Governments around the world are trying to take steps to address the ever-changing outbreak of a new coronavirus, which since December has infected more than 118,000 people and killed about 4,300 in 114 countries.

The virus, known officially as COVID-19, first emerged in China, where health officials Wednesday reported 24 new cases.

While the increase represents a sustained decline from the height of the outbreak in China, the country where the government puts cities on lockdown to prevent inter-community spread is now dealing with an increase in the number of cases arriving from other nations.

That prompted officials in Beijing to order anyone arriving to go into a 14-day quarantine.

Italy follows China’s playbook

Italy has followed China’s playbook after becoming a secondary center of the outbreak with more than 10,000 reported cases so far and cases in numerous other countries linked to people who traveled from Italy. Italians were under a second day of a nationwide lockdown Wednesday with people only able to move around for urgent health and work reasons.

Officials in the United States are showing increased concern as the number of cases there surpassed 1,000.

US outbreak pockets

There are pockets of outbreaks in the western state of Washington, where the governor is expected to announce a ban on gatherings of more than 250 people, and across the country in New York where that state’s governor is instituting an isolation zone around a community with more than 100 reported cases.

Most people who contract the new coronavirus experience mild or moderate symptoms, but some, mainly older people and those with existing health problems, are at risk for more serious illness.

The World Health Organization recommends people wash their hands, avoid touching their face, maintain distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, and stay home if they feel ill.

Recommendations to avoid large gatherings of people have led to numerous event cancellations around the globe.

Vatican live-streams mass

Pope Francis gave a live-streamed mass from inside the Vatican on Wednesday, and the Vatican’s representative in East Timor said the pope would not be making an expected trip there later this year.

A Premier League match between British football clubs Manchester City and Arsenal set for Wednesday night was postponed after several Arsenal players and staff members went into self-quarantine linked to contact with the owner of another club who tested positive for the virus.

Popular Coachella festival canceled

In the United States, organizers of the Coachella music festival moved the April event to October. And a Sunday debate between Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders will go on without anyone in attendance.



Prof. Anthony Hall of American Herald Tribune joins The Alex Jones Show to break down the draconian lockdown of society in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

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