KEY FACTS Wife of Spanish prime minister tested positive for COVID-19.

U.S. broadens travel restrictions from Europe to include the U.K. and Ireland.

Mirvish Productions announced Saturday it’s shutting down “Hamilton” for four weeks.

The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Saturday, March 14, 2020. (Read The Star's live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. This story is no longer updating.):

10:45 p.m.: Urban Outfitters says it’s temporarily closing its brick-and-mortar stores, including those in Canada, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

10:40 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada, courtesy of The Canadian Press: 260 confirmed (11 cases resolved). Ontario: 106 confirmed (five cases resolved); British Columbia: 73 confirmed, including one death (six cases resolved); Alberta: 39 confirmed; Quebec: 24 confirmed; New Brunswick: Two confirmed; Manitoba: Four confirmed; Saskatchewan: Six presumptive; Prince Edward Island: One confirmed; Newfoundland and Labrador: One presumptive; with an additional four confirmed cases among Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton.

10:15 p.m.: Saskatchewan has identified four new presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to six.

7:45 p.m.: Spain’s government said that the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has tested positive for COVID-19.

The government said Begona Gomez and the prime minister are in good health, and the other members of the Cabinet have tested negative.

7:34 p.m.: The White House physician said U.S. President Donald Trump tested negative for coronavirus, the New York Times reported. The president had been in contact with several people who later tested positive for the virus, including the communications director for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro whose results came back just days after posing for a photo with Trump.

7:20 p.m.: Edmonton said on Saturday it would close all city-operated recreation facilities and attractions starting at 6 p.m. until further notice. This includes leisure and fitness centres, recreation centres, arenas and the Edmonton Valley Zoo.

7:10 p.m.: Vail Resorts, which operates Whistler Blackcomb, is suspending operations in North America from March 15 to 22.

Lodging and property management operations will remain open to service the guests already there or those with existing reservations, but will not be taking new reservations for this upcoming week.

The company says it will be closing its corporate offices and asking other employees to work from home. All the scheduled employees, both seasonal and year-round, will be paid during the period, without needing to use any vacation or sick time.

6:28 p.m.: Newfoundland and Labrador reported its first presumed case of COVID-19. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald made the announcement on Saturday evening during a press conference.

6 p.m.: Ontario confirmed two new cases on Saturday, bringing the total in the province to 103.

Both patients are now in self-isolation. One patient, a woman in her 30s, recently returned to Toronto from the United States.

The cases appear to be concentrated across southern Ontario. Of the 103 cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario, four are classified as resolved.

5:35 p.m.: Alberta confirmed 10 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total in the province to 39.

Six of those cases are in the Calgary zone and four are in the Edmonton zone. Two people have been admitted in intensive care, both in their 60s, while the rest are self isolating at home and expected to make a full recovery. Eight of the cases are related to international travel or previously infected individuals, while the other two are under investigation.

5:30 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada, courtesy of The Canadian Press: 247 confirmed (11 cases resolved). Ontario: 101 confirmed (five cases resolved); British Columbia: 73 confirmed, including one death (six cases resolved); Alberta: 39 confirmed; Quebec: 24 confirmed; New Brunswick: Two confirmed; Manitoba: Four confirmed; Saskatchewan: Two suspected; Prince Edward Island: One confirmed; with an additional confirmed case among Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton.

5:29: A three-month-old baby is among the four new cases of COVID-19 announced by Hamilton public health. The other two are a couple in their 60s who went on a Caribbean cruise. There is no information yet on the fourth case. All are believed to be travel related.

4:48 p.m.: France announced on Saturday the closure of all non-indispensable businesses, effective at midnight. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe of France said this would include all restaurants, movie theatres, bars and nightclubs, but would not include essential businesses that sell food, tobacco, gas or provide other basic necessities.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a partial lockdown of the country will go into effect Monday at 8 a.m. local time. All shops will be forced to close, except those selling food or other basic needs. The nation’s armed forces will be on standby to assist with relief efforts.

Spain’s added measures include tight restrictions on movement. The prime minister said in a nationally televised address that, effective immediately, people will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, commute to work, go to medical centres and banks, or take trips to care for dependants.

4:20 p.m.: The University of Alberta and the University of Regina are shutting down face-to-face classes for the rest of the term. The University of Alberta will move courses online starting on Tuesday, while the University of Regina said on their website that they would move to distance education on Friday.

3:10 p.m.: British Columbia announced nine new cases that were identified over the last day on Saturday, for a total of 73 in the province.

Most of the new cases are related to two ongoing outbreaks in British Columbia. A total of four residents and 12 staff at the North Vancouver Lynn Valley care home, where Canada had its first COVID-19 death, have tested positive. One resident and one staff member have tested positive at Hollyburn House in West Vancouver.

2:30 p.m.: The federal government is urging Canadians abroad to return home while commercial options remain available. Countries around the world have begun imposing tighter restrictions on travel in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, particularly in many European Union countries.

“Airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Find out what commercial options are still available to return to Canada. Consider returning to Canada earlier than planned if these options are becoming more limited.”

2:26 p.m.: Prince Edward Island confirmed its first positive test for COVID-19. Dr. Heather Morrison, the province’s chief public health officer, said the patient was a woman in her 50s who had returned from travelling on a cruise ship on March 7.

Morrison said the woman began experiencing symptoms on March 10 and tested positive on March 11. She is now recovering at home with mild symptoms.

1:56 p.m.: Italy has reported its biggest day-to-day jump in number of infected cases of COVID-19. National health authorities told reporters on Saturday that health officials recorded 3,497 new cases in 24 hours. That’s roughly a 20% increase in cases from the day before. A little more than half of those new cases occurred in Lombardy, the populous northern region which has been hard hit. Italy’s total cases now tally 21,157 and the death toll rose by 175 to 1,441.

A day earlier, the same authorities had predicted glumly that Italy would still see a jump in cases despite a national lockdown that began on March 9, barely two days after severe restrictions on personal movement in the north. They cited irresponsible behaviour by many citizens, who despite the earlier warnings not to gather in large numbers, headed to beaches or sky resorts, and hung out together in town squares, especially after the closure of schools.

1:33 p.m.: Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, the city’s prestige destination for foreign and art-house films, announced Saturday it’s closing for a month, only a day after adopting a more moderate policy of spacing its patrons out in its cinemas.

“This has been a heartbreaking but necessary decision,” wrote TIFF co-heads Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey on the TIFF website, stating that the King St. movie house will be closed at least until Tuesday, April 14. It had been screening films including the French period romance “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and the acclaimed western “First Cow,” which opened Friday and thus screened for barely a day.

1:28 p.m.: Quebec Premier François Legault is asking everyone 70 years of age and older to stay home until further notice.

Legault says seniors are far more at risk for COVID-19, adding that all visitors to hospitals, seniors’ residences and long-term care facilities will be forbidden.

1:17 p.m.: Hundreds of people have descended on the first dedicated COVID-19 assessment centre in Ottawa, but most have not required testing.

About 200 people were lined up to get into the community rink turned medical facility when it opened Saturday morning. More arrived sporadically throughout the day, but many found they didn’t meet the criteria to be swabbed for signs of the virus.

Only those who have fever and cough symptoms and have travelled outside of the country or had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 are being tested.

1:07 p.m.: U.S. President Donald Trump said travel restrictions from Europe would be broadened to include the U.K. and Ireland, as countries across the globe are taking more aggressive measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and combat the economic damage.

Trump also said he was considering restrictions on domestic travel for areas hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. He didn’t provide specifics.

Trump added at a Saturday news conference that said he took a test to determine whether he has coronavirus, days after learning that he’s come in contact with people who were infected or are concerned they’ve got the virus. At a White House news conference on Saturday, Trump said he doesn’t have a fever and took the test in response to repeated media inquiries. Trump had said earlier that White House doctors said he didn’t need to be tested. “I won’t know for a day or two,” Trump said of the results.

12:23 p.m.: Ontario’s Health Minister Christine Elliott and Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman discouraged panic-shopping on Saturday, reassuring the province’s consumers that “our food supply is robust and that our distribution system will continue to operate and remain responsive to the needs of Ontarians. Rest assured, we have plenty of food that will continue to reach grocery stores on a regular basis.”

Long queues outside of supermarkets have been a common sight, but the ministers’ announcement urged residents to “Please practice normal grocery buying habits and rest assured that our grocery production and supply chain will continue to provide Ontarians with the food we enjoy each and every day.”

12:18 a.m.: The White House announced Saturday that it is now conducting temperature checks on anyone who is in close contact with President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence.

On Friday, he declared a state of emergency as schools and workplaces across the country shuttered, flights were cancelled and Americans braced for war against the health threat.

11:53 a.m.: Mirvish Productions, Toronto’s largest theatrical production company, announced Saturday it’s shutting down its shows, including the smash hit “Hamilton,” for four weeks.

David Mirvish’s announcement stated that: “Out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, all Mirvish theatres will suspend performances, effective from the matinee today through Sunday, April 12. Regarding performances beyond April 12, we will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves and will update the community on our website and via email.”

Ticket holders are being offered refunds, credit toward future shows, or tickets for other productions.

“For the sake of our entire community, I look forward to life returning to normal as soon as possible,” said Mirvish.

The shows going dark are “Hamilton,” “Come From Away,” “Summer” and “Us/Them.” A production of “The Boy Friend” starring Kelsey Grammer, slated to start March 29, has been cancelled outright, “as the show was from London and it is not advisable to have a visiting company from abroad at this time.”

Mirvish Productions had come under criticism in the previous few days for declining to go dark even as other live entertainments, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, postponed or cancelled shows.

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Earlier, Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre cancelled its entire season on Friday night, including shows slated for May.

11:50 a.m.: In Britain, 10 new deaths announced Saturday nearly doubled the full total, which is now 21. The number of people infected rose to over 1,100, an increase of 342, the largest single-day jump yet.

11:23 a.m.: The men’s curling world championship in Glasgow, Scotland, was cancelled this morning.

Brad Gushue’s rink from Newfoundland and Labrador was going to represent Canada at the world championship March 28 to April 5 after winning the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier earlier this month.

The World Curling Federation is considering how this will impact the Olympic qualifications for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The women’s championship in Prince George, B.C., was officially cancelled on Thursday.

11:09 a.m.: Ontario is reporting 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the province. The new figures were released this morning by the provincial government.

The cases appear to be concentrated across southern Ontario. Ontario is currently reporting 101 cases of COVID-19, with four classified as resolved.

Nine of the cases belonged to Toronto’s public health unit, three from Durham Region, one from Peel and one from Halton. Twenty new cases were announced by Ontario on Friday.

Quebec reported four new cases of the virus on Saturday, bringing the provincial tally up to 21 and The Canadian Press’ national tally to 224.

11:05 a.m.: Italian doctors in at least two hospitals treating COVID-19 cases have started using a drug normally prescribed for people with chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Paolo Ascierto, director of the immunology clinic at the Pascale Institute in Naples, told Italian state TV on Saturday that of the first six ICU patients treated with tocilizumab, three showed significant improvement of their lung inflammation judging by CT scans. One of the six died shortly after the drug was administered.

Ascierto stressed that the drug fights the lung inflammation from pneumonia in coronavirus patients but doesn’t act on the virus itself. Italy’s government pharmaceutical regulator, AIFA, is allowing the drug to be used for compassionate purposes, since it is only officially approved in the country for use in autoimmune diseases.

10:30 a.m.: Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King and his family are self-isolating after a trip to Boston earlier this week.

In a statement issued late Friday, King says they were in the U.S. for less than 24 hours and he’s been told by health officials that the risk of exposure to COVID-19 to both he and his family is considered extremely low.

King says he and his family are “feeling great” and aren’t experiencing any symptoms, but they are following the advice of the chief public health officer, and are self-isolating and self-monitoring at home for the next 14 days.

9:33 a.m.: Media are reporting that Spain’s government will announce Saturday that it is placing tight restrictions on movement for the nation of 46 million people while declaring a two-week state of emergency to fight the sharp rise in infections.

According to a draft of the government order (to be announced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez) obtained by the Associated Press, people will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, commute to work, go to medical centres and banks, or take trips related to the care for the young and the elderly. Those limitations will take hold at Monday at 7 a.m. GMT.

Effectively immediately, Spain is also closing all restaurants, bars, hotels, education centres nationwide, and other non-essential retail outlets, a move some of the hardest-hit communities have already carried out.

Health authorities in Spain said Saturday that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, half of them in the capital, Madrid. That represents a national increase of over 1,500 in 24 hours.

British budget airline Jet2 apparently turned back in mid-air all its planes bound for Spain as it announced the cancellation of all its flights to the country in anticipation of movement restrictions.

Air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said at least seven Jet2 flights with a destination in Spain turned around and came back to the U.K on Saturday.

9:23 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada, courtesy of The Canadian Press: 198 total (192 confirmed, six presumptive; 11 cases resolved.) Ontario: 79 confirmed (five cases resolved); British Columbia: 64 confirmed, including one death (six cases resolved); Alberta: 29 confirmed; Quebec: 17 confirmed; New Brunswick: One confirmed, one presumptive; Manitoba: One confirmed, three presumptive; Saskatchewan: Two presumptive; with an additional confirmed case among Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton.

8:35 a.m.: The World Health Organization’s tracking of the virus toll was updated Saturday morning, bringing the global total to 142,320 confirmed cases and 5,388 deaths — an increase of almost 10,000 and more than 400, respectively, since Friday afternoon.

7:54 a.m.: Austria is setting aside 4 billion euros ($6.1 billion) in liquidity and subsidies to support the economy against the impact of the coronavirus, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told journalists on Saturday. Austria has also imposed a quarantine over Heiligenblut, another village in the Carinthian Alps, following Ischgl and St. Anton in Tyrol.

7:40 a.m.: Canadian prison officials say they are adopting an existing flu-outbreak plan in preparation for the coronavirus outbreak. “CSC has considerable experience managing influenza outbreaks and the requirements for managing COVID-19 are similar,” Correctional Service Canada spokeswoman Martine Rondeau said in an email to The Canadian Press, adding there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in CSC institutions.

In Ontario, the provincial government announced late Friday it was barring personal visits to inmates in its adult provincial jails, allowing only professional visits, such as from prisoners’ lawyers. Experts and prisoner advocates have expressed concerns for the health of the highly vulnerable prisoner population.

Ontario further added that intermittent inmates doing time on the weekends will be permitted to return home.

7:35 a.m.: Philippine officials on Saturday announced a night curfew in the capital Manila and said millions of people in the densely populated region should leave their homes during the daytime only for work or urgent errands.

Drastic steps announced by President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday sparked widespread confusion and questions, prompting officials on Saturday to detail the measures and issue guidelines for the month-long restrictions taking effect Sunday.

The measures involve suspending domestic travel by land, air and sea to and from the capital region, home to more than 12 million people. A copy of the guidelines said the movement of people in the metropolis “shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work.”

7:32 a.m.: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there is no need to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus at this point, while pledging to support an economy reeling from the spread of the disease.

Abe told reporters on Saturday that the infection rate in the country remains lower than other major nations, while warning Japan cannot let down its guard over the virus. Japan’s economy was already teetering on the brink of recession when the disease took hold.

The crisis has also raised questions over whether Tokyo would be able to host the Summer Olympics planned to start from July. U.S. President Donald Trump this week suggested that Japan may want to delay the Olympics by a year. Japan and the International Olympic Committee have said they are going ahead with the games as planned.

7:20 a.m.: Iran said Saturday the coronavirus outbreak has killed another 97 people, pushing the death toll in the country to 611 amid 12,729 confirmed cases.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki said there would be “some new restrictions” on movement into and out of cities, without elaborating. There are concerns that the number of infections in Iran is much higher than the confirmed cases reported by the government, with some Iranian lawmakers even speaking out.

3:20 a.m.: Saudi Arabia suspended all international passenger flights for “at least 2 weeks, effective Saturday night.”

Gulf nations have been scrambling to contain the pandemic. In the United Arab Emirates, health officials ordered the elderly to stay home because of the coronavirus outbreak and authorities said some federal employees could begin working from home for two weeks starting Sunday.

Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper reported that nightclubs and tourist restaurants in the emirate will be shut down until the end of March. The Department of Culture and Tourism also suspended all planned events, including concerts, in Abu Dhabi. The decision does not extend to Dubai.

3:01 a.m.: Apple plans on closing all of its retail stores globally, except for locations in China. The company will continue to pay employees during the closures, and workers across the company will be allowed to work remotely if their jobs permit it, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a note on the company’s website.

Apple has around 500 retail stores worldwide, including hundreds in the U.S., which along with the company’s website and direct sales force accounted for 31% of the company’s $260 billion in sales in the year ended September 2019.

12:59 a.m. ET: The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would make coronavirus testing free and provide paid sick leave to many of those affected by the pandemic. The proposed bill will now move to the Senate.

Late Friday night: Ontario is barring personal visits to inmates in its adult provincial jails to try to keep COVID-19 out. The province’s health minister and solicitor general announced the move late Friday night. They say professional visits, such as from prisoners’ lawyers, will continue.

Offenders who serve their sentences on weekends will also see restrictions loosened. They’re to report to jail at the usual time but will be sent home again, since they’re considered low risk.

With files from Star wire services

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