Coronavirus Update: ‘We Are At War,’ No St. Patrick’s Day Parades, Amazon Suspends Some Deliveries
County Clare, Ireland
IN BRIEF
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Millions of people in the Bay Area in California have been asked to restrict their movement, Austria will impose steep fines on anyone violating its curfew regulations, and Germany is trying to repatriate its citizens from heavily affected regions.
St. Patrick’s Day parades and celebrations everywhere have been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
In Ireland, the country’s president, Michael Higgins, called on the Irish people to draw inspiration from St. Patrick and show “solidarity and concern for our fellow citizens” during the coronavirus outbreak.
TODAY’S FACTS AND STATISTICS
The number of coronavirus cases across the globe is now 194,584, of which 81,085 people have recovered. The death toll now stands at 7,892.
China, which is where the outbreak began, reported only 21 new cases and 13 deaths. Out of a total of 80.801 cases, only 8,940 are active. Meanwhile, Italy reported 3,526 new cases and 345 deaths, bringing the totals there to 31,506 and 2,503 respectively.
The number of cases in Iran, Spain, Germany, and the United States rose sharply, with each country reporting over 1,000 new cases.
The number of known Covid-19 cases in the United States has reached 5,704.
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
03-17 “We are at war,” President Emmanuel Macron told the people of France, as he asked them to stay home for at least the next 15 days due to the outbreak.
03-17 Germany said it would do “everything possible” to repatriate citizens who are stuck in countries heavily affected by the coronavirus.
03-17 Austria banned any gatherings of more than five people and said it will impose steep fines for those disobeying its curfew regulations, which are among the most stringent in Europe.
03-17 Amazon said it was banning third-party sellers from sending non-essential products to its warehouses for shipment until at least April 5. The company said it would prioritize shipments of “household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products” so it could “more quickly receive, restock, and deliver” the products to its customers.
03-17 In the United States, the Trump Administration said that it supported the idea of sending cash payments directly to Americans to cushion the blow of the many jobs that are being lost and the impact of quarantines and self-isolation on small businesses. Previously, the administration had only supported a tax credit.
03-16 The European Union is planning a 30-day shutdown of non-essential travel into the bloc from other countries. The travel ban must be approved by the 27 member state, but Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said there was strong support for the ban.
03-16 McDonald’s said it would close its dining rooms at company-owned restaurants in the United States and asked franchisees to do the same.
03-16 U.S. crude-oil prices slid below $30 a barrel, hitting a four-year low, after analysts said they expected the coronavirus and a Saudi-Russia price war to result in a fuel glut.
03-16 The University of Pennsylvania said it was cancelling its alumni weekend and holding a virtual commencement exercise. The university, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin, said it hopes to host an on-campus event to celebrate the class of 2020 in the fall.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
