DW Coronavirus Latest Report: Spain and France with Emergency Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Society | March 15, 2020, Sunday // 10:31
Bulgaria: DW Coronavirus Latest Report: Spain and France with Emergency Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 DW.com

Spain and France have enacted sweeping emergency measures and widespread closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as the US president tested negative for the new coronavirus. 

  • US President Donald Trump has tested negative for coronavirus, his doctor says
  • The wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, has tested positive for the virus
  • Spain has declared a state of emergency and a partial lockdown in an attempt to halt the spread
  • Most shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities across France have been shut, and people urged to stay home
  • Local elections in France and Bavaria are still planned to go ahead

    Updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)

    07:04 Millions of people in Italy have been living under lockdown for the past several days after the government announced an emergency decree. Journalist Megan Williams reports from her home in Rome on how residents are adjusting to their new way of life. 

    06:43 Taiwan has reported six new COVID-19 infections — its highest single-day increase since the outbreak began. All of the cases were linked to recent overseas trips to Egypt, Europe, Japan and Thailand. At a press conference on Sunday, Taiwanese Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung urged residents to avoid nonessential travel. Taiwan has so far reported 59 cases of coronavirus, including one death.

    06:38 The central bank of the United Arab Emirates has announced a $27 billion (€24 billion) stimulus package to help the country's banks deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

    06:21 While public life in Italy, France and Spain has been brought to a standstill, people in Germany are also restricting their activities in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more about what Germany is doing here.

    06:12 Polling stations have opened in the German state of Bavaria, where local elections are taking place despite the coronavirus crisis. Some 10 million people are eligible to cast ballots to elect mayors and councilors. The southern state has recorded more than 680 cases of COVID-19 — the second-highest number in the country after North Rhine-Westphalia. Local elections are also underway in France.

    6:07 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will be postponed by two months because of coronavirus restrictions. The case, which had been scheduled for March 17, is now set to begin on May 24. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has denied any wrongdoing.

    05:48 Nationwide local elections in France are going ahead, despite a fresh round of restrictions announced by the government. The vote on Sunday is a key test for President Emmanuel Macron, who says the polls to elect mayors and councils should proceed to assure democratic continuity. However, there are concerns that health fears mean some voters may choose to stay home.

    05:41 The Vatican says its Easter week celebrations will be held without a congregation due to the spread of COVID-19. 

    05:33 Many coronavirus patients have died of sepsis. Read more about the organ dysfunction and how it occurs here

    05:23 South Korea's daily reporting of new coronavirus infections has fallen below 100 for the first time in more than three weeks, according to figures released by the country's health authorities. They said there were 76 new cases recorded on Saturday, bringing the total number of diagnosed people to 8,162. The number of deaths also increased by 3, to 75.

    05:08 El Salvador has declared a state of emergency and approved a partial suspension of the constitution to fight the coronavirus. The country's Congress has approved a series of measures, including curbs on public gatherings and a restriction on free movement for 30 days. El Salvador has yet to record a confirmed case of COVID-19, but its announcement follows moves by other Central American countries, including Panama, Honduras and Guatemala, to ban public gatherings.



  •  

    04:46 Passengers on a cruise ship that docked in southern New Zealand are being barred from disembarking while three people on board undergo testing for the coronavirus. The Golden Princess, which is carrying 3,700 people, stopped at the tourist town of Akaroa, near Christchurch, on Sunday. A health official said the three passengers were quarantined by the ship's doctor after one of them developed COVID-19 symptoms.

    04:33 Police in the Philippines have started sealing off the capital to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Officers are checking temperatures and identification documents of people passing through dozens of checkpoints around Manila as part of a monthlong lockdown. All domestic flights to and from the densely populated city have been canceled. On Saturday, the country reported a total of 111 infections, including eight deaths.

    03:40 Everyone who arrives in Australia will have to self-isolate for 14 days, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The measure, which comes into force from midnight Sunday, is aimed at stopping the further spread of the new coronavirus in the country. 

    02:12 The British government has advised its citizens against all but essential travel to Spain amid the coronavirus outbreak. Spain on Saturday put its 47 million population under partial lockdown to combat the virus' spread. The UK also advised against travel to several other European countries including Poland and Estonia, as well as many countries in the Americas including Colombia and Panama. The US on Saturday extended its coronavirus travel ban to the UK and Ireland. 

    02:09 More than half of the 300 coronavirus patients in intensive care units in France are aged under 60, according to the head of the country's public health agency. "It is urgent. Now is the time to change our behavior," Jerome Salomon said. As of Sunday, France began implementing widespread restrictions on public life.

    01:32 China, where the outbreak started, is now reporting more cases coming from outside the country than inside. The National Health Commission reported that 16 of the 20 new cases detected on Sunday involved people arriving from overseas.

    01:25 The latest figures for France, which as of midnight closed all restaurants, cafes, theaters and nonessential shops, are 4,480 confirmed cases and 91 deaths. 

    01:18 Spain, where emergency measures to halt the spread of the virus were announced Saturday, currently has 6,391 cases confirmed. That's an increase of more than 600 cases since Saturday. Spain has recorded 195 deaths.

    00:40 DW's Washington correspondent Alexandra von Nahmen shares a White House statement saying that the US president has tested negative for COVID-19. Donald Trump was tested after several members of a Brazilian delegation he met with a week ago came down with the virus. / DW


    00:30 Here's a recap of the global figures:

    • 156,102 confirmed cases globally
    • 5,819 global deaths
    • 72,624 recovered

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Society » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria