United States
US President Donald Trump has declared a national state of emergency after saying he would “likely” be tested soon for the novel coronavirus, although he stressed he was “displaying no symptoms.”
Trump was pressed repeatedly during a White House news conference on whether he should be tested after coming into contact with a Brazilian official now known to have COVID-19.
The president initially shut down the question, saying that per the advice of White House doctors, “I don’t have any of the symptoms.”
“And we don’t want people without symptoms to go and do the test,” he told reporters.
But when grilled by reporters about his encounter with the official at his Florida resort, he changed tack, saying: “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to be tested” and that he “most likely” would be, “fairly soon.” Trump declared the state of emergency as the US House of Representatives early Saturday overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus relief package for Americans hit by the outbreak.
“To unleash the full power of the federal government, I’m officially declaring a national emergency,” Trump said, announcing $50 billion in federal funds to battle the contagion.
Wall Street stocks rallied Friday as financial markets endured a rollercoaster ride after a week of spectacular losses triggered by fears that the deadly outbreak will lead to a global recession.
Europe
The World Health Organization said Friday Europe was now the “epicenter” for the global coronavirus pandemic—and warned it was impossible to know when the outbreak would peak.
The continent had now “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China”, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic,” he said.
Tedros was speaking at news conference held virtually to avoid any potential spread of the virus among journalists.
“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” he said, referring to the global numbers.
Canada
His children play with Lego in their rooms, his wife spends a lot of time on the phone: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday offered a glimpse into the Canadian first family’s COVID-19 quarantine while reassuring an anxious nation that he continues to govern.
“I want to be clear. I have no symptoms. I’m feeling good. Technology allows me to work from home,” Trudeau told a news conference outside his official residence in Ottawa.
Standing alone in front of the small brick cottage, journalists giving him several meters (yards) clearance, the prime minister spoke publicly for the first time since his wife Sophie tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The announcement was made late Thursday that the 48-year-old Canadian leader, his 44-year-old wife and their three children, aged 6-12, would be confined for 14 days to the house a few kilometers (miles) from parliament.
Telegoverning, he said “is an inconvenience and somewhat frustrating.”
“We’re all social beings after all, but we have to do this.”
China
CHINA has reported 11 new infections of the coronavirus on Saturday, and for the first time since the start of the epidemic the majority of them were imported cases from overseas.
The National Health Commission said there were four more people infected in Hubei’s capital Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December.
The daily tally is the lowest for Wuhan since China started reporting figures in January.
The other seven new infections — four in Shanghai, two in Gansu province and one in Beijing — were of people arriving from overseas, fueling fears that China’s strict containment measures may be undone by people coming in from hot spots in other countries.
Their nationality was not specified. There have now been 95 imported cases.
Another 13 people died, bringing the national toll from the disease in mainland China to 3,189. Nearly 81,000 people have now been infected.
The Netherlands
Dutch national airline KLM said it would cut up to 2,000 jobs as it battled the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak, and announced other cost-cutting measures.
Chief executive Pieter Elbers said KLM — which has around 33,000 employees – would also ask personnel to work shortened hours, while grounding its fleet of six Boeing 747s from April 1.
“In the coming months we’ll reduce 1,500 to 2,000 jobs to mean that not only in the coming weeks but in the coming months we will have fewer colleagues,” Elbers said in a video message posted on KLM’s website.
The airline’s top official said the job cuts mainly included part-time workers, those destined for retirement and natural attrition.
“We believe this is adequate to ensure that there are no other forced retrenchments,” Elbers said.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it would suspend international flights for two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“The Kingdom’s government decided to suspend international flights for two weeks (Starting from Sunday March 15th) as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of #CoronaVirus,” the foreign ministry tweeted.
Saudi Arabia has recorded 86 cases of the virus so far, but no deaths, according to the health ministry.
The kingdom had already halted flights to some countries and closed schools and universities as part of measures to contain the disease.
Authorities have also suspended the “umrah” year-round pilgrimage to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina for fear of the virus spreading. AFP