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Apple closing all stores outside China Apple is closing all its retail stores outside China until March 27 in order to protect workers and help stop the spread of the coronavirus illness COVID-19, the company announced early Saturday. The company is also committing $15 million to help with the worldwide response to the crisis, CEO Tim Cook said. Apple’s stores in China have already re-opened. The company said it learned lessons about best practices and the situation in China, which is where the coronavirus outbreak began. “One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” Apple said. "All of our hourly workers will continue to receive pay in alignment with business as usual operations," Apple said. In our workplaces and communities, we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Apple will be temporarily closing all stores outside of Greater China until March 27 and committing $15M to help with worldwide recovery. https://t.co/ArdMA43cFJ — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 14, 2020 Share this -







Montana has first presumptive cases Four people in Montana have presumptively tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the governor said Friday. The four people – three men and a woman, in Gallatin, Yellowstone, Silver Bow, and Lewis and Clark counties – appear to be the first reported within the state. They were described as being in their 40s and 50s. Montana’s health department previously said that a Montana resident had tested positive but that the patient got the coronavirus illness COVID-19 out of state and has not yet returned. Tests are considered presumptively positive until they are confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Montana's cases mean that 49 out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, have reported confirmed or presumptively positive cases, according to an NBC News count of reports. As of Friday, West Virginia's health department has not reported any positive cases, but said tests were pending for five people. Four people in Montana have tested positive for COVID-19. We've been monitoring this rapidly evolving situation and vigorously preparing for this virus to reach Montana, making today's news unsurprising. https://t.co/uW8wE1R46X — Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) March 14, 2020 Share this -







President's doctor says Trump doesn't need to be tested The president does not need to take a test to determine if he's positive for coronavirus because two interactions he had with known patients were "low risk," a White House doctor said in a memo released Friday. The memo was made public hours after Trump said he would be tested. "Not for that reason, but because I think I will do it anyway," the president said Friday when asked about his interaction at his Mar-a-Lago resort last weekend with an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Fabio Wajngarten, who turned up positive. Physician to the president, Sean P. Conley, argued that because Trump's interaction was minimal, including a handshake, and because Wajngarten and another patient were not exhibiting symptoms at the time they socialized with the president, Trump's unlikely to get the virus. Read more here. Share this -







Pentagon halts all domestic travel starting Monday In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Pentagon is imposing new travel restrictions on employees, including service members and their families. The limits will start Monday, the Department of Defense announced Friday night. All domestic travel will be stopped as of next week. This includes domestic travel, permanent change of station and temporary duty. Civilian hiring at Department of Defense installations will also be halted. Read more here. Share this -







Denver moves to limit police contact with public Denver police will limit contact with the public when possible in order to limit the spread of coronavirus, the mayor announced Friday. Mayor Michael Hancock said residents with low-level complaints would be directed to make them online or over the phone "to further reduce person-to-person interactions." "To be clear, this change will not impact the dispatching of officers to high-priority emergency incidents," he said. In a statement, the city said low-priority reports could include a property crime that previously occurred, theft, vandalism, lost property or identity theft. It said the policy would begin "immediately on a small scale." Share this -







D.C. Metro reduces subway, bus service starting Monday D.C. Metro announced Friday that services on subway and bus lines will be reduced to weekend schedules to help slow the spread of coronavirus starting Monday. Trains will run every 12 minutes Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, trains will run every 15 minutes. Click here for more details. Share this -







NCAA to extend eligibility of spring sports athletes The NCAA is planning to extend the eligibility of athletes on spring sports teams by one year to make up for the season lost to the new coronavirus. The details of how the extra eligibility will work are being ironed out. All three NCAA divisions would potentially allow another year for athletes in the 14 spring sports, which include baseball, softball, lacrosse and golf. The decision comes after the NCAA announced Thursday that its winter and spring championships would be canceled as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. Some, but not all, conferences have announced that their spring sports teams would not continue their regular seasons. Share this -





