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Smokers and vapers more at risk to coronavirus, New York City mayor warns Smoking and using electronic cigarettes makes people more vulnerable to coronavirus, New York City officials warned Sunday. Although a history of smoking is not considered one of the preexisting conditions that define those who are most vulnerable to the virus, it is a serious factor, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a Sunday press conference. "If you are a smoker or a vaper, this is a very good time to stop that habit and we will help you," de Blasio said. "Our health department and our colleagues in the state have a lot they can offer people who want to quit smoking, who want to quit vaping." Officials are still most concerned about those over the age of 50 who have conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes and disorders that compromise someone's immune system. De Blasio said that the city has a total of 13 confirmed coronavirus cases, seven of which were identified in the last three days. At least 146 tests have come back negative and another 76 tests still are outstanding. The city could see at least 100 or more confirmed cases over the next two or three weeks, de Blasio said. "We have to be prepared for that reality," de Blasio said. Join us at @NYCEmergencyMgt Headquarters for updates on our city’s response to COVID-19. https://t.co/AdLqvlbURC — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 8, 2020 Share this -







Saudi Arabia is closing all schools and educational institutions The empty Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque on March 6, 2020. Bandar Aldandani / AFP - Getty Images Saudi Arabia announced Sunday it will be closing all educational institutions because of coronavirus. On the official Twitter account of the Saudi press agency, authorities ordered the immediate closure of schools, colleges and universities throughout the kingdom until further notice. The move applies to both public and private schools and affects over four million students. The kingdom will be setting up virtual schools in the meantime. Saudi Arabia currently has 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Sunday, according to Reuters. To curb the virus' spread, Saudi officials suspended the umrah pilgrimage and tourist visas to Mecca and Medina last week, and photos circulated in recent days show a typically crowded Grand Mosque in Mecca nearly empty. Share this -







Connecticut confirms first presumptive coronavirus case Gov. Ned Lamont on Sunday announced the first case of presumptive positive coronavirus in the state of Connecticut. 🆕 Today the @CTDPH State Laboratory confirmed the first presumptive positive case of #COVID19 involving a #Connecticut resident. The patient, a resident of #Wilton who is 40 to 50 years of age, is being treated at @DanburyHospital.



ℹ️ https://t.co/xFq79m3t7Y pic.twitter.com/P9tkOi06rb — Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 8, 2020 The person most likely became infected the virus that causes #COVID19 during a trip to California and sought medical care shortly after returning to CT.



This case is NOT related to the one involving a @DanburyHospital employee nor the one involving a physician at @BPTHOSP. — Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 8, 2020 This #COVID19 case is considered a presumptive positive until it is confirmed by @CDCgov. Extensive contact tracing is being done. All people who have had direct, face-to-face contact with this person are being instructed to stay home and self-isolate. — Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 8, 2020 Share this -







Italy reports another 133 deaths, death toll jumps to 366 People carry supplies while waiting to enter the formerly quarantined town of Casalpusterlengo in the Lombardy region of Italy on March 8, 2020. Claudio Furlan / LaPresse via AP Italy's coronavirus death toll rose to 366 on Sunday after authorities announced another 133 deaths, the largest daily rise in reported fatalities in the country since the outbreak began. The total number of cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus in Europe, jumped 25% to 7,375 from 5,883 on Saturday, another record jump. At least 622 people have have recovered from COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus, according to Angelo Borrelli, head of the country's Civil Protection Agency. Victims in Italy who died after contracting the virus are mostly over the age of 50. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called for Italy to ban all its citizens from traveling in Europe in an effort to curb the outbreak. "Italy should ban all its citizens from travelling to Europe, because we are not able to order such a thing within (the European Union's borderless area) Schengen," Babis said on Czech Television Sunday. Italy's government has placed more than 16 million people — a quarter of the population — under lockdown. Share this -







Passengers from Grand Princess cruise ship to be quarantined in California, Texas and Georgia The Grand Princess cruise ship carrying passengers who have tested positive for coronavirus off the coast of San Francisco, Calif., on March 7, 2020. Stephen Lam / Reuters Grand Princess cruise passengers from the U.S. who have been held off the coast of California will be divided between three states for quarantine, the Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday. The Grand Princess, where at least 21 of the 3,500 people on board have tested positive for coronavirus, has been stranded in the water since Wednesday and is set to dock in Oakland on Monday. At least 1,000 passengers who are California residents will complete the mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base, about 50 miles northeast of Oakland, and Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, HHS said. Other passengers will be taken to either Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement Sunday that thirty-four state residents and American citizens from the East coast will be taken to the Marietta base for quarantine and additional testing. "I am confident that Dobbins is equipped to provide high-quality care for Americans in need while keeping Georgia families safe, and our state stands ready to assist our federal partners if requested," Kemp said. HHS said it is still working with the State Department to repatriate several hundred non-American passengers to their home countries. Share this -







Uber and Lyft promise to compensate drivers diagnosed with coronavirus Uber announced that it will support drivers with confirmed cases of coronavirus, the company said Sunday. The ride hail giant said it would support its contracted drivers who were diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus, or those forced into quarantine by public health officials, according to Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of rides and platform. Macdonald said that drivers and delivery workers will receive compensation for up to 14 days. "This has already begun in some markets and we are working to implement mechanisms to do this worldwide," McDonald said. 'We believe this is the right thing to do." Lyft also confirmed Sunday that it has decided to provide compensation to drivers infected or quarantined. The announcements from Uber and Lyft come just a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that one of the city's confirmed coronavirus cases involved an Uber driver from Queens. The patient was in isolation at a local hospital, NBC New York reported. A male Uber driver in his 30s is currently hospitalized in Queens. He is not a TLC licensed driver, and primarily drives on Long Island. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 7, 2020 Share this -







Another 16 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York There are 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday, bringing the total in the state to 105. UPDATE: There are 16 additional confirmed cases of #Coronavirus in NYS, bringing total to 105.



Westchester: 82

NYC: 12

Nassau: 5

Rockland: 2

Saratoga: 2

Suffolk: 1

Ulster: 1



We're testing aggressively & we are seeing the number of confirmed cases go up as expected. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 8, 2020 Share this -







A makeshift hospital in Wuhan, empty A staff member removes waste after the final patients were discharged from a temporary hospital set up to treat people diagnosed with coronavirus in a sports stadium in Wuhan, China, on March 8, 2020. AFP - Getty Images Share this -





