American President Trump announced on Wednesday night that he was taking action to help reduce the international spread of the Coronavirus by suspending almost all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days. The suspension will take effect on Friday.
“This is just a temporary moment in time that we will overcome as a nation and a world,” said United States President Donald Trump
Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump also said health insurance companies had agreed to extend insurance coverage to cover coronavirus treatments as well as waive related co-payments.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the COVID-19 causing coronavirus (SARS-nCoV2) outbreak is no longer just an outbreak. It is now officially a pandemic.
New flu viruses haven’t been the only causes of pandemics. There was the Sixth Cholera Pandemic of 1910-1911 that killed over 800,000 people. The Black Death pandemic that spanned from 1346 to 1353. In this case, Bubonic Plague claimed the lives of between 75 and 200 million people. The culprits spreading this plague were fleas living on rats.
A rundown of Wednesday’s most important coronavirus headlines:
- President Trump says restricting travel from Europe is necessary
- The NBA suspended its season after a player was diagnosed the virus
- Italy ordered nearly all businesses to close, tightening their lockdown
- Stocks plunged as world leaders fumbled for an economic response
- Tom Hanks announced he and his wife were diagnosed with the coronavirus
- New York City postponed the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- The WHO has declared that this is now a global pandemic
The NBA suspended the league season after the Utah Jazz revealed Rudy Gobert was found to have tested positive for the virus. The league said the suspension would take effect after the completion of Wednesday’s schedule.
In Oklahoma City, a game between the Thunder and the Jazz was seconds away from starting when the Thunder’s head medical staffer sprinted onto the court to talk to referees.
Players from both teams then left for their locker rooms.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy ordered almost all businesses nationwide to close as infections and deaths from the new coronavirus continued to soar. This comes just two days after he announced tight new travel restrictions.
Pharmacies, grocery stores, banks and public transit will be allowed to operate, but any other commercial enterprise that is not vital (such as restaurants, bars, most stores, cafes, beauty salons) must close to limit the contagion.
The coronavirus outbreak ended one of the longest winning streaks in the financial markets’ history on Wednesday. Major stock indexes plunged and global policymakers were floored with the growing new economic crisis.
The S&P 500 was off nearly 5 percent for the day, and the Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 6 percent. That puts it more than 20 percent below its peak in February.
Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks announced on Wednesday night that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for the coronavirus. 63-year-old Hanks is one of the most famous celebrities to contract the virus.
Hanks, who is in Australia to film a movie about the life of Elvis Presley, wrote that he and Ms. Wilson were feeling tired with body aches and feverish temperatures. They decided then to be tested. The couple will remain isolated for the time being.
In a 35 minute span tonight 👇👇
1. No travel from #Europe to the #UnitedStates for 30 days
2. Rudy Gobert has coronavirus
3. Tom Hanks has coronavirus
4. The #NBA suspended the remainder of their season— Gabriel Schray (@schrayguy) March 12, 2020
New York City’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was postponed on Wednesday night over concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus. The announcement, which was made by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, follows the cancellation of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Chicago and Boston.
On Monday, Ireland canceled all parades nationwide.
The spread of the coronavirus across more than 100 countries now qualifies as a global pandemic. Until now, The WHO had avoided using the term, as they feared many would think the outbreak was unstoppable.
A top federal health official gave the House Oversight Committee a stark warning on Wednesday that the coronavirus would continue to spread in the United States. He also said that fans should be barred from big gatherings like NBA and NHL games.
“The bottom line: It is going to get worse,” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said
This article is comprised of information and media from the Associated Press, CNN, Fox News, Plague and the New York Post. For more high school, college, and pro sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
