effect on the spread of the infections,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, told the BBC. Thomas P. Bossert “There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy,” Bossert said Thursday on Twitter. “Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now!” In continental Europe, many felt that the White House’s decision was another political strike at already enfeebled transatlantic relationship between the United States and some of its closest allies. “Trump needed a narrative to exonerate his administration from any responsibility in the crisis. The foreigner is always a good scapegoat. The Chinese has already been used. So, let’s take the European, not any Europe, the EU-one,” Gérard Araud, France’s former ambassador to the United States, said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Doesn’t make sense but [it is] ideologically healthy.” In his announcement, Trump specifically referred to what he called a “foreign virus” that “started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.” The move added to the sense that the world’s industrial powers were failing to work with each other to contain the virus, and might even be working against each other. Under previous presidents, the United States has often taken the lead in directing a coordinated global response to world challenges. Trump has sought to minimize the virus, undermine his scientific advisers and blame other countries for the pandemic. And he has also tangled with European countries for three years on issues of defense spending, climate change and trade. “Any attempt to contain the #CoronaOutbreak is welcome, but the decision of @realDonaldTrump to exclude the UK from a European travel ban is nothing short of irresponsible,” former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb wrote on Twitter. “Viruses do not recognise borders. Decisions should be based on facts, not politics.” Trump’s announcement led to panic at various European airports. American travelers scrambled to change their tickets onto U.S. bound flights at the last minute, often at premium prices. The lack of a coordinated response seemed to extend inside Europe, too. The Czech Republic on Thursday announced limited border restrictions with Austria and Germany. The move came a day after Austria said that Italians could only cross its frontiers if they can produce a recent test certifying they are coronavirus-free. james.mcauley@washpost.com


The Health 202: Number of U.S. coronavirus deaths will depend on how many older people are exposed

THE PROGNOSIS Could tens of thousands of Americans die of the coronavirus? Maybe, if the elderly aren’t sufficiently sheltered from it. That will likely be the key factor in keeping the fatality rate from skyrocketing in the U.S., since the covid-19 has proved especially deadly for those over 80 while rarely killing children, young adults or even those in middle age. “If we are going to have death rates in the tens of thousands in the U.S., it will be because [nursing home] capacity is overrun and these high-risk populations are exposed,” Andy Slavitt, who ran the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama, wrote in an email. “Everyone over 60 should become a hermit for a month,” Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, texted me. In China, 22 percent of Chinese patients over age 80 have died, according to WHO figures. The next few weeks are critical for how broadly the virus will ultimately spread in the United States, as governments, workplaces, schools and other institutions across the nation cancel mass gatherings and take steps to keep people away from one another as much as possible. The World Health Organization took the monumental step yesterday of declaring the spread a pandemic, as the number of cases surpassed 120,000 worldwide. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said 70 percent of her country’s residents could become infected. President Trump last night took the drastic move of banning travel from most of Europe to the United States for the next 30 days, “This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history,” Trump said. Trump tweeted this last night: And earlier in the day: So far, deaths in the United States number only several dozen. That’s a far cry from the country’s Though when it comes to infections alone, which will number many times the fatalities, they could reach the hundreds of thousands and even millions in the United States. Experts and officials are warning that the virus is spreading rapidly and will infect many more people in the United States before it subsides. And because there have been testing delays, there’s a strong likelihood that many more people are infected with the virus than have been reported. Yesterday’s declaration by the WHO — which had for weeks hesitated to declare a pandemic for fear of inciting undue panic —


Coronavirus could pose serious concern in ICE jails, immigration courts

of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said the dockets typically bring 50 or more respondents into each courtroom, many of whom have recently traveled internationally, plus attorneys and other family members. She said that the union had been informed Wednesday that one attorney in a March 10 hearing reported having flu-like symptoms and was concerned about a coronavirus infection. “This is exactly the type of situation the White House, CDC and other public health authorities urge us to avoid, and we trust that you will agree that it is untenable and irresponsible in light of the current spread of COVID-19 infections across the country,” Tabaddor wrote. The association that Tabaddor represents also recently publicized orders that judges received from the Justice Department to take down courtroom signage on methods to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The department then reversed that order. The association also has called repeatedly on the Executive Office for Immigration Review to provide its judges more clarity on how they can manage their courtrooms to prevent the spread of covid-19, and as of Thursday, said they had received no response. Immigration attorney Matthew Archambeault said immigration judges in Newark on Thursday allowed lawyers to attend court hearings while their clients waited outside to minimize close contact. But that, he said, left the waiting room packed with dozens of people. “I’m worried about myself; I’m worried about my family,” Archambeault said. “I have my mother-in-law at home, who is elderly, and she’s not in the best of health.” A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Immigration Review said the courts’ status “remains the same, and we do not plan any mass closure of immigration courts.” “As concerns are raised, we will address them on a case-by-case basis as necessary and appropriate,” the spokesperson said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes Border Patrol authorities, also grappled with allegations of harsh conditions, and inadequate sanitation and medical care for migrants detained in CBP facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly during last year’s surge in border crossings, when border infrastructure was overwhelmed. A CBP spokesperson said border agents are working to identify “individuals who have traveled from or transited through countries affected by COVID-19.” “Individuals apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol between the ports of entry with symptoms of illness are referred to the CDC or local health officials for additional health screening,” the spokesperson said. “U.S. Border Patrol takes


The Technology 202: Here’s how Silicon Valley is helping Washington respond to coronavirus

With Tony Riley Silicon Valley could play a critical role in the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. The White House yesterday convened leaders from top tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and top tech trade groups to seek their help in limiting misinformation about covid-19 and tracking the virus’s spread, my colleague Tony Romm reports. They also discussed how the companies could help build artificial intelligence tools to help medical researchers glean insights from a new database of coronavirus-related scholarly literature to be released in the coming days, according to a White House news release. “Cutting edge technology companies and major online platforms will play a critical role in this all-hands-on-deck effort,” said U.S. chief technology officer Michael Kratsios in a statement. The phone-and-video conversation, coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, also included representatives from across federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The meeting was a rare display of unity between the Trump administration and Silicon Valley as the nation races to respond to the coronavirus crisis. There's growing urgency as the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. grows to more than 1,000 in 39 states, and the World Health Organization Tech companies are ready to step up, according to the Consumer Technology Association, one of the tech trade groups that participated in yesterday’s conversation with the White House. “Digital health innovations are improving how we care for the sick, communicate critical information and prevent the spread of infection,” said CTA president Gary Shapiro. “Tech companies’ products cannot only track and mitigate the spread of illness, but also help the government protect public health.” Here’s how tech companies are planning to assist Washington in fighting covid-19: — Researchers at the Energy Department are using IBM's supercomputer to identify drug compounds to disable the coronavirus,according to a recent company blog post. The company also made its clinical health trial software available free to federal agencies. — Facebook is exploring how its data can be used to help contain the virus's spread. Researchers are using aggregated and Facebook data — including mobility data and population density maps — to study how the virus is spreading, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. — Google is providing $25 million in ad credits to the WHO and government agencies, and it said it will provide more throughout for


Three coronavirus cases linked to D.C. church; Colleges cancel in-person classes

to have contracted the virus while on a trip to Boston from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27. Prince George’s officials declined to say if the woman was attending a conference in Boston that has been linked to dozens of other coronavirus cases. All three Prince George’s patients are self-quarantined at home and in good condition. Alsobrooks (D) spoke at the county emergency operations center in front of a giant digital map of the nation with a ticker of global coronavirus cases that, during the news conference, read: 116,152. “This is a virus, and we expect it to spread,” she said. “We believe the public has a role in helping us to prevent it from spreading. Viruses spread, the flu spreads. But we have the power in our community to keep it from spreading.” Officials urged people who feel sick to stay home from work and school and repeated instructions for good hygiene, including thorough handwashing. School officials said health-related absences will be excused without a doctor’s note. Both Maryland’s public university system and American University in the District announced plans to keep students away from campus for a short time after spring break, teaching them online instead of in person, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus in the region. Other colleges and universities throughout the country are taking similar steps. Fairfax County Public Schools canceled classes for its 188,000 students Monday, so that teachers can attend training on how to conduct classes online, should that step become necessary. The Alexandria school system sent an email to families Tuesday to say a small number of students and staff — fewer than a dozen — were self-quarantining because they had come into contact with people who have contracted the coronavirus or had visited foreign countries or traveled on cruise ships that were a concern. The individuals are affiliated with at least three school campuses in the city, a spokesman said. Those campuses were scheduled for deep-cleaning overnight. The newly diagnosed patient in Loudoun County is sick but in good condition and self-isolating at home, county officials said. They said the man did not appear to have interacted with anyone who is elderly, immunocompromised or otherwise considered at high risk for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. “We are continuing to do everything in our power to keep Loudoun safe and healthy,” said Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large),


Everything travelers need to know about being sick overseas

on travel medical coverage. To easily window-shop, use an established comparison site like Squaremouth, where you can compare the major insurers’ latest restrictions on the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. Keep in mind that most policies require you to purchase coverage a few days in advance of your departure date. If you’re already traveling without coverage, you’re not entirely out of luck; a few insurers such as SafetyWing and World Nomads let you purchase while you’re abroad, though a waiting period may apply before the plan fully kicks in. There’s nothing simple about getting American prescriptions filled or replaced while abroad. And don’t count on someone sending you extras; mailing prescriptions across borders breaks laws in many countries. Ideally, you should plan ahead: Pack extra drugs. Check local regulations to ensure you can legally pass through customs with your Rx (a few countries including the United Arab Emirates and Japan prohibit some common prescriptions and over-the-counter medications), then bring a supply to hold you over if your trip gets unexpectedly delayed — a wise precaution at a time when mandatory quarantines remain a slight possibility for international travelers. But what if you lose or run out of your medication in a foreign country? There’s no surefire solution, so use all the resources you have access to. Call your travel insurance’s assistance line; a representative will typically advise you on the best course of action. And check in with your local U.S. Embassy or consulate; embassies can assist U.S. citizens in emergency cases when your health depends on daily medications. Embassies can also provide addresses for trusted pharmacies. Try taking a copy of your U.S. prescription and a letter from your doctor indicating why you take it. While most countries don’t technically allow pharmacists to fill foreign scripts, the druggist may have some leeway if you explain the direness of your situation. You may ultimately need to visit a local doctor to get a domestic prescription written for an equivalent drug. When you feel under the weather, your instincts might tell you to jump on the next plane home, but flying with contagious illnesses is not what experts advise. Travelers should voluntarily delay their plans until they’re no longer contagious, according to the CDC’s guidance on air travel. Anyone who flies frequently, though, knows few travelers actually follow this instruction. But even if you’re one of the many travelers who don’t voluntarily stay


Far from the coronavirus epicenter, Caribbean tourism starts to get sick

or so before our first tests arrive,” Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said. “We are very concerned about people arriving to Antigua from affected areas.” The nation’s economy is the second-most dependent on cruise passengers in the Caribbean, at 4.1 percent of gross domestic product, according to the industry publication Skift. But Fernandez worries more about bigger-spending destination travelers. A weekly charter flight from Italy has been suspended. Hotels have developed plans to move any sick guests to distant rooms. But cancellations are starting to trickle in. “Undoubtedly it’s going to get even more serious and acute,” Fernandez said. “The hotels and airlines are waving the change fees . . . and our hope is that people will reschedule and come back when this whole situation normalizes.” In Jamaica, Bartlett has told Parliament the tourism sector will lose an estimated $564 million as a direct result of the virus. Tourism accounts for 11 percent of Jamaica’s GDP. Jamaica this week confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus — a British national who arrived on March 4 and, on Wednesday, a U.S. employee who had traveled to the United Kingdom. The government has banned travel to and from China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Singapore and suspended flights from Spain, France and Germany. The Dominican Republic has confirmed five cases, bringing the Caribbean total to seven. The Canadian government this week said a passenger on the MS Braemar, which docked in Port Royal near the Jamaican capital of Kingston, had tested positive for the virus. It is not known whether she disembarked. Thirty-two people were being quarantined after travel to affected regions, health officials said. The economic fallout has hit Jamaica’s jungle-themed Mystic Mountain. Managing Director Mike Drakulich said 35 percent of its business is cruise-related. He estimates he has lost up to 1,000 customers to date. “Attractions like myself are looking at staffing, expenses, payables, receivables,” he said. Prem Mahtani, chief operating officer of the cruise port duty-free shop Jewels and Time, said 60 percent of its business comes from cruise ships. Sales at one location dropped by half last week. The other was shuttered. “My first feeling was that government is probably not as sensitive to our concerns with the cruise ships,” he said. “But they have a lot to protect with the virus, so it’s delicate. “I don’t see how this is not going to be devastating.” anthony.faiola@washpost.com


U.S. sports face coronavirus reckoning as NBA suspends season, NCAA to play without fans

for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how covid-19 is progressing in the United States,” Emmert said in a statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes. We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.” Before Gobert’s positive test, the NBA’s Board of Governors held a conference call Wednesday to discuss the league’s coronavirus response options but reached no consensus as to whether games should proceed as normal, held without fans in attendance or suspended or delayed, according to people with knowledge of the call. Major League Baseball has yet to face sweeping decisions about the fate of its hallowed Opening Day later this month, but the Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants will be forced to postpone or relocate games scheduled at their home stadiums this month or play them without fans after government officials in those locales Wednesday banned large public gatherings. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) banned public gatherings of more than 250 people for the three counties that form the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area through the end of March, while San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) set the limit at 1,000 for a period of two weeks. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (D) also banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 in Alameda County. The NHL mostly sat idle. The San Jose Sharks announced they would play home games without fans after Santa Clara County banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The league announced late Wednesday that it was “aware of the NBA’s decision tonight to indefinitely suspend its season due to a player testing positive for the coronavirus. The NHL is continuing to consult with medical experts and is evaluating the options. We expect to have a fourth update [Thursday].” The decisions came on that a day that began with Anthony Fauci, head of the infectious diseases division at the National Institutes of Health, telling a congressional hearing that large gatherings should be prohibited. The NCAA last week formed an advisory panel of experts and epidemiologists, and from there the NCAA’s outlook evolved rapidly.


Planning your summer vacation amid coronavirus fears

The coronavirus outbreak isn’t just having an immediate effect on travel, prompting a surge of cancellations not seen since 9/11. It also couldn’t have come at a worse time for travelers finalizing their summer vacation plans. Many need to make a final payment on a tour or cruise and are wondering: Should I go — or not? It’s a feeling I know all too well. I’m writing this on a train from Barcelona to Marseille, France, and Italy is where I was headed next. So now what? “Summer travel is such an indispensable part of contemporary lifestyle that most American tourists will not easily give up,” says Robert Li, director of Temple University’s U.S.-Asia Center for Tourism & Hospitality Research. Your options range from pressing on with summer vacation plans to scaling back to outright cancellation. Each choice comes with risks and rewards, and it’s worth weighing them all before you make a decision. Linda Singleton-Driscoll, a market researcher from Richmond, is sticking to her plans to attend a family reunion in Ireland this summer. She says her husband, a retired science educator, believes that the virus danger is often exaggerated. “Our chance of contracting the disease while we are in Ireland is not really any larger than it is staying home,” she told me. Although she may be in the minority, she’s far from alone. “No one has canceled a vacation booked through me yet,” says Donna Manz, a Europe specialist with Caddie Tours in Vienna, Va., who describes her customers as “seasoned” travelers. “In fact, two clients are currently in Avignon, France.” The benefits to sticking to your plans? You won’t get hit with cancellation penalties. It could be an adventure. Travel companies are offering some attractive deals, too. And the risk: You could get infected with coronavirus. Others are taking a more cautious approach, particularly if their vacation plans aren’t firmed up yet. Morgan Taylor, the chief marketing officer for a banking website in Los Angeles, told me that he’s spending a week in nearby Santa Barbara instead of flying somewhere exotic. “You can’t beat the zoo, the ocean, the downtown shopping and the seafood,” he says. “Looking at it unemotionally, we’ll be traveling via car, and most activities are outdoors. We can easily keep six feet from strangers on the beach and at the zoo, if we so choose.” The benefits of a staycation include saving


He tested positive, then negative for coronavirus. Now this American is stuck in Egypt.

Matt Swider had just bought a blue “I heart Egypt” T-shirt when he got the call. He and two friends were shopping for last-minute gifts in El-Souk, a touristy market near the port of Luxor, before they left for the airport to go back to their homes in the United States. They had spent the last eight days exploring the famed ancient sites of Egypt. On the other end of the phone, their tour guide asked the Americans to return to their Nile cruise ship, the M/S Asara. The three, unfazed, thought their guide was just being cautious. “I thought it would be simple,” he said, “and I would soon be on my way back home.” But when they boarded the ship on which they’d spent the previous week dining, drinking and sleeping, they found out 12 crew members tested positive for the coronavirus. The ship undocked and began floating down the Nile, away from the city, away from the airport. Egyptian health officials took passengers’ temperatures, swabbed their mouths and nostrils and collected blood. After less than 24 hours of waiting and worrying, 33 passengers were told they tested positive, given masks and led off the ship in the middle of the night. Swider was one of them. Swider, a managing editor for TechRadar, a technology news website, had packed his luggage full of cameras and equipment to capture his vacation. He bought souvenirs in ports to bring home to family and friends. Instead, Swider carried the hefty suitcase along uneven cobblestone streets, struggling to keep up with the Egyptian officials marching the tourists to a caravan of ambulances, which took them to a military plane. “My twitter and FB are filled with wonderful photos,” he messaged a Washington Post reporter as he boarded the plane to an Egyptian hospital, “which ends now sadly.” Although he wasn’t symptomatic, Egyptians packed him into a hospital with other patients who were coughing and seemed feverish. His oxygen levels, blood pressure, temperature and heart rate were all normal, making him wonder if he even had the virus that has infected more than 125,000 people around the world and 60 in Egypt. Four days later, his suspicions were confirmed when he and at least four others were taken from their rooms and told they were actually free of the coronavirus. They weren’t allowed to leave, though. Instead, they were brought back to the


Seniors are the most vulnerable to coronavirus. You can help protect them.

Older generations face a potentially life-threatening risk if infected with the novel coronavirus, which has caused deaths of 60-plus-year-olds stretching across the cities of China to the metropolises of Italy and now the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron advised his citizens to limit their visits to retirement homes last week, and Italy’s government has limited access to older people in nursing homes in an effort to keep from exposing them to infection. On Tuesday, nursing home and assisted-living establishment leaders announced that they will start screening relatives, staff and government officials for visits and telling nonessential guests, which could include family members, to stay away to curtail the spread of the virus, the Boston Globe reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that people older than 80 with major illnesses have the greatest risk and should take extra precautions. We spoke with infectious disease and geriatric-care specialists about the steps that can be taken to keep older people healthy in the face of coronavirus. If a loved one resides at a facility that is barring visitors, it’s in their best interest to abide by the facility’s rules. A lockdown is standard protocol for many skilled-care facilities during flu season, said Deborah Dunn, president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. Such procedures could entail a sign warning against visits from people experiencing flu symptoms, increased cleaning of surfaces or requirements for staff to monitor their own temperature to avoid spreading germs. These methods shield residents from potential viral danger as well as the public. For covid-19, the CDC is also recommending that long-term-care facilities have employees dedicated to caring for covid-19-positive patients and to assess the respiratory health of new residents. One of the main concerns about caring for vulnerable populations amid coronavirus, in comparison to the flu, is that there are no vaccines to fight the new virus, and no drugs to treat those who become infected, she said. Most epidemiologists agree that an effective and safe vaccine is probably a year or more away, despite President Trump’s claims that he has heard that something could arrive sooner. Present treatment for covid-19 patients mainly consists of providing fluids, giving medicine to alleviate fever and supplying supplemental oxygen in severe cases, according to a Harvard Health Publishing report. “When you don’t have the fix, you need to do health protection and promotion,” said Dunn, adding that it’s


Italy ramps up coronavirus lockdown, Merkel warns virus could infect two-thirds of Germany

ROME — Italy on Wednesday dramatically ramped up the severity of its national lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus, ordering a halt to nearly all commercial activity aside from supermarkets and pharmacies, while bringing the country to a near-total economic standstill. The measures marked one of the most drastic policies imposed by a modern democracy and followed a day in which cases accelerated across Europe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel warning that more than two-thirds of Germany's nearly 83 million people could be infected before the outbreak ends. In Italy, where there have been more than 12,000 confirmed cases and 827 deaths, the health crisis is escalating so quickly that the country has found itself willing to upend normal life and take an economic cliff dive — all in a bid to keep people indoors, reduce infections and stave off an even deeper emergency in its hospitals. "Right now the whole world is looking at us," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, telling Italians to leave their homes "only when strictly necessary." Once the new steps take effect — Conte did not specify when — only the most essential parts of society will continue to function. Farms can still produce food, factories can still churn out products, and public transportation will still function. The steps might have seemed unimaginable to Italians even a week ago. But the pace of the virus's growth — mixed with worrying depictions of a teetering health system — has caused a day-by-day national transformation, with people moving from grief toward acceptance about the extent of the changes in their lives. "You're changing your life's habits, making sacrifices, but these renunciations are offering a great, precious contribution to the country," Conte said. "Italy is showing it's a great community, united and responsible." On Monday, Conte had imposed a nationwide lockdown, limiting travel abroad and across regions. With it came other restrictions: the closure of theaters, museums, sporting events. But Italy had still been operating at a crawl. Gelaterias were open, with people lining up several feet away from one another. Barber shops were open. Cafes were also open, though with limited hours and restrictions on the number of people allowed inside. Conte received strong political pressure from politicians in Italy's northern regions, at the epicenter of the outbreak, to further tighten the measures. For other countries in Europe, Italy is the example they are trying


White House suspends travel from most of Europe to the United States beginning Friday

Nearly all travel from Europe to the United States will be suspended for 30 days in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, President Trump said in an address to the nation Wednesday night. The ban, which takes effect at midnight Friday, will not include Britain. “I am confident that by counting and continuing to take these tough measures, we will significantly reduce the threat to our citizens and we will ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus,” Trump said. Trump also criticized Europe for not acting to quickly enact travel restrictions for China, as the United States did, saying virus clusters here were “seeded by travel from Europe.” The announcement came on the same day the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, reflecting alarm that countries aren’t working quickly and aggressively enough to fight covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. WHO officials said countries should take a “blended” approach — focusing on containment to slow the spread, in hopes of buying time for mitigation strategies. Worldwide, there are now more than 121,000 cases of the coronavirus in 114 countries. More than 4,300 people have died. In the United States, there are more than 1,000 cases, and more than 30 people have died. [Live updates: WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic] Earlier in the day, the administration had signaled that the growing number of infections in Europe was prompting it to reexamine its strategy for containing the virus, but Trump had not been expected to announce a ban. At a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirmed that the administration was shifting its focus to Europe. “A real threat right now is Europe,” he told committee members. “That’s where the cases are coming in. Europe is the new China.” However, some experts question whether Trump’s strategy is the right approach. Such bans can cause people to keep their travel surreptitious, making it harder to do crucial contact tracing of those who are infected. They can also disrupt the movement of health workers, experts and medical supplies. The bans, experts also point out, can cause friction, hampering information-sharing and international efforts — as has happened between the United States and China — at a time when coordination and transparency have been crucial to fighting the virus. In Italy, where the number of infections


Pompeo condemns China, other foreign foes in announcing human rights report

Labor, whose office compiled the report, disputed the accusation that human rights violations were being cherry-picked for political reasons. “Any fair-minded person who reads these reports will see that they’re pretty hard-hitting across the board,” he said. “And so we’re no more or less hard-hitting with respect to those countries than we are to other countries that are flagged here for having problems.” Pompeo has frequently criticized all four governments in strong terms, doing so again Wednesday. He slammed Beijing for its high-tech surveillance of dissidents and for “imprisoning religious minorities in internment camps, part of its historic antipathy to religious believers.” He blasted Tehran for using violence against anti-government protesters, citing one whom government security personnel shot and then arrested his family. He had harsh words for the “illegitimate” regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela for the extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detentions mentioned in the report. And he lambasted Cuba for its thousands of political prisoners, including José Daniel Ferrer, a human rights activist who is to be sentenced this week on what Pompeo called spurious charges against citizens “whose only crimes are to criticize the policies that have held that island back for 61 long years.” “We pray for a day when Cubans, Venezuelans, Chinese, Iranians and all peoples can speak and assemble freely without fear of their own governments,” he added. The section of the report on Saudi Arabia noted “significant” human rights issues in the kingdom, including executions for nonviolent offenses, forced disappearances and torture of prisoners and detainees. The report included two brief mentions of Jamal Khashoggi, the contributing columnist for The Washington Post who was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. “In several cases the government did not punish officials accused of committing human rights abuses, contributing to an environment of impunity,” the report said, citing the Khashoggi case. Asked why the report did not mention Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. intelligence concluded played a role in the killing, Destro said, “We don’t mention high-profile cases unless they’re emblematic of a country’s approach to cases like this case. “We have taken significant actions against people in Saudi Arabia. We’ve imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions. So the question of accountability is that we’re looking at all the facts, we’re continuing to look at all the facts. That investigation, as I understand it, is ongoing, and if more facts


Wizards games suspended, Capitals games in limbo as sweeping changes arrive in Washington

The Washington Wizards’ season was put on pause Wednesday night with the news that the NBA was suspending its campaign because of concerns over the covid-19 pandemic, while the Washington Capitals’ season remained in limbo, with the NHL promising more clarity Thursday. Hours before the NBA announced it was suspending its season, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the managing group of the Capitals and Wizards, had vowed to press on pending league decisions. In a statement, the organization said it was following the direction set by the NHL and NBA for the games to go on as scheduled. The NBA announced Wednesday night that its season would be suspended indefinitely after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the virus. The NHL said in a statement that it was aware of the NBA’s decision but that it was “continuing to consult with medical experts” and “evaluating the options.” It said it expected to have a further update Thursday. Earlier on Wednesday, the D.C. Health Department recommended that “nonessential mass gatherings” be postponed or canceled. Though Monumental Sports called the health of employees, players and guests “paramount” during this rapidly moving situation in which cities, amateur organizations and professional teams announced plans to host events without fans, it initially said that Washington games will go on without restrictions. Monumental said its teams were prepared to follow directives from either their leagues or District officials to play games without spectators, if necessary. Late Wednesday night, Monumental issued a second statement, saying the Wizards would soon send further information about the suspension to season ticket holders and sponsors, and that the NHL would have a further update before Thursday’s scheduled Capitals home game against the Detroit Red Wings. Hours after the health department made the recommendation to cancel or postpone mass gatherings, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced six new cases of the novel coronavirus and declared a state of emergency in the city. Following the Capitals’ practice Wednesday, center Nicklas Backstrom said he recognized the seriousness of the coronavirus, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, but also advocated for games going on with fans inside arenas. “Hopefully we don’t have to go down that road, but I think everyone makes their own decisions, but for us as hockey players, that would be a really bad idea, and I wouldn’t like it personally,” Backstrom said. “I honestly don’t feel


Compassion in the time of coronavirus

kingdom). The complicated agenda we face is that, in this time of a pandemic, just as we are supposed to distance ourselves, we must also band together. Pandemics are an especially demanding test of our ability to cooperate because we are trying to protect not just people we know but also people we do not know (or even, possibly, care about). When we avoid meetings, decline to shake hands or pull our kids from school, we are showing compassion to innumerable faceless other people, because we are interrupting possible chains of contagion that might pass through us, whether we ourselves get sick or not. We will also be called upon to help those among us who are most vulnerable and least appreciated — the elderly, the homeless, the chronically ill, the institutionalized. And health-care workers will be expected to take personal risks of getting sick or even dying so they can care for others. But again, when a disease is spreading, helping others also helps ourselves, by helping to eradicate reservoirs of infection and stopping transmission. Our species’s evolved capacity for teaching can also help combat the virus. The openness and speed with which scientists, experts and officials around the world have shared information have been amazing. Websites based on shared data are now being updated daily with genetic analyses or epidemiological information about the coronavirus. And in an effort reminiscent of converting factories to munitions production during World War II, many scientists (including those in my lab) have shifted from their usual work and are redirecting to efforts that might help with the coronavirus, and they are rapidly posting their discoveries online before official publication for all to see. The human desire to teach each other is further abetted by scientific journals — such as Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet — that are implementing special fast-track procedures to review and publish results about the coronavirus. Both the way the virus affects us and the way we are responding ironically illustrate another profound aspect of human evolution. Part of the reason humans are social in the first place is to learn from each other, to share knowledge. Indeed, the spread of germs is the price we have had to pay for the spread of ideas. In the time of a pandemic, it’s tempting to rely on baser instincts: fearmongering, selfishness and the suppression of information.


Coronavirus now a global pandemic as U.S., world scramble to control outbreak

and cargo but various other things as we get approval. Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing.” The president corrected himself on Twitter shortly after the Oval Office speech, noting that “trade will in no way be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe. The restriction stops people not goods.” Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, also tweeted a clarification, saying that the restrictions do not apply “to American citizens or legal permanent residents or their families,” indicating that the restrictions would apply only to foreign nationals. Much of the community transmission of coronavirus in the United States thus far has been linked to U.S. travelers who visited foreign countries or who contracted the disease at gatherings in the United States. Aside from restricting travel from Europe, Trump’s announcement Wednesday night was largely focused on the U.S. economy, which continued to slide amid global economic fears related to the virus. He prodded Congress to provide payroll tax relief and to direct the Small Business Administration to provide low-interest loans to affected small businesses. Trump also instructed the Treasury Department to defer tax payments without interest or penalties. “This is not a financial crisis,” Trump said. “This is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world.” European fears also heightened as covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, appeared to be picking up pace there, moving northward. More than 600 people have died in Italy, where the government announced it is closing all shops except grocery stores and pharmacies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that as much as 70 percent of her country’s population could be infected if no medications or vaccines to treat or prevent the disease emerge soon. Merkel urged Germans to help slow its spread: “The virus has arrived.” India has effectively closed its border by suspending existing visas, with some exceptions, and Lebanon has halted travel to four affected countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a $2.8 billion relief package to stabilize the economy after requiring everyone arriving in the country to self-quarantine for 14 days. The Trump administration is considering moving all of Europe to a Level 3 travel advisory, discouraging all nonessential travel there. The federal government was developing contingency plans to have employees telework, and it barred State Department and


The first U.S. layoffs from the coronavirus are here

arriving and work dried up. At travel agencies in Atlanta and Los Angeles, several workers lost their jobs as bookings evaporated. Christie Lites, a stage-lighting company in Orlando, laid off more than 100 of its 500 workers nationwide this past week and likely will lay off 150 more, according to chief executive Huntly Christie. Meanwhile a hotel in Seattle is closing an entire department, a former employee said, and as many as 50 people lost their jobs after the South by Southwest festival in Austin got canceled. Economists fear more layoffs in the coming weeks as supply chains come to a halt and people stay home and spend less. “We will definitely see an effect on jobs from the coronavirus, and it could be pretty large in leisure and hospitality,” said Julia Pollak, labor economist at ZipRecruiter. “The first thing we’ll see is a reduction in hours. We hear many reports of employers canceling staff everywhere except in health care.” Monday in Los Angeles, Sam Creighton and about 20 colleagues were fired from the China Visa Service Center. Creighton helped Americans get travel documents to China, but business plummeted as groups and individuals canceled trips to Asia out of virus fear. The company processed around 400 visas a month; in February, that number fell to 22. The visa center did not return a request for comment. “This job was my paycheck,” said Creighton, 27, who worked at the company for about three years. “I really don’t know what to do next." Baiden King lost her job at Carson’s Cookie Fix bakery in Omaha on Tuesday because online sales and customer traffic dried up dramatically — especially after the state’s first case of covid-19 was reported nearby. The company didn’t return a request for comment. King said her manager told her when she showed up for her shift that morning she had no choice. King made $11 an hour. “If my job’s laying off people, I can only imagine other employers are as well,” said King, who is preparing to move back in with her parents. “I’m not sure anyone will be hiring.” These early coronavirus-related jobs cuts appear to have mostly affected younger, entry-level employees and gig workers. Workers receiving pink slips said they have no idea whether these layoffs will be permanent and that it is nearly impossible to look for another job right now, with many companies instituting


First, China. Then, Italy. What the U.S. can learn from extreme coronavirus lockdowns.

commercial activity to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The government announced on Wednesday that only essential businesses, such as farms, pharmacies and supermarkets, would be allowed to operate; most others would be forced to close. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte did not specify when the measure would go into effect. The containment zone set up in New Rochelle, N.Y., may not be considered a cordon sanitaire because residents are still free to move around, but all public gatherings have been canceled. The effectiveness of such measures depends in part on how they are implemented, epidemiologists say. On one end of the spectrum, some governments make lockdowns voluntary, relying on community compliance. On the other end, authorities enforce them with police patrols, fines and military-style checkpoints. China’s lockdowns landed squarely on the latter side. Beijing has faced stark criticism for first trying to conceal the outbreak, which started in December. On Wednesday, national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien said China ignored “best practices” by censoring doctors and blocking foreign health experts, spurring the spread of the virus. During the week of Jan. 20, with tens of millions about to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese officials began shutting down Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, and several nearby cities in an unprecedented quarantine effort. The WHO has said the world should be grateful for the measures, but scientists and public health experts say that locking down Wuhan was not necessarily a game changer — and that it came at an unprecedented human and economic cost. Using disease transmission modeling, a study published in the journal Science found that China’s Jan. 23 ban on travel in and out of Wuhan slowed domestic spread by only three to five days because, by the time it was implemented, more cases had been diagnosed in other Chinese cities. The same modeling found that the travel ban slowed international spread by a matter of weeks but not enough to reduce the virus’s long-term effect — an important lesson for other governments as they determine next steps. “Real questions need to be asked about what impact the lockdown had on limiting supplies and health-care workers, inciting panic, overburdening hospitals, increasing transmissions by concentrating people into areas,” said Alexandra Phelan, a global health lawyer at Georgetown’s Center for Global Health Science and Security. The Chinese government’s sudden shift from denial to drastic measures also eroded public


Japan says postponing Olympics is ‘inconceivable,’ but one Tokyo 2020 board member disagrees

Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) posed a series of questions to Bach, asking for contingency plans, details about the organization’s coordination with agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and whether the IOC has a response plan prepared in the event that someone contracts the disease during the Tokyo Games. “This public event, particularly with an exposed population that has a wide distribution geographically, is concerning,” the senators wrote. “If not handled properly, this year’s Olympic Games present a dangerous opportunity for COVID-19 to spread at unprecedented levels throughout the globe.” Earlier in the day Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori said his team was not considering changing plans for the Games and claimed Takahashi had apologized for the comments. But no sooner had those comments been reported, Takahashi doubled-down on his fears for the Olympics taking place as scheduled, telling Kyodo News that he would consider proposing a postponement when the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee meets at the end of this month. “In light of the reality, we need to respond accordingly,” he said. Takahashi is one voice on the influential executive board. There are 24 others, and he’s the only one who has publicly urged a postponement. Experts say a delay of one or two years would pose logistical problems in terms of the global sporting calendar but would fit in with U.S. broadcasters who provide much of the IOC’s funding and have freer summer schedules. It would also wreak havoc on the schedules for athletes, who have been targeting the summer of 2020 and built their lives and training schedules around peaking competitively this year. U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky, who figures to be one of the biggest American stars in Tokyo, said she has been following coronavirus headlines closely and remaining diligent about washing her hands and limiting her visits to crowded places. She trains at Stanford University, which has canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the quarter and moved all instruction online. “In terms of how it affects the next couple of months, we’re all preparing like everything will go on as scheduled,” Ledecky said in an interview last week. “I trust USOPC, USA Swimming and everybody above them — IOC, CDC, World Health Organization — to make the right decisions. We’ll just follow their guidance and be flexible if we need to be." Maese reported from Washington.


How the coronavirus compares with the flu

what to expect from the flu. Covid-19, the disease the coronavirus causes, has plunged us into the unknown. We don’t know how severe an outbreak might be and how many people it would kill. We don’t know if we might be forced into quarantine for two weeks. We don’t even know if we will know if we get it. The numbers only tell part of the story — largely because flu season has been going on longer than the coronavirus has existed and because researchers simply don’t have enough data yet to accurately assess which is more deadly. Further complicating health officials’ ability to control the spread of the coronavirus is that, unlike influenza, there is no vaccine for it. Though it remains to be seen whether the virus can be contained worldwide, deliberate quarantines and other health and travel precautions can slow its growth and help ensure hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with coronavirus patients — especially at the same time health-care workers are trying to manage seasonal influenza. The known symptoms for influenza and covid-19 are nearly identical: fever, cough, body aches, fatigue and at times vomiting and diarrhea. Both illnesses can manifest in mild or severe ways or even cause death, according to Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Health System. As of now, there are “no unique clinical signatures” that distinguish the onset of covid-19 from influenza, Nolan said. Research on the known cases so far suggests that the vast majority, some 80 percent, are mild. Health officials have urged those experiencing mild symptoms to self-manage from home with over-the-counter cold and flu aids, rather than crowding hospital emergency and waiting rooms. Those experiencing more severe symptoms, such as trouble breathing, lethargy or a fever that won’t break, should call a doctor. Both the coronavirus and influenza can cause pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be life-threatening in infants, children and people over 65. Read more about how to decide to see a doctor here. So far, it seems those most at risk for severe complications from covid-19 are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions. The same goes for influenza, though young children appear to be more susceptible to the flu than they are to the coronavirus, data shows. Children younger than 5 years old, especially those under the age of 2, are at a


cause death, according to Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Health System. As of now, there are “no unique clinical signatures” that distinguish the onset of covid-19 from influenza, Nolan said. Research on the known cases so far suggests that the vast majority, some 80 percent, are mild. Health officials have urged those experiencing mild symptoms to self-manage from home with over-the-counter cold and flu aids, rather than crowding hospital emergency and waiting rooms. Those experiencing more severe symptoms, such as trouble breathing, lethargy or a fever that won’t break, should call a doctor. Both the coronavirus and influenza can cause pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be life-threatening in infants, children and people over 65. Read more about how to decide to see a doctor here. So far, it seems those most at risk for severe complications from covid-19 are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions. The same goes for influenza, though young children appear to be more susceptible to the flu than they are to the coronavirus, data shows. Children younger than 5 years old, especially those under the age of 2, are at a high risk of developing serious health complications from the flu, according to the CDC. That’s a difficult question to answer for many reasons. First, health officials are not comparing analogous data sets between the viruses. They have years of influenza data but just months of covid-19 numbers — which are evolving by the day. It’s possible the estimated death rates for the coronavirus might be inflated because a considerable number of people likely have or had the virus but were not diagnosed because their symptoms were too mild to see a doctor. “There is also a number of asymptomatic infections we don’t know about,” Nolan said. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing March 3 that the global case fatality rate for the coronavirus is believed to be about 3.4 percent, higher than the 2.3 percent reported in a China CDC study released in February. But a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found a death rate of 1.4 percent among a group of 1,099 patients, suggesting the rate could be lower than those reported by the WHO and Chinese officials. “By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer


‘Fast and Furious 9’ postponed a year, no live audiences for TV shows: How coronavirus is affecting the entertainment industry

concerns and uncertainty regarding the coronavirus around the world.” Feb. 28: Green Day postpones its Asian tour dates. Green Day, which planned to tour Asia this spring, indefinitely postponed shows in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Korea: “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets, we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon,” the rock band said. Feb. 27: BTS cancels its Korean concerts. The K-pop group canceled and reimbursed fans for the four Seoul shows that would have opened the “Map of the Soul” concert tour, all of which were to be held April in Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Feb. 27: Hollywood speaks up. A representative of the Motion Picture Association — which represents the Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and Netflix film studios — told Deadline that the trade organization was “closely monitoring” the spread of coronavirus and that it would “continue taking the necessary precautions” to ensure the health of customers and employees worldwide. SAG-AFTRA, the labor union with roughly 160,000 members, noted it was tracking updates from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. State Department. Feb. 26: “Mission: Impossible 7” shuts down production in Italy. The seventh film in the “Mission: Impossible” series was set to shoot in Venice for three weeks — a plan put on hold after the number of confirmed cases in Italy surpassed 100. Some museums closed temporarily and, according to CNN, reopened with new safety measures in place. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan,” a representative from Paramount Pictures said in a statement. Feb. 24: Paramount delays the Chinese release of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” The famous hedgehog won’t be speeding through Chinese theaters anytime soon, per Deadline. Feb. 21: A major Chinese production is delayed. Chinese director Jia Zhangke, known for dramas such as “A Touch of Sin” and “Ash Is Purest White,” told IndieWire when he was at the Berlin Film Festival that he was in the midst of planning another film when the coronavirus broke out in the Wuhan region. He had wanted to shoot in April, given that the story takes place in the


The biggest questions about the new coronavirus and what we know so far

likely to die — seek care and are confirmed as being sick, the virus will appear much more deadly than it really is, because of all the uncounted people with milder symptoms. “The first question is: What is the true burden of infection? We don’t understand the true burden of mild illness,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “How much is this spreading in the community, unbeknown to everybody, mixed in with flu and cold?” Early in the outbreak, one expert estimated that although 2,000 cases had been reported, 100,000 were probably already sick. Understanding how deadly the disease is and how many people really have it matters crucially to developing a public health response and preparing hospitals and the health-care system around the world. The bad news is that the new coronavirus appears to spread much more easily than SARS and instead is similar to other coronaviruses that cause cold-like symptoms, Adalja said. A virus that can spread fairly easily — and may already be fairly widespread — presents a huge public health challenge. “To complicate things even more, we don’t know which individuals are likely to spread the virus,” said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “Is it those with more serious respiratory infections or coughing, or are those who have mild symptoms equally likely to be spreading it? I think we don’t know that at this point.” A case report that showed the illness could spread before symptoms occurred turned out to be incorrect, although a top U.S. official has said he still believes it can spread without symptoms, based on discussions with Chinese experts. Figuring out exactly how easily it spreads and who is infectious will be necessary for designing public health measures that are more likely to work. “In SARS, which is often cited as the other example, it seemed people were quite sick before they started transmitting, and that’s why, in my view, SARS was ultimately controlled,” said Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “You really could isolate the discernibly sick people.” So far, the risk factors for developing severe illness are thought to be similar to those for other respiratory illnesses. Older people and those with underlying illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are at increased risk.


“severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,” or more simply “SARS-CoV-2.” The disease it causes is “covid-19.” The name of the disease was announced by the director general of the World Health Organization on Feb. 11. The naming of the virus came from a committee of experts who published a paper on a biology preprint site that described their research and rationale for giving the new virus a derivative name. “It will be like HIV and AIDS — different names for virus and disease,” said Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&M University at Texarkana and a co-author of the paper. The naming of the virus came after close study of its genetic makeup by a dozen scientists, including Neuman, who form the Coronavirus Study Group, part of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Neuman said the new virus is the same species as the virus that caused the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China in 2002-2003. “Same species, but different member of the species,” Neuman said. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained some of the process behind the illness’ naming. “We had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease,” he said, citing WHO guidelines adopted in 2015. Covid-19 is a combination of coronavirus, disease and the year the pathogen was first identified, the WHO explained. The name also allows for future coronavirus diseases to be named following this formula, with the year of any new outbreak replacing 19. On Feb. 13, China’s National Health Commission revised its case numbers for Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, far higher to reflect coronavirus diagnoses made by doctors’ clinical assessments rather than the results of nucleic acid testing kits. Chinese experts have argued that the testing kits, which sample mucus swabbed from the upper respiratory tract, are both inaccurate and lacking in supply, and therefore do not reflect the true number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus. Commission spokesman Mi Feng Mi told reporters that Hubei province changed its diagnosis criteria from every other region so that its patients could receive the appropriate care sooner and more efficiently. So far, jurisdictions beyond Hubei have not switched to the different diagnosis guidelines. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital, cautioned that


animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease,” he said, citing WHO guidelines adopted in 2015. Covid-19 is a combination of coronavirus, disease and the year the pathogen was first identified, the WHO explained. The name also allows for future coronavirus diseases to be named following this formula, with the year of any new outbreak replacing 19. On Feb. 13, China’s National Health Commission revised its case numbers for Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, far higher to reflect coronavirus diagnoses made by doctors’ clinical assessments rather than the results of nucleic acid testing kits. Chinese experts have argued that the testing kits, which sample mucus swabbed from the upper respiratory tract, are both inaccurate and lacking in supply, and therefore do not reflect the true number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus. Commission spokesman Mi Feng Mi told reporters that Hubei province changed its diagnosis criteria from every other region so that its patients could receive the appropriate care sooner and more efficiently. So far, jurisdictions beyond Hubei have not switched to the different diagnosis guidelines. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital, cautioned that the uptick is probably a reflection of what many public health experts knew all along — that China’s initial data vastly underestimated the breadth of the outbreak from the beginning. “People who have been following this closely knew that this was much bigger than the reported numbers,” Bogoch said. “We knew we were dealing with a health-care system that was exceeding its capacity, and I don’t think this comes to anyone’s surprise.” China’s health system is overburdened. Patients are seeking treatment wherever they can find a bed — which sometimes means in makeshift clinics in converted gymnasiums and conference centers. “One of the problems with using lab-confirmed cases to monitor the spread of [an] epidemic is if there’s a ceiling in the number of tests that can be processed,” said Benjamin Cowling of the School of Public Health at Hong Kong University. “We’ve always known there were more coronavirus infections than the confirmed number of cases. It’s a very sensible move.” Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said the spike in cases “does not represent a significant change in the trajectory of the outbreak,” though he cautioned that they still don’t know “how big that iceberg


fever and coughing. Then there’s being “pathogen cured,” when doctors determine that the virus is indeed no longer in the body and therefore the patient can’t transmit the disease. The former is clear to a patient. The latter, “we don’t yet have a good handle on what it takes,” said Ribner. Scientists are busy trying to find out as much as they can about the coronavirus, including how long the transmission period lasts. As part of that process, they’ll also learn more about how to define “cured” in both senses. There still remains no antiviral available to treat the novel coronavirus. But Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Health in Massachusetts, said that, as with the influenza, “most patients are cured of this on their own” just by their immune system fighting back against the invading virus. For others, especially older people and those with preexisting illness, the novel coronavirus infection can be far more severe and deadly. Lauren Sauer, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University, said that people with the virus should expect long hospital stays. “We don’t have a definition of what cured is,” she said. “We don’t really have a good understanding of what [definition] people are using globally.” In Hubei province, Sauer said, authorities “are being overly cautious” given the uncertainty over how long someone remains contagious. There, she said, a patient is considered cured when they haven’t had a fever for three days and have tested negative twice on a PCR test, which looks for the virus in the body. This coronavirus could follow a seasonal pattern, peaking in the winter months. It could infect lots of people now and then begin to recede in the Northern Hemisphere before returning in the fall. It could take hold in the Southern Hemisphere. “This virus can do anything it wants,” McGeer said. “That pattern of how it’s going to spread is completely unknown, but it is critical to what the burden is going to be to all of us. … It could be just like another coronavirus, a bunch of colds. It could be like a regular flu season. It’s possible it could be different and worse.” Read more: Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster Coronavirus vaccine research is moving at record speed Can coronavirus be contained? Unknowns complicate response.


Kennedy Center cancels performances; Library of Congress closes through March

The Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art will close starting Saturday, and the Kennedy Center has canceled all performances and public events through March 31, the latest high-profile cultural organizations in Washington to go dark because of the increasing threat of the spread of covid-19. Smithsonian officials did not announce a reopening date for its museums and the National Zoo, saying it will provide updates on a weekly basis. The National Gallery of Art expects to reopen April 4. Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter said the board approved the plan in a meeting late Thursday afternoon. The Kennedy Center campus and all facilities, including the restaurant and cafe, will be closed as of Friday. “We need to be a part of the larger national effort to contain the spread of the virus,” Rutter said Thursday. “This is a really challenging business decision. As you know, nonprofits live close to the edge.” Rutter said a conference call with D.C. health officials Wednesday night emphasized the special issues with theatrical events, even ones with fewer than 1,000 people. “The specific circumstances of sitting side by side in a closed-in space with people” is the problem, she said. The center discussed continuing performances in its smaller spaces, or moving productions to them, but decided closing was the better option. “Social distancing is what’s needed to stop the explosive spreading of the virus,” she said. Thursday’s performances will continue, but upcoming productions — including the opera “Blue,” will not go on. “It’s heartbreaking, very emotional,” Rutter said, noting that the arts center has worked on that production for 18 months. “But it’s the right thing for everyone.” It’s too soon to know whether “Blue” can be rescheduled. “It will take some time to determine which programs have the potential for rescheduling. We’ll have more info in the coming days/weeks,” wrote Kennedy Center spokeswoman Rachelle Roe in an email. Ticket holders will be able to exchange tickets, donate them, transfer them to a future credit or receive a full refund. The Library of Congress has also canceled all public events in its buildings from 5 p.m. Thursday through April 1, citing an effort to reduce the spread of covid-19. The announcement comes after the Capitol Visitor Center said it will close until April 1, and the House and Senate sergeants at arms announced the cancellation of tours through the end of the month.


“The Library’s top priority is the safety and health of our staff and visitors. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, the Library decided to close to the public for the rest of the month. This will help reduce the risk of transmitting covid-19 coronavirus and will also be consistent with other buildings in the Capitol complex,” April Slayton, director of communications, said in a statement. Library officials said they will attempt to reschedule the programs. They also noted that many of the library’s resources can be accessed through loc.gov. Average daily attendance in the library’s Jefferson Building was 6,000 last March, according to a spokesman. The Washington Performing Arts has canceled Friday’s performance of Terry Riley’s “Sun Rings” by Kronos Quartet with the Choral Arts Chamber Singers at the Lisner Auditorium and the March 21 concert by Veronica Swift at Sixth and I. Ticket holders will be contacted directly concerning ticket exchanges and refunds. The arts organization’s gala will move online on Saturday, and the “Black Love Experience 2020,” a co-production scheduled for March 21 at THEARC has been rescheduled for Aug. 29. Washington Performing Arts President and CEO Jenny Bilfield said the organization started the week thinking it could proceed with the performances. “Now, less than two days later, we have crossed the threshold from caution to action and have immediately responded in the interest of the public welfare. We deeply regret that we will not be able to share performances by the Kronos Quartet, Choral Arts Chamber Singers and Veronica Swift with our audiences this season. But we are overjoyed that we will be able to produce our gala — and pay tribute to Sheila Johnson and so many other amazing women, including our devoted Women’s Committee — in this very 21st-century, virtual format,” Bilfield said in a statement. Monumental Theatre Company, which performs on the campus of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, will close its run of “Head Over Heels” after Sunday’s performance because the school is closing. The show was expected to run through March 23. The theater hopes to reschedule once the campus reopens in April. Announcements also arrived on Thursday from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which is calling off all concerts and public events through March 21 at both the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and the Music Center at Strathmore, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, which has canceled all concerts and events at the


U.S. stock market suffers worst crash since 1987, as Americans wake up to a new normal of life

around 11 percent. Thursday’s decline reflected investor unease with the handling of the crisis by global leaders including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Trump and the emergence of structural problems in financial markets that were overlooked during a record 11-year economic expansion. “It’s primarily the response to bad or absent leadership, particularly on the public health front, and unhelpful statements by the Trump administration, ECB and others that’s fundamentally what’s driving this,” said Adam Posen, a former member of the Bank of England’s rate-setting committee. Lagarde sparked a sell-off in Italian government bonds with an offhand remark Thursday that the ECB was not worried about rising funding costs for some euro-zone governments. She later modified her comments in a subsequent interview with CNBC. Likewise, the White House late Wednesday needed to issue a clarification after Trump misstated the details of his policy response to the virus in an Oval Office speech. Malfunctioning markets were the target of an extraordinary action Thursday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It said Thursday that it was injecting $1.5 trillion into the bond market on Thursday and Friday to ensure the short-term funding markets that banks use to lend to one another operate smoothly. The New York Fed said it acted “pursuant to instruction” from Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell. The action was both financially esoteric — the sort of operational consideration that only bond traders might appreciate — and profoundly important for the health of Americans investments. The roughly $17 trillion Treasury market is the safe haven for investors who want a near-absolute guarantee that they will get their money back. It also operates as a benchmark against which all other assets — stocks, corporate bonds, municipal bonds and commodities — are priced. “The belief that the Treasury is a risk-free asset is the bedrock of global financial markets,” said Narayana Kocherlakota, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. “Once you start to lose that, you lose an anchor that isn’t easily replaced." The Fed also announced it will buy $60 billion worth of Treasury bonds for the next month, from March 13 through April 13, to help keep that market functioning appropriately. Earlier this week, investors reported problems trading in U.S. government bonds. These irregularities echoed the types of freezes seen during the 2008 financial crisis and the Fed appeared to want to act quickly to


For the U.S., the biggest financial threat from China might not be the coronavirus

of Chinese assets. “It’s something we are looking at. It’s an issue for American investors,” O’Brien said at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “Some of the CalPERS investment policies are incredibly concerning.” O’Brien pointed out that Chinese companies’ books can’t be verified — and they are notorious for cooking their books — so the risks to investors can’t be known. He also noted CalPERS is directing U.S. taxpayers’ dollars into companies connected to the military expansion of an adversary. “I don’t see why we should be underwriting the Chinese defense industry,” he said. CalPERS holds $3.1 billion worth of shares in 172 different Chinese companies and last fall rebalanced its portfolio to add 198 companies, half based in China. Their holdings include Chinese military contractors such as China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. and companies currently sanctioned by the Commerce Department for building surveillance and internment camps in Xinjiang, such as Hikvision. The economic and national security concerns are linked. U.S. pressure on Chinese bad actors is undermined when Wall Street sends them billions in cash. In turn, the more Wall Street is invested in Chinese bad actors, the more they lobby against Washington’s actions, to Beijing’s benefit. Ben Meng, CalPERS’s chief investment officer and a U.S. citizen who grew up in China, once was connected to a Chinese Communist Party recruitment effort called the Thousand Talents Program. The FBI has said Beijing uses this program for nontraditional espionage. The Senate Permanent Select Committee on Investigations revealed in a recent report several instances of the program being used for criminal abuses of U.S. institutions of all kinds. China’s People’s Daily reported in 2017 that Meng was recruited through the Thousand Talents Program for his three-year stint as deputy CIO for China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to fire Meng, based on the association. Meng eventually admitted his past connection to Thousand Talents last month, while CalPERS and several Wall Street heavyweights attacked Banks. Oaktree Capital founder Howard Marks accused Banks of singling out Meng "on the basis of [his] family’s national origin.” CalPERS is a client of Oaktree. Scrutiny of Thousand Talents is not targeted at ethnically Chinese participants. The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute fired its non-Chinese CEO and vice president in December for not disclosing their participation in Thousand Talents. The chairman of Harvard University’s


For sports fans, coronavirus cancellations are unprecedented and deflating

at 12:30 p.m., only to be turned away 30 minutes later. By 4:30 p.m., NCAA President Mark Emmert canceled the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments along with the remaining 2020 winter and spring championships. “If people are going to keep going and going [to sporting events] even if there’s dangerous situations — and we know this happens based on weather, like when there’s a snowstorm and 50,000 people still show up — then it’s the ethical and moral duty of the sport teams to protect those people,” said Nick Watanabe, assistant professor of sport and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina. In Brooklyn, where the Atlantic 10 played its truncated tournament at Barclays Center, Rohit Baskar held out hope conference officials would let fans attend games. He went to the tournament last season — tickets were cheap, and it was a short walk from his apartment — and planned to make it an annual tradition with his roommate. This year’s event was to have featured Dayton, a potential NCAA tournament No. 1 seed, and at least three other teams on track to compete for March Madness berths. “It’s a real bummer,” said Baskar, 24. “March is my favorite time of the year, I always say. I do a pool every year with my friends. It just seems like none of that’s going to happen this year. “Nothing in my life has ever happened like this before. Nothing in people much older than me, in their lives, has ever happened like this before. It’s like, I can’t even predict what’s going to happen six hours from now, what else might get closed or canceled.” The cancellations left some fans stranded at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis and no doubt at countless other scheduled events. Organizers admitted spectators to two first-round games Wednesday night — Northwestern vs. Minnesota and Indiana vs. Nebraska — but pulled teams off the floor during warmups Thursday afternoon. Fans flocked to Indianapolis International Airport to try to secure early flights home. Alicia Houser and Abby Thom, juniors at Penn State, said they used their spring break to go watch the Nittany Lions, who were on track to head to the NCAA tournament for just the third time the past 20 years. Meanwhile, their university closed campus and moved all instruction online until April 3. Josh Bellcock, in town from Sac City, Iowa,


Maryland closes schools, bans large gatherings as coronavirus shutdown expands

(Live updates: The latest coronavirus developments Friday in the Washington metro area) Maryland will close public schools for two weeks starting Monday, and Gov. Larry Hogan imposed broad restrictions including a ban on gatherings of 250 people or more, the most aggressive steps yet in a region that has started to shut down to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Hours after the announcement, the Washington Archdiocese said it would close 93 Catholic schools in the District and its Maryland suburbs, and suspend public celebrations of Mass in church indefinitely. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency and canceled conferences and out-of-state travel for public employees. Arlington National Cemetery will be closed to visitors starting Friday, with strict rules in place for funerals, and the Smithsonian Institution said the National Zoo and its museums would shut down starting Saturday. Such changes are critical to limit how quickly the virus spreads, physicians on Hogan’s Coronavirus Response Team said at a news conference with the governor, and to ensure hospitals are not overwhelmed. “We can all fight back against this virus, and in fact, we need to,” said David Marcozzi, an associate chair at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “The earlier that we do this, the more layers we put in place, the less this virus can be transmitted.” Since the first cases of the virus were diagnosed a week ago, the number of people ill from covid-19 in the District, Maryland and Virginia has climbed above 40. Using his emergency powers, Hogan (R) curtailed hospital visits, closed senior centers, suspended prison visits and ordered state employees who can work from home to do so. State officials said they were working on plans to provide child care for essential workers, including health-care workers. Day-care centers will remain open for now, but the state is considering whether they must be shuttered, too, officials said. The governor also activated the National Guard, closed the cruise ship terminal at the Port of Baltimore and sealed off public access to state buildings — including the State House in Annapolis. “For Marylanders, the actions that I have announced here today will be disruptive to your everyday lives, and they may sound extreme, and they sound frightening,” Hogan said. “But they could be the difference in saving lives and helping keep people safe.” Hogan said it was “impossible to know how long this


Delaying MLB season for safety might feel like a bad trade. But it was only deal possible.

to shame. “We want to make sure we aren’t a catalyst for spreading the virus,” relief pitcher Sean Doolittle said. “The unknown is what’s so scary. Maybe I watch too many dystopian movies. But look at Italy. They went from three cases to 9,000 in three weeks. Now the whole country is just about shut down. “I don’t know the answers. I’m just a left-handed relief pitcher. But we do need to listen to the scientists and doctors. These days, we don’t seem to respect them as much as we used to, but we should now,” Doolittle added. “This isn’t the time to be using our ‘conspiracy brain.’” MLB probably needed the example and perhaps the societal pressure of watching many sports take decisive action to slow down the coronavirus Wednesday, including the NBA, which suspended its season indefinitely. Even if baseball was a beat slow, it made the right call. But don’t bother giving the sport too much credit. The NBA and NHL are nearing their playoffs next month — the highlight and the moneymaker of their season. Baseball is the only sport that could miss a month or two of games and barely be the worse for it — except in the wallet. In 1981, the owners forced the players to strike, and 38 percent of the major league schedule — 713 games from June 12 until Aug. 10, almost two months — was canceled. Many of us wailed at the time. But in hindsight, few missed those games — or at least not for very long. The Los Angeles Dodgers still fly the flag they won that year in the World Series. Oh, it was a weird, deformed, chopped-up split season. Some teams played only 103 games, and the San Francisco Giants played the most, 111. But the record book still shows Mike Schmidt as NL MVP and Fernando Valenzuela, in the season of Fernandomania, as both the rookie of the year and Cy Young winner. Suspending spring training operations, as opposed to playing games in empty ballparks, is the sensible choice because it acknowledges the virtual impossibility of starting the regular season on time at a moment in U.S. history when New York City — site of the Nationals’ opening game — has banned gatherings of more than 250 people. The entire world is in a tough spot, figuring out how best to combat and minimize


Relatives watch as covid-19 tears through Seattle-area senior homes. ‘It’s a very helpless feeling.’

best we can here to contain the virus,” she said. “I also work at a school. That's my regular job. I have decided to not go back to that school until this is over. As a parent, I would not want a nurse coming into my child's school if they had been here.” Patients, too, could have spread the virus while moving from one facility to another. Madison House Independent & Assisted Living Community in Kirkland disclosed that a resident who lived at its facility from Feb. 27 to March 3, after moving from Life Care Center, has tested positive for covid-19 at a hospital, where the person remains. “We cannot definitively state the source of transmission, but the affected resident did come to Madison House from another facility that subsequently disclosed having multiple confirmed covid-19 cases,” Eric Hanson, a spokesman for Koelsch Communities, which owns Madison House, said in an email. Although there is still much to be learned about covid-19, research points to the disease being deadlier for older and at-risk patients. A recent World Health Organization report found that the case fatality rate for covid-19 patients older than 80 in China was 21.9 percent, while patients of all ages with no underlying chronic conditions had a fatality rate of 1.4 percent. WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Introducing the virus to a long-term care site has been particularly perilous in the Seattle area. About 59 percent of the 366 confirmed cases of covid-19 in Washington state as of Wednesday afternoon were people older than 60, according to state health department data. “We know this is a fatal disease, all too frequently for those particularly of age and those who have chronic conditions,” Inslee said. Inslee’s rules to stanch the spread of the disease now limit residents to one visitor a day, and each visitor must be screened for the virus, including having a temperature below 100.4 degrees. Employees and volunteers also must be screened before each shift. Efforts to stop the spread to nursing homes are moving quickly beyond Washington. VA on Tuesday announced plans to bar visitors at its nursing homes nationwide, except for cases in which residents are at the end of their lives. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) also


Trump’s go-it-alone approach put to the test by global coronavirus pandemic

As a viral pandemic has spread across continents with a severity and deadliness that world leaders say demands a global response, President Trump has increasingly turned inward. He has imposed travel restrictions on one-fourth of the world’s population while criticizing other nations’ response efforts, refused to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, attacked his handpicked Federal Reserve chairman and defied the warnings of his own public health experts. His handling of the crisis, including a surprise decision to restrict travel from Europe, is drawing criticism at home and abroad, with leaders warning that Trump’s go-it-alone approach is doing harm to an already fraught situation. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that reasons “less than factual” appeared to have played a role in Trump’s decision-making. “We can’t adequately meet this challenge — not even within the USA — when decisions being made are garnished with blame,” Maas said in an emailed statement. Before announcing the travel restrictions in an Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday, Trump compared the death rate in the United States positively with other places where the coronavirus has been spreading, bluntly criticizing U.S. allies as they face a debilitating crisis. “The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hot spots,” he said. “As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe.” On Thursday, he defended his decision to go forward with the 30-day travel ban without first consulting the 26 affected countries. Doing so would take too long, he said, before bringing up an unrelated gripe over trade. “We had to move quickly,” he said. “I mean, when they raise taxes on us, they don’t consult us.” Trump’s approach reflects his us-against-them mind-set, tendency to assign blame and combative view of geopolitics — characteristics that have only been amplified by the global crisis, said Russell Riley, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. “It is a persistent, enduring and probably irreversible feature of this president that he’s going to approach a problem on his own and will rise or fall based on his ability to succeed in doing that,” he said, describing Trump’s strategy as a “recipe for a disastrous exercise in leadership.” The White House defended the president’s leadership, arguing that Trump has been engaging with world leaders about the coronavirus for several weeks.


Greece suspends Olympic torch relay because of coronavirus, one day after flame was lit

all 47 of Japan’s prefectures, the flame is due to arrive in Tokyo 121 days later for the Opening Ceremonies on July 24. Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou used a parabolic mirror to ignite the torch on Thursday before handing it to Greek Olympic shooting champion Anna Korakaki, who became the first woman to be the first torchbearer of the torch relay. The gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Games then passed the flame to Japan’s Mizuki Noguchi, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Games. Even as the spread of the coronavirus has led to the cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe, International Olympic Committee officials have been adamant that the Tokyo Games will take place as scheduled. The IOC said it intends to follow advice from the World Health Organization. In a speech at Thursday’s ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach thanked organizers, including the Greek Olympic Committee, for making the event possible “under difficult circumstances.” “This demonstrates once more our commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” Bach said. “Nineteen weeks before the Opening Ceremony, we are strengthened in this commitment by the many authorities and sports organizations around the world who are taking so many significant measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus." In a statement Thursday, the IOC said it remains “absolutely in line with our Japanese hosts in our commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July” and “fully committed to delivering Olympic Games that can bring the world together in peace.” On Wednesday, Japan’s Olympics minister, Seiko Hashimoto, told a parliamentary committee that canceling or postponing the Games was “inconceivable” while acknowledging that the IOC would have the final say. Hashimoto’s comments came one day after Tokyo 2020 executive board member Haruyuki Takahashi told reporters that postponing the Games would be the “most feasible” option if the coronavirus prevented them from proceeding as scheduled. On Wednesday, Takahashi said he would consider proposing a postponement of one or two years when the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee meets at the end of this month. Meanwhile, former Japanese defense minister Shigeru Ishiba urged Japan’s government to consider every possibility over the coming weeks. “Not thinking about worst-case scenarios won’t eliminate the risk of them materializing,” Ishiba told Reuters. “The government must start thinking now about what to do [in case the Games are postponed or canceled.]"


Maryland basketball team expresses shock, disappointment at NCAA tournament cancellation

decision to cancel this year’s Big Ten tournament,” Coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement before the announcement of the NCAA tournament’s cancellation. “The health and safety of our student-athletes and entire program is paramount. This is an unprecedented situation that is much bigger than basketball. I remain hopeful that a resolution will be found to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to complete their season." Maryland was supposed to practice at noon Thursday. Turgeon told the players about the Big Ten tournament cancellation in the locker room, and the team did not practice. Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in Indianapolis that the conference will not crown a tournament champion and the tournament will not take place at a later date. “If I was a student-athlete, I would be irate if someone came and said, ‘You can’t play in a game,' ” Warren said on the Big Ten Network. “That’s what makes them special. And that’s what I expect them to be, is that they want to play. That’s what makes competition, that’s what makes intercollegiate athletics so special. But at the end of the day, we have a responsibility to make sure we do the right thing.” Maryland’s spring football practice was scheduled to begin March 24, but a team spokesman said, “all practices are suspended until further notice.” The conference-wide cancellation only mentions competitive events, not practices. The Big Ten announced “a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.” University of Maryland students are on spring break next week, but classes have also been canceled for the following week (March 23-27). Until April 10, classes will be online. The Terrapins men’s basketball team earned a share of the conference title Sunday with its win over Michigan in the season finale. Even though spectators already had been barred from attending Big Ten tournament games beginning Thursday, Maryland parents had planned to attend. Some The NCAA initially announced Wednesday afternoon that the NCAA tournament would be played without fans, but that was before announcements of cancellations began rolling out en masse. After Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, the NBA suspended its season, and other leagues followed suit. Read more: Coronavirus and sports: Latest updates and cancellations Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide Jerry Brewer: Sports provide a refuge, but they blurred our vision on coronavirus


A dozen firefighters in Maryland self-quarantined after potential exposure to coronavirus

A dozen firefighters and emergency medical technicians in Maryland are under quarantine after authorities learned they had been inside a home in Prince George’s County occupied by a man who tested positive for the coronavirus. Tiffany D. Green, chief of the county’s fire and emergency medical services, said one firefighter has shown flu-like symptoms that include a fever and is being tested for the virus. The others, all self-quarantined in their homes, will be tested if they become ill. “We’re following our normal infectious disease procedures,” Green said, adding that firefighters have been trained on how to monitor themselves for symptoms of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and will notify county officials if they show signs of the illness. Authorities in the area and across the country are starting to grapple with how first responders deal with the fast-spreading contagion, as they respond to calls for crime and medical help while trying to keep themselves safe and minimize exposing their colleagues and families. Daniel Linskey, a former superintendent in chief of the Boston Police Department and now a security consultant, said law enforcement agencies should even consider how they respond to calls that are not emergencies. “Do we need to roll police to homes to take a burglary report,” Linskey said, “or can it just be taken over the phone?” In addition to the scare in Prince George’s County, two D.C. firefighters have self-quarantined after responding to an incident, according to the head of the firefighters union. District officials did not respond to questions seeking further details. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said his officers have been trained in dealing with the virus, and many carry protective clothing because they often interact with people at risk for hepatitis, influenza and other infectious diseases. He said officers who come in contact with someone showing signs of the virus can ask them if they will put on a mask, and if they refuse, the officers will put one on themselves. “The key for us is to ensure our officers have sufficient information about how the virus is transmitted to ensure they don’t come in contact with it,” Newsham said. “Anyone who exhibits symptoms, we ask them to stay home.” The chief said the department is evaluating on a case-by-case basis events it hosts that attract groups or invite close contact, such as the popular coffee with a cop events. He