COVID-19 Update As Of March 5

Here are the latest updates of the COVID-19 outbreak as of March 5, 2020.

— The death toll in the U.S. due to coronavirus stands at 12 as of Thursday – with Washington accounting for 11 cases and California reporting 1 death.

There are 129 confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease in the U.S., according to reports.
The U.S. Senate has approved of an $8.3 billion emergency funding to help combat the coronavirus outbreak.

— Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess, a cruise ship with about 3,500 passengers and crew members, which left San Francisco for Hawaii on February 21, and was slated to return on March 7, 2020, has been held off the coast of San Francisco as a precautionary measure because 35 people in the ship have developed flu-like symptoms.

It should be noted that the Californian man who died on March 5 due to coronavirus had been aboard the same vessel, Grand Princess, during its previous voyage to Mexico in February.

— Last month, Diamond Princess, which is also operated by Princess Cruises, was caught up in the coronavirus outbreak and was held in the Japanese port of Yokohama. At least 6 people who were onboard the Diamond Princess Cruise ship have died from COVID-19, and 705 passengers have contracted the virus.

— Globally, over 98,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 3,000 people have died.

Airline crisis worsens over Europe travel restrictions amid coronavirus outbreak

Airlines bore the brunt of a dramatic expansion of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, as President Trump’s US travel curbs on much of continental Europe deepened the sector’s misery and piled more pressure on governments to offer emergency support.

The 30-day restrictions will badly disrupt transatlantic traffic key to the earnings of major European carriers and their US airline partners, analysts warned, as the move hit travel stocks already battered by the virus outbreak.

Those routes account for 20 percent to 30 percent of large European operators’ revenue and a majority of profit, Credit Suisse analyst Neil Glynn warned, “highlighting the damage to revenue lines for the coming weeks and potentially well into the summer.”

Glynn added: “A ban on travel to the US will likely mean heavier cuts” than the drastic capacity reductions already ordered as airlines scrapped flights – first to China and then to other destinations including Italy as the virus spread.

Shares in European and US airlines slumped to new lows.

In early afternoon trading, Delta was down 14 percent, United lost 15 percent and American dropped 7.9 percent.

Norwegian Air is laying off half of its employees, CNBC first reported, and its stock took a 16 percent hit during the trading day.

Lufthansa sank 8.8 percent and Air France decreased 8.6 percent.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Offers A Free Unreleased Cut From ‘Hamilton’ To Soothe Fans In Turbulent Times

The world is turned upside down, but Lin-Manuel Miranda is offering something to help us all get through it.

The Hamilton creator has issued a free cut from the Broadway smash musical called I Have This Friend. He tweeted it out this afternoon and linked to the SoundCloud service. The raw track features Miranda and Christopher Jackson in their roles as Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, singing with a simple background accompaniment of drum machine and keyboard.

Manuel’s decision comes as Hamilton is back in the news, and not for good reasons. The Broadway production of Hamilton is going dark, along with other shows in New York theater, in response to the coronavirus. The Los Angeles production of the show at the Pantages Theatre was postponed hours before opening night for the same reason.

Click on the link in the tweet below to listen to the unreleased song.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau diagnosed with COVID-19; PM to remain in isolation

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

In a statement Thursday night, Trudeau’s office said: “Following medical recommendations, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive.”

The statement says she will remain in isolation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Says Democrats, White House Near Agreement On Coronavirus Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Democrats and the White House are nearing an agreement on a set of measures to address the coronavirus crisis, and that further legislation will be in the works.

In a letter to House Democrats, she said that the legislation will include provisions for free coronavirus testing; paid emergency leave, with 14 days of sick leave and three months of paid family and medical leave; enhanced unemployment insurance; waiving work requirements for food assistance programs; and increased federal funds for Medicaid.

The House is expected to vote on the legislation on Friday.

Pelosi has been in consultation with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in negotiations over the package. The Senate adjourned for the weekend, so it would likely vote on the measure next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell canceled a planned Senate recess as coronavirus cases rise, the stock market tanks and the private sector cancels public gatherings.

“Time is of the essence, and this bill must be passed and sent to the Senate,” Pelosi wrote to members. “The House will then get to work on a third emergency response package that will take further effective action that protects the health, economic security and well-being of the American people.”

In the Washington area, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, Smithsonian museums and Arlington National Cemetery have announced that they are closing to visitors.