presidential primaries amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The state, which was supposed to have its primaries on April 4, will instead hold them June 20, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (R) said at a news conference. State officials said they made the decision amid concern about older poll workers getting exposed to the novel coronavirus.

“Louisiana is no stranger to natural disasters and well-adapted at navigating any situation Mother Nature throws our way,” Ardoin said at the news conference. “While hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are at the forefront of all Louisianans’ minds, the threat we threat from the covid-19 is an unprecedented threat and unlike any we have faced.” Covid-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Ardoin said he certified a state of emergency Friday and requested that Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issue an executive order postponing the Democratic and Republican contests. He said the decision was made with several factors in mind, including the age of Louisiana’s poll workers — more than half are 65 or older.

“Safe and secure elections also mean safety for the people of Louisiana,” he said.

Ardoin said the emergency provision had been used before, delaying the elections in 2005 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in 2008 after hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

“It’s a very serious issue,” said Tyler Brey, spokesman for the secretary of state. “We’re trying to prevent the spread of [the virus] and take precautions.”

The April 4 presidential primaries will take place June 20. The May 9 municipal general election will take place July 25.

Ardoin said the delay would help his office “procure necessary supplies” to protecting polling locations and take other steps related to the coronavirus threat.

By: Elise Viebeck and John Wagner

1:11 PM: WHO says Europe is new ‘epicenter of the pandemic’

Europe is now “the epicenter of the pandemic,” the World Health Organization said Friday during a news conference.

“Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic.”

Meanwhile, Poland, Scotland, Ukraine and Greece each reported their first fatalities Friday. In Greece, the deceased patient was a 66-year-old man who traveled to Israel and Egypt on a religious pilgrimage in late February, Reuters reported.

Ukraine’s National Security Council on Friday announced the closure of its borders to foreigners for two weeks, beginning Monday. The only exceptions will be diplomats and those working for U.N. organizations.

Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said Ukrainians will be able to return home, but those returning from nations with a high concentration of coronavirus cases would be placed under observation. Ukraine also said it would bar entry to residents of the eastern Donbass region, which is controlled by separatists in a simmering war with Kyiv.

The European Union in a statement Friday further urged its members to put in place procedures for health screenings at each country’s 