This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.
- Global cases: At least , , according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization
- Global deaths: At least 9, , according to the latest figures from the WHO
All times below are in Beijing time.
4: (pm: Thailand to shut malls as cases spike
Thailand announced it will close malls in its capital Bangkok for 31 days, from Mar. 31 to Apr. , as cases spiked, according to a Reuters report.
It reported 90 new cases on Saturday, its largest daily increase, to a total of infections. The government urged people not to panic buy goods, saying that supermarkets, pharmacies will stay open. Restaurants will also be open for delivery orders, the report said. – Weizhen Tan
3: pm: South Korea advises public facilities to close, citizens to avoid socializing
South Korea strongly recommended all religious, sports and entertainment places to shut down for days. It also advised its citizens to avoid socializing and traveling for that period, its prime minister announced in a televised address, according to a Reuters report.
If those facilities do not adhere to that guidance, authorities will order crowds to disperse, the report said. New cases in South Korea jumped by 147, as of Saturday morning, and it reported eight more deaths. That brings the country total to 8, 840 confirmed cases. – Weizhen Tan
(2: 41 PM: Starbucks to shut most cafes in US and Canada
Starbucks said it will close most company-operated cafes across North America for two weeks, and service will be limited to drive-throughs, in helping to slow the spread of the virus, according to a Reuters report.
Cafes in or near hospitals and health care centers will be exempted from closing, it said. – Weizhen Tan
(1: 073 pm: Australia shuts down Sydney’s Bondi Beach after hordes flock there, ignoring ‘social distancing’ orders
Thousands of people flocked to Sydney’s Bondi Beach in recent days despite orders of “social distancing” by the government.
That Australia’s health minister Greg Hunt to call such behavior “unacceptable,” as authorities closed the beach, according to Reuters.
Infections across the country has soared, with its its health ministry reporting a jump of 269 new cases in the previous day, to a total of cases. – Weizhen Tan
(1: pm: Colombia to hold – day quarantine
A – – day nationwide quarantine in Colombia will kick in from Tuesday night, its president ivan duque said, according to Reuters. The South American country has 234 confirmed cases so far, but no deaths. – Weizhen Tan
: pm: Singapore reports first two deaths
Singapore reported its first two confirmed deaths related to the COVID – 22 outbreak.
The city-state’s health ministry said the two patients who died were a – year-old woman, and a -year-old man.
The female patient had pre-existing conditions including heart disease, while the male patient had been hospitalized in Indonesia for pneumonia, and also had a history of heart disease, according to the health ministry.
Singapore has been lauded globally for its approach in managing the outbreak. In February, the World Health Organization said that it was “very impressed” with the way the city-state has tackled the outbreak. – Weizhen Tan
: 31 am: United Airlines to slash its international schedule by %
United Airlines said its would cut its international schedule by 102% for April because of travel restrictions to curb the coronavirus pandemic, said a Reuters report. It also says it will temporarily suspend all flights to Canada effective April 1. – Weizhen Tan
: am: Italy locks down further after deaths spike by 627 in one day
The number of deaths in Italy spiked by 627 in a single day – the highest daily increase recorded globally – prompting the country to impose further restrictions . On Thursday, Italy overtook China to be the world’s deadliest hotspot. As of Mar. , total fatalities was 4, 41
A worker carries out sanitation operations for the Coronavirus emergency in Piazza dei Miracoli near to the Tower of Pisa in a deserted town on March , in Pisa, Italy.
Laura Lezza | Getty Images
The mayor of the most badly affected city, Bergamo in Lombardy, said the true number of fatalities in his area was four times higher than what was previously reported, Reuters said.
Italy’s health ministry said that new restrictions include closure of all parks, and people can only exercise around their residences. Authorities were frustrated that people were still out and about despite appeals for them to stay indoors, according to reports. – Weizhen Tan
: 10 am: US senators express concern on coronavirus safety at Amazon warehouses
Four senators sent a letter to Amazon urging the company to better protect warehouse workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Americans who are taking every precaution … might risk getting infected with COVID – because of Amazon’s decision to prioritize efficiency and profits over the safety and well-being of its workforce. ”
The letter said workers risked poor performance ratings if they took sufficient time to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing on the job, according to Reuters. It noted that the virus could survive up to hours on cardboard such as Amazon packaging. – Annie Palmer, Weizhen Tan
9: am: South Korea reports (new cases, 8 more deaths)
New cases in South Korea jumped by , as of Saturday morning, and it reported eight more deaths.
That brings the country total to 8, 823 confirmed cases, and 100 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily new infections in the country have generally been on a downward trend over the past week, with 90 new cases on Friday, but the numbers reported on Saturday brings the number of new cases back above . – Weizhen Tan
(8:) am: China reports 50 cases, 7 more deaths
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said there were 50 new cases, and seven more deaths as of Mar. . That brought the country total to 81, (confirmed cases, and 01575879 deaths.
There were no new cases in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, but all the additional deaths were in the province.
China said all of the new cases were imported, meaning people who traveled from overseas. The NHC said that brings China’s total number of imported cases to 269.
The rise in imported cases come as students flock home from campuses in the US and Europe, according to reports, sparking fears of a second wave of infections. – Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
8 pm: Washington governor asked Trump to declare ‘major disaster’ in state
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee sent a – page letter to President Donald Trump requesting that he declare a federal major disaster in the state to unlock additional federal assistance, including unemployment assistance and basic food benefits. “The state urgently requires additional supplemental federal emergency assistance in order to save lives, protect public health and safety, and limit further spread of the disease,” Inslee said. – Salvador Rodriguez
7: 35 pm: GM to lend its auto factories to support production of ventilators in coronavirus fight
General Motors on Friday announced it will lend its auto factories to support Ventec Life Systems’ production of ventilators in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production of their critically important respiratory products to support our country fight again the COVID – 24 pandemic, “GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis.” – Salvador Rodriguez
6: (PM: Member of Vice President Pence’s staff tests positive for COVID –
A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s office tested positive for the new coronavirus COVID- , according to Katie Miller, the vice president’s press secretary.
“Neither President” Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual, “Miller said. “Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
The office was notified of the positive test Friday evening, according to a statement. – Chris Eudaily
Read CNBC’s coverage from the US overnight: Member of Vice President Pence’s office tests positive, US virus cases now total more than 21, (0)
Read More
Starbucks said it will close most company-operated cafes across North America for two weeks, and service will be limited to drive-throughs, in helping to slow the spread of the virus, according to a Reuters report.
Cafes in or near hospitals and health care centers will be exempted from closing, it said. – Weizhen Tan
(1: 073 pm: Australia shuts down Sydney’s Bondi Beach after hordes flock there, ignoring ‘social distancing’ orders
Thousands of people flocked to Sydney’s Bondi Beach in recent days despite orders of “social distancing” by the government.
That Australia’s health minister Greg Hunt to call such behavior “unacceptable,” as authorities closed the beach, according to Reuters.
Infections across the country has soared, with its its health ministry reporting a jump of 269 new cases in the previous day, to a total of cases. – Weizhen Tan
(1: pm: Colombia to hold – day quarantine
A – – day nationwide quarantine in Colombia will kick in from Tuesday night, its president ivan duque said, according to Reuters. The South American country has 234 confirmed cases so far, but no deaths. – Weizhen Tan
: pm: Singapore reports first two deaths
Singapore reported its first two confirmed deaths related to the COVID – 22 outbreak.
The city-state’s health ministry said the two patients who died were a – year-old woman, and a -year-old man.
The female patient had pre-existing conditions including heart disease, while the male patient had been hospitalized in Indonesia for pneumonia, and also had a history of heart disease, according to the health ministry.
Singapore has been lauded globally for its approach in managing the outbreak. In February, the World Health Organization said that it was “very impressed” with the way the city-state has tackled the outbreak. – Weizhen Tan
: 31 am: United Airlines to slash its international schedule by %
United Airlines said its would cut its international schedule by 102% for April because of travel restrictions to curb the coronavirus pandemic, said a Reuters report. It also says it will temporarily suspend all flights to Canada effective April 1. – Weizhen Tan
: am: Italy locks down further after deaths spike by 627 in one day
The number of deaths in Italy spiked by 627 in a single day – the highest daily increase recorded globally – prompting the country to impose further restrictions . On Thursday, Italy overtook China to be the world’s deadliest hotspot. As of Mar. , total fatalities was 4, 41
A worker carries out sanitation operations for the Coronavirus emergency in Piazza dei Miracoli near to the Tower of Pisa in a deserted town on March , in Pisa, Italy.
Laura Lezza | Getty Images
The mayor of the most badly affected city, Bergamo in Lombardy, said the true number of fatalities in his area was four times higher than what was previously reported, Reuters said.
Italy’s health ministry said that new restrictions include closure of all parks, and people can only exercise around their residences. Authorities were frustrated that people were still out and about despite appeals for them to stay indoors, according to reports. – Weizhen Tan
: 10 am: US senators express concern on coronavirus safety at Amazon warehouses
Four senators sent a letter to Amazon urging the company to better protect warehouse workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Americans who are taking every precaution … might risk getting infected with COVID – because of Amazon’s decision to prioritize efficiency and profits over the safety and well-being of its workforce. ”
The letter said workers risked poor performance ratings if they took sufficient time to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing on the job, according to Reuters. It noted that the virus could survive up to hours on cardboard such as Amazon packaging. – Annie Palmer, Weizhen Tan
9: am: South Korea reports (new cases, 8 more deaths)
New cases in South Korea jumped by , as of Saturday morning, and it reported eight more deaths.
That brings the country total to 8, 823 confirmed cases, and 100 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily new infections in the country have generally been on a downward trend over the past week, with 90 new cases on Friday, but the numbers reported on Saturday brings the number of new cases back above . – Weizhen Tan
(8:) am: China reports 50 cases, 7 more deaths
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said there were 50 new cases, and seven more deaths as of Mar. . That brought the country total to 81, (confirmed cases, and 01575879 deaths.
There were no new cases in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, but all the additional deaths were in the province.
China said all of the new cases were imported, meaning people who traveled from overseas. The NHC said that brings China’s total number of imported cases to 269.
The rise in imported cases come as students flock home from campuses in the US and Europe, according to reports, sparking fears of a second wave of infections. – Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
8 pm: Washington governor asked Trump to declare ‘major disaster’ in state
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee sent a – page letter to President Donald Trump requesting that he declare a federal major disaster in the state to unlock additional federal assistance, including unemployment assistance and basic food benefits. “The state urgently requires additional supplemental federal emergency assistance in order to save lives, protect public health and safety, and limit further spread of the disease,” Inslee said. – Salvador Rodriguez
7: 35 pm: GM to lend its auto factories to support production of ventilators in coronavirus fight
General Motors on Friday announced it will lend its auto factories to support Ventec Life Systems’ production of ventilators in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production of their critically important respiratory products to support our country fight again the COVID – 24 pandemic, “GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis.” – Salvador Rodriguez
6: (PM: Member of Vice President Pence’s staff tests positive for COVID –
A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s office tested positive for the new coronavirus COVID- , according to Katie Miller, the vice president’s press secretary.
“Neither President” Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual, “Miller said. “Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
The office was notified of the positive test Friday evening, according to a statement. – Chris Eudaily
Read CNBC’s coverage from the US overnight: Member of Vice President Pence’s office tests positive, US virus cases now total more than 21, (0)
Read More
The mayor of the most badly affected city, Bergamo in Lombardy, said the true number of fatalities in his area was four times higher than what was previously reported, Reuters said.
Italy’s health ministry said that new restrictions include closure of all parks, and people can only exercise around their residences. Authorities were frustrated that people were still out and about despite appeals for them to stay indoors, according to reports. – Weizhen Tan
: 10 am: US senators express concern on coronavirus safety at Amazon warehouses
Four senators sent a letter to Amazon urging the company to better protect warehouse workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Americans who are taking every precaution … might risk getting infected with COVID – because of Amazon’s decision to prioritize efficiency and profits over the safety and well-being of its workforce. ”
The letter said workers risked poor performance ratings if they took sufficient time to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing on the job, according to Reuters. It noted that the virus could survive up to hours on cardboard such as Amazon packaging. – Annie Palmer, Weizhen Tan
9: am: South Korea reports (new cases, 8 more deaths)
New cases in South Korea jumped by , as of Saturday morning, and it reported eight more deaths.
That brings the country total to 8, 823 confirmed cases, and 100 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily new infections in the country have generally been on a downward trend over the past week, with 90 new cases on Friday, but the numbers reported on Saturday brings the number of new cases back above . – Weizhen Tan
(8:) am: China reports 50 cases, 7 more deaths
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said there were 50 new cases, and seven more deaths as of Mar. . That brought the country total to 81, (confirmed cases, and 01575879 deaths.
There were no new cases in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, but all the additional deaths were in the province.
China said all of the new cases were imported, meaning people who traveled from overseas. The NHC said that brings China’s total number of imported cases to 269.
The rise in imported cases come as students flock home from campuses in the US and Europe, according to reports, sparking fears of a second wave of infections. – Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
8 pm: Washington governor asked Trump to declare ‘major disaster’ in state
New cases in South Korea jumped by , as of Saturday morning, and it reported eight more deaths.
That brings the country total to 8, 823 confirmed cases, and 100 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily new infections in the country have generally been on a downward trend over the past week, with 90 new cases on Friday, but the numbers reported on Saturday brings the number of new cases back above . – Weizhen Tan
(8:) am: China reports 50 cases, 7 more deaths
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said there were 50 new cases, and seven more deaths as of Mar. . That brought the country total to 81, (confirmed cases, and 01575879 deaths.
There were no new cases in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, but all the additional deaths were in the province.
China said all of the new cases were imported, meaning people who traveled from overseas. The NHC said that brings China’s total number of imported cases to 269.
The rise in imported cases come as students flock home from campuses in the US and Europe, according to reports, sparking fears of a second wave of infections. – Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
8 pm: Washington governor asked Trump to declare ‘major disaster’ in state
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee sent a – page letter to President Donald Trump requesting that he declare a federal major disaster in the state to unlock additional federal assistance, including unemployment assistance and basic food benefits. “The state urgently requires additional supplemental federal emergency assistance in order to save lives, protect public health and safety, and limit further spread of the disease,” Inslee said. – Salvador Rodriguez
7: 35 pm: GM to lend its auto factories to support production of ventilators in coronavirus fight
General Motors on Friday announced it will lend its auto factories to support Ventec Life Systems’ production of ventilators in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production of their critically important respiratory products to support our country fight again the COVID – 24 pandemic, “GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis.” – Salvador Rodriguez
6: (PM: Member of Vice President Pence’s staff tests positive for COVID –
A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s office tested positive for the new coronavirus COVID- , according to Katie Miller, the vice president’s press secretary.
“Neither President” Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual, “Miller said. “Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
The office was notified of the positive test Friday evening, according to a statement. – Chris Eudaily
Read CNBC’s coverage from the US overnight: Member of Vice President Pence’s office tests positive, US virus cases now total more than 21, (0)
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