STATES OF EMERGENCY
Travel to U.S. from Britain may be banned over fear of infection Trump injects $50billion into the economy in ‘shared fight’ with virus
DONALD Trump last night declared a US national emergency to combat the coronavirus.
The move, coming after revelations that 150 million Americans could become infected, injects $50billion into the US economy.
Trump also said he might add Britain to the list of countries from which travel to the US is banned.
Cases in the US have climbed past 2,000 and the death toll is at 41.
After the World Health Organisation declared Europe the pandemic’s new epicentre, President Trump said last night: “Europe was just designated as the hotspot right now. We closed that border a while ago.
“We may have to include them [the UK] on the list of countries.
“But through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus. I am officially declaring a national emergency, two very big words. The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50billion...for states and territories, localities in our shared fight against this disease.
“Furtherance of the order, I’m asking every state to set up emergency operations centres immediately.”
Trump had been attacked for politicising the coronavirus while blaming foreign countries for its spread.
The country’s leading expert had said the health system was “failing”.
Dr Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: “The system is not really geared to what we need right now. That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”
Warning the crisis could last two months, Dr Fauci added: “It’s certainly going to get worse before it gets better, there’s no doubt we have not peaked.”
Asked directly if America was heading towards a complete shutdown, he said: “I’m not sure we’re going to get to that. I think that would be really rather dramatic, but I can tell you that all things are on the table.”
Many public spaces such as schools, airports, streets and motorways have become deserted.
Some panicked shoppers were seen rushing out to buy supplies.
Disney parks, Capitol Hill and Broadway were among the many places closed off to the public.
Sporting events have been cancelled, including all this season’s basketball and ice hockey.
Golf ’s The Players Championship and next month’s Masters were also called off. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie tested positive for Covid-19 and will stay in isolation for the time being.
Trudeau himself is in good health with no symptoms but is isolating himself for two weeks. Brazilian
President Jair Bolsonaro, who dined with Trump at the President’s Florida Mansion Mar-a-Lago last Saturday, was at one stage reported to have tested positive.
But last night his son Eduardo claimed: “He tested negative, full stop.” However, his communications secretary Fabio Wajngarten, who also met Trump, has tested positive. Since the first cases of coronavirus were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, the disease has spread across the world, with more than 144,000 confirmed cases causing 5,397 deaths. The outbreak of Covid-19 has officially been declared a pandemic by the WHO. Outside China, the hardest-hit country is Italy. The death toll from corona
virus jumped by 250 in 24 hours to 1,266. The total number of cases there, centring on Lombardy in the north of the country, rose to 17,660.
Restaurants, cafes and some retailers closed but food shops, pharmacies and markets have been allowed to continue trading.
All of Italy’s schools are shut until at least April 3.
Last night the Eiffel Tower in Paris closed for “an indefinite period of time”.
France, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Lithuania, and Slovakia have also shut down their schools, while sporting events across Europe have been called off.
Europe’s most successful football team, Real Madrid, put all its players in quarantine after one of its basketball stars tested positive.
Spain has seen the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surge beyond 4,200, with 34 deaths. The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office yesterday advised against “all but essential travel” to the Spanish areas of Madrid and La Rioja, and the country’s municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria and Miranda de Ebro.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that up to 70% of her country’s 83 million population could become infected.
Meanwhile, the Czech government tightened border checks for some countries and Slovakia closed international airports and other transport hubs.
In the Middle East, Iran is scrambling to control one of the worst outbreaks in the world.
Cases stand at more than 11,300, with more than 510 people dead.
Pakistan announced it will be “completely” closing its borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
In Australia, Prime Minister
Scott Morrison yesterday banned gatherings of 500 or more people and urged people to reconsider international travel unless it was absolutely necessary.
Sunday’s Melbourne F1 Grand Prix has been cancelled as a precaution.
Australia has had more than 120 cases and at least three fatalities.
Kenya yesterday banned all major public events after confirming its first case.
Secretary of Health Mutahi Kagwe tried to dispel unfounded rumours that “those with black skin cannot get coronavirus”.
Ethiopia has also reported a resident testing positive.
In China, more than 810,000 people have caught the disease and more than 3,100 are known to have died from it.
South Korea reports that new cases there have begun to slow.
Around 8,000 cases and 71 deaths have been reported.
Unlike other nations, the country, with a population of 50 million, has not outright restricted movement and has instead focused on monitoring infection.
It has tested more than 230,000 people for free and set up drivethrough testing weeks ago.
Japan yesterday said it was determined to hold the Tokyo Olympics on schedule from July 24, despite President Trump suggesting they should be held next year instead.
Nepal closed all Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest.
But financial markets around the world began to bounce back yesterday, after the worst day for stocks since the Black Monday crash of 1987 on Thursday.