/Coronavirus updates live: Trump declares national emergency

Coronavirus updates live: Trump declares national emergency

President Donald Trump plans to declare a national emergency on Friday, the most significant move yet by the U.S. government to head off the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump’s declaration would come as many public and private institutions have taken action — including canceling major events, temporarily banning large gatherings, closing schools and telling people to work from home — in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Wall Street appeared to rally on Friday’s opening bell, initially soaring around 1,200 points after economic fears over the coronavirus drove the markets to their worst day since the Black Monday crash in 1987.

The United States as of Friday had surpassed 1,700 confirmed or presumptive cases of the coronavirus, and the death toll climbed to 41. Kansas reported its first death on Thursday.

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U.K’s Johnson postpones English local and mayoral elections for a year

The U.K.’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has postponed May’s local and mayoral elections in England for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

His office made the announcement after Britain’s Electoral Commission watchdog said the polls should be put off until the autumn to “mitigate” the impact of the virus.

The elections were due to appoint some 120 English local councils, eight directly elected mayors including in London and 40 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales.

Ten people have died with the virus in the U.K. and 798 cases have been confirmed across the country.  

New Rochelle lockdown

Medical personnel wait for motorists at a drive-through COVID-19 testing facility at Glen Island Park on Friday in New Rochelle, N.Y. State officials have set up a “containment area” in the New York City suburb, where schools and houses of worship are closed within a 1-mile radius of a point near a synagogue where an infected person with coronavirus had attended events.John Minchillo / AP

 

Sign of the times, cont’d

Schumer: Trump ‘must not overstep his authority’

New York Public Library to close through the end of month

The New York Public Library announced Friday that it would be closing through at least March 31, starting Saturday.

New York City’s library system, which services Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, is a vital resource for the city’s most vulnerable populations including the elderly and homeless, especially during the coldest and hottest months of the year.

“While we have been proud to stay open to serve the public amid storms and other emergencies, the best way we can serve our patrons now is to help contain the virus, especially as our patrons include many seniors and others at high risk,” it said in an email sent out to library card holders.

‘Make-or-break days’ in U.S. fight against coronavirus, Los Angeles mayor says

These are “make-or-break” days in America’s fight against the new coronavirus, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday.

The mayor of the country’s second-largest city spoke to MSNBC on Friday, a day after announcing stringent protective measures such as banning all events or conferences for more than 50 people on city-owned properties.

Garcetti said he is impressed by state and local officials across the country taking similar steps to try to slow the spread of the virus.

They “know that these are the most critical days we have. We will look back on this period and this will be the make-or-break days,” the mayor said.

The novel coronavirus has killed 41 people in the United States and surpassed 1,700 confirmed or presumptive cases as of Friday morning. Los Angeles County has 32 confirmed cases and 1 death so far from coronavirus. A total of four people have died from the virus in California.

ISIS publishes advice on how to avoid coronavirus

ISIS has issued “advice” to its followers on how to avoid the coronavirus, although the tips are mainly religious as opposed to scientific.

Publishing the guidelines in the 225th edition of its weekly newsletter al-Naba, the terror group urged people to pray to avoid diseases, but stressed “the importance of believing that diseases themselves are not infectious and the everything is destined by God,” according to a translation by global security firm and NBC News analyst, Flashpoint Intelligence.

On a more practical level, it said that people should cover their mouths when yawning or coughing, wash their hands and avoid going into contaminated areas and vice versa.    

Trump plans to declare national emergency to combat coronavirus

President Donald Trump plans to declare a national emergency Friday to allow more direct relief to Americans affected by the coronavirus, two administration officials told NBC News.

The move could help open up tens of billions of dollars to help fight the rapidly spreading pandemic.

Trump announced earlier in the day that he will hold a 3 p.m. press conference Friday afternoon about the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump has come under increasing fire in recent weeks over his response to the pandemic while his administration weathered criticism for the lack of coronavirus testing being done compared with other countries.

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Chinese official suggests U.S. Army to blame for outbreak

Chinese officials have sidestepped questions about whether Beijing blames Washington for the coronavirus outbreak after a foreign ministry spokesman suggested it could have been planted by the U.S. Army.

“When did patient zero begin in U.S.? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be U.S. army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan,” Zhao Lijian tweeted in both Chinese and English on Thursday. “Be transparent! Make public your data! U.S. owe us an explanation!”

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UPS workers see holiday shopping-level volume

Online shopping has risen sharply around the country as people are encouraged to social distance because of coronavirus, say retail analysts. Delivery volume is up around the country and has reached holiday season-levels in some places, according to UPS workers in several states, with one describing it as “like Christmas.” During what they say is normally a slower time of year, UPS drivers and union representatives in Florida, Georgia and New York told NBC News they are seeing volumes they normally only see during the holiday season, with some working 12-hour days or longer to keep up with demand.

“We had a guy this morning go out with an entire truck with just toilet paper on it,” a driver in Wisconsin said.

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