Summary:
- Confirmed cases near or pass 1,000 in France, Germany and Spain
- PM Johnsons says UK won’t close parliament
- NYC confirms 3 new cases, bringing city total to 16
- 77 new public health labs open across US Monday
- Spain PM says he will have ’emergency plan’ to tackle outbreak
- UK confirms another 45 cases
- VP Pence will hold press conference at 5:30ET Monday
- Amtrak shutters ‘Acela Corrider’
- Korean construction worker contracted by US military tests positive
- Total number of cases in Italy hits 7,375
- ‘Grand Princess’ will soon dock in Oakland
- Trump congratulates VP Pence via tweet
- New cases in South Korea drop as Philippines case total doubles
- EUCO President says conference call will be held to coordinate EU response
- Germany and France finmins hold talks to discuss crisis
- Dutch infections climb to 321
* * *
Update (1015ET): Across the US, 77 public health labs have finished setting up their Covid-19 testing as of Monday morning.
NEW: 77 public health labs have #COVID19 testing up as of this morning, according to @APHL.
That includes 49 states and DC. 7 more are in the process of verification.
— David Lim (@davidalim) March 9, 2020
Update (0950ET): While the world has been transfixed by the chaos in American equity markets as the first major circuit breaker is triggered, the coronavirus news just keeps coming:
Five new cases have been confirmed in Scotland, bringing the Scottish total to 23, and the UK-wide total to 281. Spain has closed schools in the Basque town of Labastida for 14 days. Italy’s market watchdog Consob said in a statement on Monday that halting stock-market trading would generate long-term problems. However, a ban on short selling could be considered when shares’ movement exceed 10% and if other conditions are in place, as per European rules.
CNN reported that the Trump Administration is considering ‘discouraging’ Americans from taking air travel.
Three additional coronavirus cases were confirmed in New York City bringing the total to 16 confirmed cases, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokesperson Freddi Goldstein.