Coronavirus Update: Cases Globally Surpass 680,000, Trump Backs Down on Quarantine, Princess Dies of Virus
IN BRIEF
Princess Maria Teresa de Borbón-Parm of Spain became the first member of a royal family to die as a result of the coronavirus, President Trump tried and failed to institute an “enforceable” quarantine in the New York metro area, and urban centers outside of the coasts are bracing for what could be catastrophic outbreaks.
Detroit says it is already at a breaking point, while Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee are preparing for the deluge.
Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the actions by the governor of Rhode Island to stop cars with New York license plates to notify the occupants of a 14-day quarantine were illegal.
SIMPLE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF DURING THE PANDEMIC
Practice social distancing consistently no matter where you are outside your home. Wash your hands often. When you do leave to go shopping, wipe down your shopping cart with a Clorox-type wipeif you were lucky enough to lay in a supply before shelves were bared. And did we say, “wash your hands”?
TODAY’S FACTS AND FIGURES
The number of coronavirus cases across the globe is now 684,676, of which 146,400 have recovered, based on data compiled by Worldometer, a service that compiles and makes available world statistics. The death toll now stands at 32,180.
At over 10,000, the Italian death toll is more than three times that of China.
In the United States and its territories, the number of confirmed cases is at least 124,356, while the death toll stands at 2,236. By comparison, China has admitted to only 81,439 cases and a death toll of 3,300, while Italy has 92,472 cases and a death toll of 10,023. Spain has 78,787 cases and a death toll of 6,528.
Put differently, Italy has 166 deaths per million members of the population while Spain has 140. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland have had 45, 37, and 35 deaths per million respectively, while China, Germany, and the United States have reported two, five, and seven deaths per million respectively.
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
03-29 The number of people using mass transit in London, including the Tube, has plummeted by 90%, Transport for London said. “Our services are for essential journeys by vital workers in the NHS and other critical services,” it said in a statement. “No one else should be travelling.”
03-29 In the United Kingdom, Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, said that Britain should be prepared for a prolonged period of lockdown. “Everyone, I think, does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place,” he told the BBC in an interview.
03-29 The director of the U.S. health department’s civil rights office, Roger Serevino, said his office is opening a series of investigations to ensure that medical providers are not allowed to discriminate against patients by age, race, disabilities, or other factors in deciding who gets life-saving medical care during the pandemic. Such individuals “should not be put at the end of the line for health care during emergencies,” he said.
03-28 Online news sites are asking advertisers to stop blocking their adverts and promotions from running alongside coronavirus-related articles. Digital Content Next, the trade association representing multiple news organizations including Bloomberg and the New York Times, sent an open letter urging companies to exempt “premium, trusted media properties” from brand-safety filters around the topic of the pandemic.
03-28 Officials in Chicago reported that an infant who had tested positive for Covid-19 died. It is the first known instance of the death from the virus of someone under the age of one.
03-28 United Airlines, the world’s third largest carrier, said it had arranged for a $2 billion one-year line of credit through private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The line of credit was needed to ensure liquidity in order to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
03-28 The Department of Homeland Security announced the new deadline for the Real ID requirement at the nation’s airport security checkpoints. The original date for enforcement was October 1, 2020 and it is now October 1, 2021.
03-28 Under a plan organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are considering, the Summer Games would start July 23, 2021, roughly one year later than the original planned date.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
