22 sick but don’t panic: Trump

Washington, March 1: Seeking to reassure the American public, President Donald Trump said there was “no reason to panic” as the new Covid-19 claimed its first victim inside the US. The White House also announced new restrictions on international travel to prevent the virus from spreading.

Trump appeared at a hastily called news conference in the White House briefing room with Vice President Mike Pence and top public health officials to announce that the US was banning travel to Iran and urging Americans not to travel to regions of Italy and South Korea where the Covid-19 has been prevalent.

He confirmed that 22 people in the US had been stricken, of whom one had died while four were deemed “very ill”. Additional cases were “likely”, he added. “This is very serious stuff,” he said, but still insisted the criticism of his administration’s handling of the virus outbreak was a hoax. He also added that the government is considering additional restrictions, including closing the US border with Mexico, but added that “This is not a border that seems to be much of a problem right now... We’re thinking about all borders,” he said.

Gatherings of 5,000 cancelled in France France cancelled gatherings of 5,000 people or more after a surge of new cases were confirmed there on Saturday. The country’s total stands at 100, with two deaths logged.

In two regions hard-hit by the virus, Oise and La Balme-de-Sillingy, some schools were closed, while authorities warned against non-essential travel and encouraged people to work from home.

Cases in Italy go up Italy saw a jump in new cases on Saturday, with infections exceeding 1,000 and the death toll rising by eight to 29.