The latest coronavirus news: There are more than 142,000 coronavirus cases in 129 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization.Nearly 5,400 people have died worldwide.In the United States, there are at least 2,200 cases in 49 states and Washington D.C.At least 51 Americans have died: 37 in Washington state, five in California; two in Florida; one in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New York and South Dakota.President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency in response to the outbreak on Friday.Google, US government to develop coronavirus websiteGoogle now says it is working with the government on the creation of a national website containing information about coronavirus symptoms and testing information.”Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a national website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information,” the company said in a series of tweets Saturday evening.The company did not give a time frame of when such a website would be up and running.On Friday after the president said Google was helping to develop a website and it would be available soon, the company said it would not be publishing a national-scale website for coronavirus testing anytime soon.Instead, a health-focused subsidiary owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, said it intended to launch a small-scale website next week to begin to triage California-based patients. The website will aim to serve a broader population only “over time” — not “very quickly.”In a different tweet Saturday night, the company did also mention the pilot website in the San Francisco area.”What we’re building is a triage tool that will live on ProjectBaseline.com, and we plan to pilot it in California next week,” said Carolyn Wang, a spokesperson for the Alphabet subsidiary, Verily, before the company made its Saturday night announcement.”Our aspiration is for the triage tool to be used much more broadly over time. Initially, we’re linking it with several sites in the Bay Area to test and iterate, and collaborating closely with organizations like Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp who are also working on additional approaches to making testing more accessible and expedient in other areas.”President Trump tests negative for coronavirus, White House saysPresident Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to a statement from the White House.Trump took the test on Friday, he said during a Saturday news conference, after coming into recent contact with two individuals who have tested positive for the virus.”Last night after an in-depth discussion with the president regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed,” according to the statement about the results released by press secretary Stephanie Grisham with Trump’s permission. “One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the president remains symptom-free. I have been in daily contact with the CDC and White House Coronoavirus Task Force, and we are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation.”Georgia to postpone primaries over coronavirus; 2nd state to do soGeorgia’s March 24 presidential primaries will be postponed until May because of fears over the new coronavirus, state election officials announced Saturday, a day after Louisiana also pushed back its primaries.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, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement Saturday.Americans are waking up to a country under a national emergencyIn many neighborhoods, grocery shelves will be empty. International travel is now heavily restricted. Some church services may be canceled or live streamed this weekend.There won’t be NBA, golf or soccer games to watch. Broadway shows have halted too. And in many states, mass gatherings are outright banned.All but one state have reported positive tests, with more than 2,200 cases across America. At least 51 people have died: 37 in Washington state, which now reports at least 568 cases; five in California, two in Florida, one in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New York and South Dakota.On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed an 82-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus died in a New York City hospital Friday, marking the state’s first coronavirus-related deaths. The woman was “long suffering with emphysema,” Cuomo said.During a press briefing with the coronavirus task force Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that he has been tested for coronavirus Friday night. Trump, when asked when he would announce the results, said that the test was sent to a lab and could take a day or two.Ahead of the briefing, a member of the White House physician’s office along with a press aide took the temperatures of members of the press.A journalist was denied entry into the White House press briefing after having a 99.9 fever.White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement Saturday that “out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the President and Vice President.”The President said he also had his temperature taken before entering the briefing and that it was normal.Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the virus a pandemic, with global cases now topping 142,000.”We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.Trump declared the national emergency Friday, freeing up $50 billion in federal resources to combat the outbreaks.”No resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever,” he said.The U.S. has “not reached our peak” in terms of novel coronavirus cases in the country, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said Saturday in the White House briefing room.Fauci added that there will be more cases and more deaths, primarily among vulnerable older individuals.On testing, Fauci said, “Now it’s all systems go. Let’s look forward,” following the national emergency declaration.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 more tests available, Trump saysTrump’s announcement came nearly two days after he said he was banning travel from Europe, a restriction his administration later clarified would apply only to foreign nationals and not to American citizens who had been screened prior to entering the United States. The ban, which went into effect yesterday, will be expanded Saturday to include the United Kingdom and Ireland, effective at midnight Monday, Vice President Mike Pence announced during a press conference Saturday. The Trump administration is also considering some domestic travel restrictions, specifically with regards to certain areas hard hit with the coronavirus.Trump did not provide any specifics or a possible timeframe.“We’re working with the states and we’re considering other restrictions,” Trump told reporters during Saturday’s White House news briefing.“We are considering a broad range of measures,” Pence added during the briefing. There are preliminary conversations about halting some air or train travel between some major U.S. cities as a potential additional step going forward. Some flights have already slowed to those places and there’s an expectation that if other hotspots pop up, flights would similarly slow down due to lack of demand, which might mean they don’t need to put formal restrictions in place.In further efforts to curb the spread of the virus, the Trump administration said Friday it was partnering with the private sector to also boost testing capacity — with both more tests and a new method of drive-through testing.The country’s testing system has so far received stark criticism by health officials and residents who say they were turned away despite showing symptoms.Dr. Anthony Fauci, with the National Institutes of Health, said earlier this week the U.S. testing system was failing to meet the public’s needs.”The idea of anybody getting it (a test) easily, the way people in other countries are doing it, we’re not set up for that,” he told a congressional committee Thursday. “Do I think we should be? Yes, but we’re not.”On Friday, Trump said 5 million coronavirus tests would be available within a month, adding American retail executives would be donating resources to facilitate drive-through testing across the country.But those companies later said they had few details on what they could offer or when test kits would be available.Related video: Cities across the U.S. hope to slow coronavirus by ‘flattening the curve’ Meanwhile, facilities in New York, Illinois and Colorado have begun offering drive-through testing.”Drive through testing means people in this community can call a telephone number, make an appointment and then can come to be tested and literally drive through the testing facilities,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “It’s not only faster and easier, it’s also smarter and safer because you’re not exposing people who may be positive.”Sports, entertainment, church haltedThe virus has touched every part of American culture.On Capitol Hill, nine U.S. lawmakers are taking steps to self-quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. And courts across the U.S. are delaying trials due to coronavirus concerns.In New York, The Broadway League said it was suspending shows through April 12.And shows like “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” “Last Week Tonight,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Real Time with Bill Maher” will all temporarily halt production.The Walt Disney Company also announced its resort in Florida would be closing its doors through the end of the month, along with Disneyland in California.All that as governors across the country banned public gatherings.Cuomo directed events in New York with more than 500 people to be canceled or postponed. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee banned all events with more than 250 people in the state’s largest three counties.Similar guidance was issued in California, Oregon, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah.The NCAA also announced it was canceling March Madness — the biggest annual event in college basketball.Related video: Why ‘social distancing’ and self-quarantine measures save lives during coronavirus outbreakMajor League Baseball, Major League Soccer, U.S. Soccer, the National Hockey League and PGA Tour all canceled events as well. NASCAR announced it was restricting attendance to only “competitors, crews, officials and other necessary personnel to conduct the race.”On Wednesday, the NBA announced it was suspending its season to “determine next steps moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.” At least two NBA players also tested positive.The Boston Marathon, originally set for April 20, was also postponed to September.Royal Caribbean Cruises is suspending all cruises in the U.S. through April 10, a statement from the cruise line said.All current sailings will end as scheduled and service is expected to resume April 11, the statement said. Worship services are changing their ways too.Earlier this week Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recommended churches across the state cancel services over the weekend.”I believe that God gives us wisdom to protect each other and we should do that,” he said. “We have a lot of opportunity for virtual services.”In New York City, live stream traffic has almost doubled in the last week for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, according to an Archdiocese of New York spokeswoman.Employees, children staying home As more residents are encouraged by their state leaders to stay home, major companies have begun rolling out policies for working remotely.On Saturday, Apple announced it was shutting down all stores outside Greater China and encouraged employees who could work remotely to do so. All hourly employees will continue getting paid, Apple CEO Tim Cook said.AT&T, the owner of CNN, also directed employees who can to work from home. The message was similar to the one sent out by other major companies, like Google and Amazon.That means many parents will have to juggle work and family as at least 18 states have announced school closures. At least 21 million students have been affected due to school closures across the country, according to Education Week.Empty grocery aislesAs Americans try to prepare for what’s next, across the country, more and more are faced with empty store shelves.A Massachusetts resident told CNN it took nearly half an hour to check out at the local grocery store, and staff members were reassuring shoppers over the intercom the store would be open all weekend.The co-owner of Morton Williams Supermarkets in New York told CNN Wednesday they saw a 300-400% increase in sales in a day.”As you see here in these shelves, we cannot stock these items quickly enough,” Avi Kaner said.In New York City, Richie Maruffi of Arnold Bread Distributor said he cannot keep bread on the shelves in stores.”The beginning of my week was normal — Monday and Tuesday was normal. Came out here like in the middle of the week, and it just got insane. So, I can’t keep up,” he said. “This week’s pretty much done already. I have to preorder like a week ahead.”Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Walmart told CNN shopping patterns were similar to those “you would see as people prepare for a major storm.”

The latest coronavirus news:

• There are more than 142,000 coronavirus cases in 129 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization.
• Nearly 5,400 people have died worldwide.
• In the United States, there are at least 2,200 cases in 49 states and Washington D.C.
• At least 51 Americans have died: 37 in Washington state, five in California; two in Florida; one in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New York and South Dakota.
• President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency in response to the outbreak on Friday.

---

Google, US government to develop coronavirus website

Google now says it is working with the government on the creation of a national website containing information about coronavirus symptoms and testing information.

“Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a national website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information,” the company said in a series of tweets Saturday evening.

The company did not give a time frame of when such a website would be up and running.

On Friday after the president said Google was helping to develop a website and it would be available soon, the company said it would not be publishing a national-scale website for coronavirus testing anytime soon.

Instead, a health-focused subsidiary owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, said it intended to launch a small-scale website next week to begin to triage California-based patients. The website will aim to serve a broader population only “over time” — not “very quickly.”

In a different tweet Saturday night, the company did also mention the pilot website in the San Francisco area.

“What we’re building is a triage tool that will live on ProjectBaseline.com, and we plan to pilot it in California next week,” said Carolyn Wang, a spokesperson for the Alphabet subsidiary, Verily, before the company made its Saturday night announcement.

“Our aspiration is for the triage tool to be used much more broadly over time. Initially, we’re linking it with several sites in the Bay Area to test and iterate, and collaborating closely with organizations like Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp who are also working on additional approaches to making testing more accessible and expedient in other areas.”

President Trump tests negative for coronavirus, White House says

President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to a statement from the White House.

Trump took the test on Friday, he said during a Saturday news conference, after coming into recent contact with two individuals who have tested positive for the virus.

“Last night after an in-depth discussion with the president regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed,” according to the statement about the results released by press secretary Stephanie Grisham with Trump’s permission. “One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the president remains symptom-free. I have been in daily contact with the CDC and White House Coronoavirus Task Force, and we are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation.”

Georgia to postpone primaries over coronavirus; 2nd state to do so

Georgia’s March 24 presidential primaries will be postponed until May because of fears over the new coronavirus, state election officials announced Saturday, a day after Louisiana also pushed back its primaries.

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, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement Saturday.

Americans are waking up to a country under a national emergency

In many neighborhoods, grocery shelves will be empty. International travel is now heavily restricted. Some church services may be canceled or live streamed this weekend.

There won’t be NBA, golf or soccer games to watch. Broadway shows have halted too. And in many states, mass gatherings are outright banned.

All but one state have reported positive tests, with more than 2,200 cases across America. At least 51 people have died: 37 in Washington state, which now reports at least 568 cases; five in California, two in Florida, one in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New York and South Dakota.

On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed an 82-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus died in a New York City hospital Friday, marking the state’s first coronavirus-related deaths.

The woman was “long suffering with emphysema,” Cuomo said.

I am saddened to report the #COVID19-related death of an 82-year-old women in NYC who had a pre-existing respiratory disease (emphysema).

I extend my condolences to her family during this challenging time.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 14, 2020

During a press briefing with the coronavirus task force Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that he has been tested for coronavirus Friday night. Trump, when asked when he would announce the results, said that the test was sent to a lab and could take a day or two.

Ahead of the briefing, a member of the White House physician’s office along with a press aide took the temperatures of members of the press.

A journalist was denied entry into the White House press briefing after having a 99.9 fever.

White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement Saturday that “out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the President and Vice President.”

The President said he also had his temperature taken before entering the briefing and that it was normal.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the virus a pandemic, with global cases now topping 142,000.

“We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

Trump declared the national emergency Friday, freeing up $50 billion in federal resources to combat the outbreaks.

“No resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever,” he said.

The U.S. has “not reached our peak” in terms of novel coronavirus cases in the country, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said Saturday in the White House briefing room.

Fauci added that there will be more cases and more deaths, primarily among vulnerable older individuals.

On testing, Fauci said, “Now it’s all systems go. Let’s look forward,” following the national emergency declaration.

Millions more tests available, Trump says

Trump’s announcement came nearly two days after he said he was banning travel from Europe, a restriction his administration later clarified would apply only to foreign nationals and not to American citizens who had been screened prior to entering the United States.

The ban, which went into effect yesterday, will be expanded Saturday to include the United Kingdom and Ireland, effective at midnight Monday, Vice President Mike Pence announced during a press conference Saturday.

The Trump administration is also considering some domestic travel restrictions, specifically with regards to certain areas hard hit with the coronavirus.

Trump did not provide any specifics or a possible timeframe.

“We’re working with the states and we’re considering other restrictions,” Trump told reporters during Saturday’s White House news briefing.

“We are considering a broad range of measures,” Pence added during the briefing.

There are preliminary conversations about halting some air or train travel between some major U.S. cities as a potential additional step going forward.

Some flights have already slowed to those places and there’s an expectation that if other hotspots pop up, flights would similarly slow down due to lack of demand, which might mean they don’t need to put formal restrictions in place.

In further efforts to curb the spread of the virus, the Trump administration said Friday it was partnering with the private sector to also boost testing capacity — with both more tests and a new method of drive-through testing.

The country’s testing system has so far received stark criticism by health officials and residents who say they were turned away despite showing symptoms.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, with the National Institutes of Health, said earlier this week the U.S. testing system was failing to meet the public’s needs.

“The idea of anybody getting it (a test) easily, the way people in other countries are doing it, we’re not set up for that,” he told a congressional committee Thursday. “Do I think we should be? Yes, but we’re not.”

On Friday, Trump said 5 million coronavirus tests would be available within a month, adding American retail executives would be donating resources to facilitate drive-through testing across the country.

But those companies later said they had few details on what they could offer or when test kits would be available.

Related video: Cities across the U.S. hope to slow coronavirus by ‘flattening the curve’

Meanwhile, facilities in New York, Illinois and Colorado have begun offering drive-through testing.

“Drive through testing means people in this community can call a telephone number, make an appointment and then can come to be tested and literally drive through the testing facilities,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “It’s not only faster and easier, it’s also smarter and safer because you’re not exposing people who may be positive.”

Sports, entertainment, church halted

The virus has touched every part of American culture.

On Capitol Hill, nine U.S. lawmakers are taking steps to self-quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. And courts across the U.S. are delaying trials due to coronavirus concerns.

In New York, The Broadway League said it was suspending shows through April 12.

And shows like “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” “Last Week Tonight,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Real Time with Bill Maher” will all temporarily halt production.

The Walt Disney Company also announced its resort in Florida would be closing its doors through the end of the month, along with Disneyland in California.

All that as governors across the country banned public gatherings.

Cuomo directed events in New York with more than 500 people to be canceled or postponed. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee banned all events with more than 250 people in the state’s largest three counties.

Similar guidance was issued in California, Oregon, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah.

The NCAA also announced it was canceling March Madness — the biggest annual event in college basketball.

Related video: Why ‘social distancing’ and self-quarantine measures save lives during coronavirus outbreak

Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, U.S. Soccer, the National Hockey League and PGA Tour all canceled events as well. NASCAR announced it was restricting attendance to only “competitors, crews, officials and other necessary personnel to conduct the race.”

On Wednesday, the NBA announced it was suspending its season to “determine next steps moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.” At least two NBA players also tested positive.

The Boston Marathon, originally set for April 20, was also postponed to September.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is suspending all cruises in the U.S. through April 10, a statement from the cruise line said.

All current sailings will end as scheduled and service is expected to resume April 11, the statement said.

Worship services are changing their ways too.

Earlier this week Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recommended churches across the state cancel services over the weekend.

“I believe that God gives us wisdom to protect each other and we should do that,” he said. “We have a lot of opportunity for virtual services.”

In New York City, live stream traffic has almost doubled in the last week for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, according to an Archdiocese of New York spokeswoman.

Employees, children staying home

As more residents are encouraged by their state leaders to stay home, major companies have begun rolling out policies for working remotely.

On Saturday, Apple announced it was shutting down all stores outside Greater China and encouraged employees who could work remotely to do so. All hourly employees will continue getting paid, Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

AT&T, the owner of CNN, also directed employees who can to work from home. The message was similar to the one sent out by other major companies, like Google and Amazon.

That means many parents will have to juggle work and family as at least 18 states have announced school closures. At least 21 million students have been affected due to school closures across the country, according to Education Week.

Empty grocery aisles

As Americans try to prepare for what’s next, across the country, more and more are faced with empty store shelves.

A Massachusetts resident told CNN it took nearly half an hour to check out at the local grocery store, and staff members were reassuring shoppers over the intercom the store would be open all weekend.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The co-owner of Morton Williams Supermarkets in New York told CNN Wednesday they saw a 300-400% increase in sales in a day.

“As you see here in these shelves, we cannot stock these items quickly enough,” Avi Kaner said.

In New York City, Richie Maruffi of Arnold Bread Distributor said he cannot keep bread on the shelves in stores.

“The beginning of my week was normal — Monday and Tuesday was normal. Came out here like in the middle of the week, and it just got insane. So, I can’t keep up,” he said. “This week’s pretty much done already. I have to preorder like a week ahead.”

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Walmart told CNN shopping patterns were similar to those “you would see as people prepare for a major storm.”

Source link