Turkey says it sent 500,000 coronavirus test kits to United States

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey has sent 500,000 coronavirus test kits to the United States upon their request, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.

In a speech to parliament, Koca said that Ankara aimed to increase rapidly its own testing within Turkey and had a target of carrying out 10,000 to 15,000 tests per day. He said more than 10,000 tests have so far been carried out in total.

Rachel Maddow Names And Shames The 7 States Not ‘Doing Much At All’ About Coronavirus

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday said she was “honestly shocked” to discover there are still seven states that “really aren’t doing much at all” to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Maddow, citing the National Governor’s Association, said Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho and Wyoming had not yet implemented statewide measures in response to the public health crisis.

“No state-mandated school closures. No state-mandated limits on large gatherings,” she said. “No state mandates on the operations of businesses like bars and restaurants.”

Maddow noted how, in some places, political leaders had issued “nonbinding recommendations” and “urgings,” which led some local school districts and businesses to take matters into their own hands and shutter of their own accord.

“But in all seven of those states, no statewide rules,” she said.

“Because sure, why not? Make it up yourself. See how it goes. No reason to panic, right? No reason to hustle. Let’s just see how this plays out,” she added.

Check out the clip here:

Ted Lieu Rips Donald Trump’s Xenophobic Coronavirus Rhetoric In Blistering Op-Ed

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Wednesday blasted Donald Trump’s xenophobia as he made an impassioned plea for the president to stop describing the coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus.”

Lieu, in a column for The Washington Post headlined “Trump is stoking xenophobic panic in a time of crisis,” explained how the president’s insistence on using the term “causes harm both to Asian Americans and to the White House’s response to this life-threatening pandemic.”

“I cannot stand idly by while the president uses his pulpit to exacerbate xenophobia in a time of crisis,” Lieu wrote.

Lieu debunked Trump’s claim that he is “just trying to be accurate” by describing where the crisis originated, noting “there is a difference between saying the virus is from China and saying it is a Chinese virus.” 

Lieu noted how World Health Organization guidelines advise leaders against using geographic locations to name infectious diseases to avoid stigmatization, and suggested Trump’s rhetoric had contributed to the rising number of assaults on Asian Americans.

“For the president to continue using rhetoric that the Chinese find insulting is not helpful. It is not one country’s problem to solve,” Lieu concluded. “We are in a worldwide, life-threatening pandemic, and we all need to work together. I wish the president could set aside his xenophobia for the moment while we try to keep Americans from dying.”

Read Lieu’s full column here.

UK says has no plans for travel restrictions or to use military to keep order

LONDON (Reuters) – The British government has no plans to bring in blanket travel restrictions for London or to close down the capital’s transport system, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Thursday.

“There is zero prospect of any restriction being placed on traveling in or out of London,” the spokesman said.

He said police would maintain responsibility for maintaining law and order and there were no plans to use the military for this purpose.

RPT-Norway's central bank offers more cash to banks

(Repeats to attach article to alerts, no changes in text)

OSLO, March 19 (Reuters) – Norway’s central bank will offer extraordinary liquidity to banks in the form of so-called F-loans lasting up to 12 months, with the first distribution of cash to take place on Thursday, it said in a statement. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche)

COVID-19 inaction: US state governors want gov't to take charge

State governors have increased moves to fight coronavirus but say action from Trump administration severely lacking.

US state authorities in the northeast say in the absence of any leadership from the Trump administration to combat the coronavirus sweeping the country, they have had to step up to the plate.

Governors in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey have shut down many schools and restaurants and banned large gatherings.

But they say the federal government needs to put in place a nationwide, coordinated response.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reports from New York.

Norway's central bank offers more cash to banks

OSLO, March 19 (Reuters) – Norway’s central bank will offer extraordinary liquidity to banks in the form of so-called F-loans lasting up to 12 months, with the first distribution of cash to take place on Thursday, it said in a statement. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche)

Many flock to Florida for spring break despite COVID-19 warnings

Despite dire health warnings over the coronavirus, crowds of university students are still celebrating spring break in the United States.

Crowds of university students in the United States are celebrating spring break, despite dire health warnings over the new coronavirus.

Florida is one of the biggest destinations, where bars and clubs have been told to close early, some beaches and theme parks have also shut.

But many are ignoring instructions to avoid large crowds, potentially putting others at risk.

Al Jazeera’s Andy Gallacher reports from Miami.