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Georgia postpones presidential primary till May ATLANTA — Georgia election officials are postponing the state’s March 24 presidential primaries until May because of fears over the coronavirus. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement that in-person early voting, which began statewide March 2, will be halted and the election will be moved to May 19, when Georgia’s other 2020 primary elections are being held. The action followed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature of an emergency declaration that unlocked sweeping powers to fight COVID-19. In a speech Saturday, the governor renewed a call for places of worship, schools and others to consider canceling large gatherings as cases in the state rise. Share this -







First California-based U.S. sailor tests positive The first California-based U.S. sailor has tested positive for coronavirus, Navy officials said Saturday. The results were received Friday, the Navy said in a statement. The patient employed at Naval Base San Diego would mark "the first positive case for a Sailor in California," the military branch said. The service member and those who have had close contact with the patient were isolated at home, the Navy said. The branch was investigating other possible contacts with the sailor. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar this week said two U.S. Marines based there are presumed positive. The San Diego installation is the quarantine site for hundreds of evacuees from virus-plagued cruise ship Grand Princess. Share this -







Fake test kits seized at L.A. airport Customs and Border Protection officers seized a package this week at Los Angeles International Airport that they believe contained fake COVID-19 test kits. U.S. Customs and Border Protections Customs officers at Los Angeles International Airport this week seized a package they believe contained fake coronavirus testing kits, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Saturday. The seizure took place Thursday when officers examining a parcel with the words "purified water vials" found items inside labeled "Corona Virus 2019nconv (COVID-19)" and "Virus1 Test Kit," CBP spokesman Jaime Ruiz said in a statement. "The shipment was turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for analysis," he said The package was from the United Kingdom. CBP officials warned Americans to be wary of "bogus" home testing kits found online. Share this -







7 more deaths reported in U.S. Seven additional coronavirus deaths were reported Saturday: Three in Washington, one in Louisiana, one in Virginia and one in New York and one in Florida. The deaths in Washington bring that state's total to 40, the Florida death is the state's third, the New York death is the state's second, and the deaths in Louisiana and Virginia are the first reported by those states. The total death toll in the U.S. is 58. Share this -







Kids who came into contact with Rudy Gobert denied testing, woman says A woman says she and a group of Native American children who met NBA player Rudy Gobert at Monday night's game in Salt Lake City are being denied the coronavirus test despite his positive result for the virus. The woman, Samantha Eldridge, alleges that two of the girls she was with took a photo with Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive, leading the league to suspend the season. "I'm sharing my story now because I've heard of other families in direct contact with individuals testing positive for the virus and not enough tests are available," she said. "It's also a matter of speaking up for our Native youth and ensuring their safety and health." Read the full story here. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz warms up before a game on March 6, 2020. Omar Rawlings / Getty Images file Share this -







Sen. Rubio tweets he wants to add on to House coronavirus bill .@SmallBizCmte has a bipartisan plan to:



- Protect workers from layoffs & small businesses from closing due to public health restrictions; &



- Help small businesses provide the goods & services we need to deal with #COVIDー19



I hope we can add it to the bill the House passed — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 14, 2020 Share this -







Spanish prime minister declares state of emergency, country to undergo partial lockdown Spanish police cross a virtually deserted square Saturday, amidst concerns over Spain's coronavirus outbreak, in the Basque city of Vitoria. Vincent West / Reuters Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared a state of emergency on Saturday, stating the coronavirus pandemic required "extraordinary decisions." The government, he said, had agreed to a number of economic measures aimed to help workers and companies during the period. The state of emergency is to last for all of Spain for 15 days. Sanchez also confirmed that the country would be under partial lockdown, as the nation coped with the spread of the disease. Share this -







France gets ready to close all cafés, restaurants, clubs and cinemas People gather at a cafe's terrace in Le Touquet, France, on Saturday, after the government announced that the closure of all non-essential public places starting at midnight, including restaurants and cafes. Ludovic Marin / AFP - Getty Images All restaurants, cafés, cinemas and clubs in France will close at midnight in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the French prime minister Édouard Philippe said in a press conference. He said the virus is spreading faster even though limitations on mass gatherings were imposed. "People are still going to cafes and restaurants which is something that I would normally enjoy because this is the French way of living but not during these times," he said. Places of worship are expected to remain open but no ceremonies will be taking place. Some stores, pharmacies, tobacco shops and public offices will remain open as well. Share this -







Israel to close restaurants and coffee shops to stop coronavirus spread Israel will be closing "all unnecessary institutions like restaurants and coffee shops" in an effort to halt all leisure activities starting Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a press conference on Saturday. All supermarkets and pharmacies will stay open in an effort to avoid food and medicine shortages, he said. Banking services are expected to continue as usual, and gas stations will remain open. Netanyahu also advised people to keep two meters away from one another and encouraged anyone who doesn't need to go to work to stay home. Share this -







Court cites coronavirus in blocking Trump administration's food stamp cuts Food stamps beneficiaries do their grocery shopping at Agranel Supermarket in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in 2019. Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo / The Washington Post via Getty Images A federal court blocked the Trump administration's rule that would have forced 700,000 low-income Americans to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, on April 1. Judge Beryl A. Howell, the chief of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, cited the coronavirus pandemic in her decision to suspend the rule from going into effect. "Especially now, as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks, guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP, is essential," Howell wrote. The U.S. Department of Agriculture rule change affects people between the ages of 18 and 49 who are childless and not disabled. Under current rules, this group is required to work at least 20 hours a week for more than three months over a 36-month period to qualify for food stamps, but states have been able to create waivers for areas that face high unemployment. "USDA disagrees with the court’s reasoning and will appeal its decision," an agency spokesperson said. Read the full story here. Share this -





